Nolan completely refutes Lopetegui’s harsh comments regarding West Ham’s ‘bad boy.’

It has become increasingly apparent that West Ham’s star player, Mohammed Kudus, and head coach Julen Lopetegui are not on the best of terms.

Their relationship has come under scrutiny following a well-publicized altercation during halftime against Brentford.

Reports indicate that Lopetegui accused Kudus of not playing for the team, which reportedly upset Kudus, leading to a heated exchange between the two.

This incident escalated when Lopetegui made the controversial decision to substitute the Ghanaian at halftime during the 1-1 draw.

Kudus was seen kicking a seat in frustration upon exiting the pitch, an unusual reaction considering he had been one of West Ham’s standout players in the first half, even while playing out of position on the left wing.

Despite the tension, it was reported that the two managed to move past the incident, as Kudus went on to score in West Ham’s subsequent match, a 4-1 victory against Ipswich.

However, the situation took a turn for the worse in a match against Tottenham, where Kudus lost his composure, leaving three Spurs players on the ground before receiving a red card.

Kudus now faces a three-match suspension, which could extend to six games after being charged by the FA for a separate incident involving a shove to the face following his dismissal.

Lopetegui has openly criticized Kudus, stating that he needs to improve his behavior, particularly in high-pressure situations.

“Unfortunately, Kudus is going to be out for three matches because his behavior was not good, and he knows that,” Lopetegui said, as reported on West Ham’s official website.

“It’s a pity because he had a strong match and could have scored two goals.

He understands that he must work on his temperament, as such incidents cannot happen. I’m confident this will be the last time something like this occurs.

The best way to handle frustration is to concentrate on the game, as behaviors like this can ruin the match.”

Lopetegui expressed confidence that Kudus would learn from this experience and improve his conduct in the future.

However, Kevin Nolan, former assistant coach at West Ham, has contradicted Lopetegui’s critical remarks about Kudus.

Nolan, who worked with Kudus last season, described him as “the most placid lad in the world” and suggested that the incident was not reflective of Kudus’s true character.

On talkSPORT, Nolan remarked, “We worked with Momo, and he is the most placid lad in the world, so I don’t know what happened.

It seems there’s a lot of frustration coming from him, and I think that just came out in that moment.

Sometimes when you see red, you don’t know, and I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing because knowing Momo and working with him, this was totally out of character.”

Nolan also expressed his disapproval of Lopetegui’s recent decision to make Jarrod Bowen the captain, suggesting that he disagreed with the head coach’s leadership choices.

The contrasting views between Nolan and Lopetegui highlight the growing tensions within the club as they navigate their current challenges.