West Ham United have had a turbulent start to this campaign under their new manager, after making the decision to take the club in a different direction this summer, hiring Julen Lopetegui.
Heavy investment into the squad, and a managerial change that saw a drastic alteration to their style of play, but some Hammers fans may be scratching their heads, wondering if they should’ve been careful what they wished for.
Since David Moyes left the club, things have gone downhill, and it could go from bad to worse, with Mohammed Kudus’ suspension being extended, during a key stretch for Lopetegui’s future.
Mohammed Kudus' suspension
The 24-year-old attacker has made ten appearances so far this season, scoring two goals and providing one assist, starting much slower than he did last campaign, where the winger made 45 appearances, scoring 14 goals and providing six assists.
It is now confirmed that Kudus will serve an extended ban, after being sent off for violent conduct in West Ham’s 4-1 loss to Tottenham. The Ghanaian will now miss the Hammers games against Newcastle and Arsenal, following the international break.
This setback also comes amid claims that replacing the former Ajax man could be something of a long-term issue for the club, with reports indicating that Arsenal are among those who are keen to sign the forward in the near future.
One option Lopetegui has to ease the loss of Kudus – both in the short-term and should he depart – is summer signing Crysencio Summerville, who joined from Leeds for around £25m, following his Championship Player of the Year season last campaign.
But the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss could have one more option that, whilst being risky, could prove to be the best man for the job.
West Ham's perfect Kudus replacement
Luis Guilherme was signed by West Ham this summer, joining from Palmerias in Brazil, for a fee of around £25m. The 18-year-old wonderkid made 45 appearances for the Brazilian outfit, scoring one goal, providing one assist, and totalling 1,345 minutes played.
Yannick Bolasie, an ex-Premier League star, labelled him “electric”, as well as “exciting” and a “tricky customer” when speaking about the young Brazilian.
This is the type of player that gets fans off their seat, and with Lopetegui’s future in doubt, now may be the perfect time to fully unleash him.
Stats (per 90 mins)
Guilherme
Kudus
Summerville
Goals
0.22
0.26
0.18
Assists
0.22
0.13
0.00
xG
0.22
0.38
0.24
xAG
0.24
0.11
0.16
Progressive Carries
4.89
5.00
2.89
Progressive Passes
3.33
2.70
1.84
Shots Total
2.22
3.64
1.40
Key Passes
2.44
0.68
1.84
Shot-Creating Actions
5.56
3.38
3.68
Successful Take-Ons
2.22
3.78
1.32
Analysing Guilherme’s numbers from Palmeiras so it gives a better understanding of his overall game (as he’s only played twice for the Hammers so far), shows why he could be a better option than Summerville, adding more creativity to the side, as well as progressive metrics that could help the side during build-up.
The 18-year-old Brazilian could replace Kudus’s output, as shown from his higher assists per 90, and slightly lower goals per 90, not quite offering the same shot volume as Kudus, and possibly not as direct, but apart from that, ranking above or very close to Kudus in all other metrics.
With data analyst Ben Mattinson also stating that the teenager’s “versatility reminds [him] of Kudus”, now would be the perfect time for Lopetegui to unleash his exciting weapon signed this summer, as pressure is mounting from the fans.
Bringing an exciting youngster into the side can always give a positive lift in morale to the supporters, giving them something to get behind, and it’s a mentality shift like this that could even save Lopetegui his job.
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