After the savage defeat against Arsenal, [Julen Lopetegui](https://www.claretandhugh.info/nowhere-to-hide-prime-candidates-to-replace-lopetegui-take-aim-tonight/) will take a lifeline any way it is offered to him just now. Matches are coming thick and fast and his ‘credit’ with boss [David Sullivan](https://www.claretandhugh.info/david-sullivan-should-heed-the-warning-captured-at-34-minutes-yesterday/) is wafer thin. Leicester are five points below West Ham and the pressure is on the Hammers to save their head coaches ‘ job by bagging three points.
The unlikely saviour riding to the rescue is the maverick genius that is Mohammed Kudus, returning from his five game suspension handed down for his violent conduct against Spurs. Lopetegui and Hammers fans alike will hope that the Ghanaian has cooled his frustration and can allow his enormous skill to do the talking tonight.
As BBC reporter Phil Parry sums up, when Kudus is out of the side, West Ham struggle:_” He’s a very creative player who can cause problems and when you miss players like that, it can cause problems._
_It puts more pressure on and allows the opposition to try and shut down the options easier.”_
Whether his long term future is at West Ham, Kudus is now back in the spotlight and I’m certain, will be back on the team sheet in place of a very unlucky Crysencio Summerville who has grown well into the left wing role.
Why on earth Lupetegui doesn’t play Kudus in the central role behind Antonio- people better qualified than I can perhaps explain. He was highly successful in that role at Ajax and it would allow Lopetegui to incorporate all his three premier forwards in one mammoth attacking line behind Antonio in a 4,2,3,1 formation.
Either way, Kudus can save Lopetegui’s job with a flash of inspiration and a couple of goals tonight.