The power of social media in the ‘entertainment business’ of global football is becoming only too well known. Whereas players used to be well insulated from fan responses in the ‘good old days’, now, if they choose to engage directly via TwitterX or Instagram they do so at their peril. The responses are usually direct and in-their -faces.
Very often players at West Ham have inactive accounts with one or two posts every couple of years. For good reason. Most canny players and managers take a step back from social media: Nobody really wants the distractions of every opinion under the sun detracting from their mental preparation for the next game.
Mohammed Kudus however, has been very active when on international duty, often engaging directly with critics. This has extended to Kudus posting a big, frank and detailed apology yesterday on twitterX to Ghana fans and citizens after his national side’s disappointing performances which have them on the brink of failure to qualify for the AFCON finals next year.
Kudus’ huge TwitterX Apology
I cannot help thinking when he gets back to West Ham someone in the player welfare section needs to counsel young Kudus: Such direct exchanges with fans and citizens predictably include a ‘wide array’ of responses which could easily erode the young man’s confidence.
He needs to be sheltered at West Ham if the club are to get the best out of him: Looking at some of the TwitterX responses It’d be very surprising if he doesn’t take some of them to heart:
“Bro, we don’t need apology! You guys are just not good enough And for you, the least said about your selfish performance, the better.”
” Stop the apology notes and start working as a team”
“Release ball early bro . That’s your only weakness”
“A true leader Heads Up Mo Kuku”
Is a fair cross-section of the 700 + responses – some are less palatable. His post has been read over 250,000 times. Maybe time to pass the phone to the Player Relations department at London Stadium and feel the love of being a Hammer and leave the burden of captaining Ghana behind for a few weeks.
It can’t be helping Kudus rediscover his form of last year when so much public criticism arrives directly at his inbox. The media in Ghana are similarly unrelenting in their search for scapegoats and ‘Starboy’ needs someone to lend a hand and help him deal with the burden rather than try and take it all on the chin- let’s hope West Ham are able to throw a big arm around his shoulder and help him rediscover the magic.
