Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta both said their goodbyes to West Ham in strange fashion but in keeping with the woeful seasons each of them endured.
Any team, whether you are Manchester City or West Ham United, is always reliant on its best players performing.
Man City virtually fell apart without Rodri and with Kevin De Bruyne’s powers fading.
In Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta, West Ham had two of the most naturally gifted talents in all of Europe, let alone the Premier League.
But you wouldn’t know it watching the Hammers this season.
Issues on and off the pitch have meant neither Kudus or Paqueta has been anywhere near the levels they are capable of for West Ham during a miserable campaign.
Kudus was amazing for the club in his debut season, providing 20 goals and assists and compiling his own goal of the season competition with some stunning strikes.
The Ghanaian’s £85m release clause looked far too cheap off the back of his performances as he scored a Diego Maradona-esque goal in the Europa League.
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But this season he has struggled badly, falling out with Julen Lopetegui and scoring just five goals – one of which came in the 3-1 win at Ipswich on the final day.
Kudus was dropped for the game.
That would have been unthinkable a year ago but that neatly sums up where the 24-year-old is at right now.
West Ham should be lighting up Europe with Paqueta and Kudus
Banned for five games after his red card and head loss at Spurs, Kudus admitted he was struggling to deal with the pressure of being Ghana’s shining light during a horrendous year for the Black Stars which saw them drop out of the African Nations and then fail to qualify for the next one.
In an ideal world, this would go down as an off-season for Kudus and West Ham would continue to build around a player who is clearly an immense talent.
But PSR dictates otherwise and West Ham have to sell Kudus this summer.
The fee Kudus will fetch will likely be nowhere near that £85m release clause, which was inserted in his contract at the player’s request to prevent West Ham from blocking a move if a top club came calling and were willing to pay.
Kudus has seen his body language and attitude questioned.
But statistics show he has always worked hard for the team even if his goal threat has diminished by three quarters this season.
Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
Paqueta’s issues are much more widely publicised.
The spot-fixing case against him has taken its toll, culminating in the Brazilian bursting into tears after being booked against Spurs recently.
He too was named on the bench at Ipswich, getting on in the second half for what will also be his last action in the claret and blue.
Paqueta has just five goals and one assist to his name this season for the Hammers.
Simply put that is nowhere near good enough for a player of his quality – by any stretch of the imagination.
With Kudus and Paqueta alongside the likes of Jarrod Bowen, West Ham should be up competing for Europe.
Their poor form – not helped of course by a drop in standards right across the club over the last 18 months – put paid to any hope of that.
Now Kudus and Paqueta’s bizarre West Ham farewells sum up their woeful seasons as a new era beckons.
Graham Potter has made it clear he is planning big changes this summer.
Kudus and Paqueta’s bizarre West Ham farewells sum up woeful seasons
Six players are already on their way and could be followed by Michail Antonio.
Kudus and Paqueta – if he beats the case against him – will be sold along with a number of others to raise funds for at least five signings.
Potter will be building around youth.
But it was a shame – although inescapably fitting – that Paqueta and Kudus bowed out the way they did at Portman Road.
Kudus came on and scored the kind of goal which was a regular occurrence last season and during his time at Ajax.
The celebration – or lack of one – summed up how things are ending for Kudus at West Ham.
He may well have simply been miffed at having been dropped or embarrassed to celebrate too much given how bad he has been for most of the season.
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Muted goodbyes for Kudus and Paqueta are a sad sight
West Ham fans have been critical of the fact Kudus’ best performances have come away at so-called top clubs. There was always a nagging feeling he was peacocking for a move.
Deep down most West Ham fans know Kudus is probably going to be a big hit wherever he goes next – be it Liverpool, Arsenal or Saudi.
Jamie Carragher thinks Kudus is partly to blame for West Ham’s poor season – but believes he still deserves a move to a better team.
In fairness, Kudus probably will flourish around better players. Selling him is a necessary evil and may just be for the best – for all concerned.
Paqueta meanwhile detached himself from the rest of the West Ham squad and stood alone away from the group as he clapped fans.
Teammates eventually pushed him towards supporters to say a proper farewell.
This might not just be Paqueta’s last game for the Hammers, but his last game full stop.
If he is found guilty of spot-fixing, the FA are pushing for Paqueta to be banned for life. If cleared, then the £150k per week star will be sold.
West Ham and Paqueta will always have that pass which set Bowen on his way to win the club’s only major trophy of the last 45 years.
But he probably hasn’t reached his true potential in east London given the Brazil international is one of the best players in the Premier League on his day.
New era beckons as Potter puts focus back on being a team
It shouldn’t be ending like this for players of Paqueta and Kudus’ talents at West Ham.
Scraping to 14th place with a last day win at already relegated Ipswich having had zero jeopardy to the season since January.
It is a sad ending.
But it shows what happens when you rely on talented individuals over the team in a team sport.
Now Potter is looking to usher in a new era where the team is the be all and end all.
“I hate relying on individuals,” were among Potter’s last words before heading into one of the club’s most important summer windows of the Premier League era.
Kudus and Paqueta are cautionary tales of what happens when a club does just that.
The saving grace for West Ham has been that the one individual they can always rely on – Bowen – does it week in, week out.
It feels daunting that the Hammers will only have him of their “big three” next season.
But fans should embrace Potter’s focus on team over individuals.
Because it is the only way to build sustainable success at a club like West Ham.
Just ask David Moyes.