Julen Lopetegui does not have long to bask in the best result of his West Ham tenure as he faces a major new Mohammed Kudus issue he must confront.
‘That’s what West Ham will do to you’.
That was the general consensus among fans as images showed Julen Lopetegui sporting a dishevelled looked in the dugout before the game against Newcastle.
With a grey beard and wearing a wrinkled perma-frown, it was suggested the pressure of West Ham’s situation was getting to the 58-year-old.
The Spaniard knew he faced a difficult week. Newcastle away on a Monday night followed by Arsenal at home.
West Ham were given no hope, Lopetegui was billed a dead man walking.
Especially as the Hammers faced those games without arguably their best player, Mohammed Kudus.
After a 2-0 win nobody saw coming, Lopetegui was understandably relieved.
But he knows there is more stress on the horizon.
In fact the manner of the performance and victory at Newcastle has actually given him an entirely new headache.
Arsenal next presents a very different problem.
Monumental new Kudus issue Lopetegui must confront
The Gunners battered West Ham 6-0 in this fixture back in February.
It was one of the results that made minds up in east London that David Moyes had to go.
Hopes of catching the Gunners on a bad day were dismissed overnight as they smashed one of Europe’s most in-form teams – Sporting – 5-1 away from home.
With Lopetegui desperate for some momentum, the last thing West Ham need is to play Arsenal with their tails up.
The Hammers will once again be without their Ghanaian star boy for the game against the team he’s been heavily linked with of late.
West Ham complete a spell of three games in eight days when they go to Leicester after that.
They do so with a monumental new Kudus issue Lopetegui must confront that will make or break West Ham’s season.
On the evidence so far, there’s little love lost between Kudus and Lopetegui.
The manager accused Kudus of not playing for the team at half-time of the game at Brentford earlier this season.
Kudus had been second only to Bruno Guimaraes last season for ball recoveries for their team. In the entire Premier League.
He was in the top 10 this season too.
So it was understandable the star took exception to being singled out as selfish by Lopetegui.
An bust-up allegedly ensued and Kudus was subbed off.
Was Lopetegui using an old management trick of singly out his best player to try and show the team nobody is more important than the team?
Or does he genuinely feel Kudus isn’t a team player. Either way, many questioned the manager’s judgement to upset your star man.
Kudus has looked frustrated at being played on the left at West Ham this season.
Kudus call will make or break West Ham’s season
Hammers fans have also been frustrated at that. Because they feel not only is Kudus less effective out there but it keeps Crysencio Summerville out of the team.
Kudus’ head loss at Spurs and subsequent five-game ban has solved that issue for Lopetegui.
Summerville was one of West Ham’s best players in what many hope will be a season-changing 2-0 win at Newcastle.
As Lopetegui revels in his side’s performance, it will soon dawn on him that a potentially pivotal selection dilemma now awaits him.
How managers deal with difficult decisions and team selection often dictates how they are respected by the players.
Whatever happens against Arsenal, West Ham fans will expect their side to beat Leicester.
Kudus will return for that game. So what does Lopetegui do for the best?
Does Kudus come straight back into the side? Who drops out?
How does Lopetegui handle the situation so that he doesn’t lose the respect of the players?
The Hammers boss must decide whether Kudus has to earn his place back in the side.
Taking Summerville out would anger fans.
But Carlos Soler and Lucas Paqueta were excellent at Newcastle in a midfield that finally worked alongside Tomas Soucek.
Lopetegui’s major dilemma over Summerville and Kudus
So where does Kudus fit in if Lopetegui wants to be fair to Summerville.
Many fans feel Kudus must now serve his penance by taking his place on the bench.
But that in itself feels almost absurd. The Ghanaian attacker is the team’s best player.
And two weeks ago in the dour draw with Everton, West Ham would have been desperate to have him available.
So to now suggest he must earn his place back after one good result seems a stretch.
Only Lopetegui can decide but it is a call which could quite literally make or break West Ham’s season.
If it unbalances the team just when West Ham are getting something going then it could be catastrophic for the rest of the campaign and the manager’s long-term future.
That’s why the head coach gets paid the big bucks.
It will be fascinating to see how Lopetegui handles it.
Because either way he’s going to have to confront it head on next Tuesday.
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