It’s fair to say Thomas Frank is not expecting Mohammed Kudus to be greeted with a particularly warm reception when Tottenham Hotspur’s £54.5 million summer signing makes his return to West Ham United.
Then again, a footballer who became the first to swap the Hammers for Spurs since Scott Parker in 2011 is clearly not afraid of upsetting the applecart.
A ‘hostile’ response, to quote Frank, is what Mohammed Kudus would have been expecting when the former West Ham United favourite pushed through a highly-controversial switch 12 miles north back in July.
While Graham Potter played down the noise surrounding Kudus’ return to the London Stadium during his pre-match press conference on Thursday – preferring to focus on the players still at his disposal – Frank is backing the Ghana international to let his football do the talking.
Thomas Frank talks ‘hostile’ West Ham United reception as Mohammed Kudus return looms
Kudus spent two rather mixed years in claret and blue, joining from Ajax during the summer of 2023 before scoring 19 goals in 80 games under David Moyes, Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter.
Kudus became an immediate fan favourite at Tottenham on the back of a few sparkling early displays. Though, as the Hammers faithful know only too well, getting off to a great start is the easy bit.
Maintaining it is the biggest challenge. And that is where Kudus fell short in the east of the capital.
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“You don’t think they will applaud him? Maybe not,” Frank accepts when asked what sort of reception his number 20 can expect back at his old stomping ground.
“I’m pretty sure players and myself hear the extra noise but then, at a certain stage, you get into your zone and you don’t really hear it.
“I’m sure it will be the same for Kudus, the same for all players playing in a hostile environment. The thing he should do is focus on his game. That is what he can control.”
Graham Potter ignores Kudus question and praises Jarrod Bowen
Frank was heard telling Kudus to ‘create’ and ‘do whatever you want’ on the training pitch this week.
So, while the two-time Eredivisie champion has played solely on the right-hand side since joining Spurs, West Ham can expect to see him popping up in a variety of attacking positions while alternating with the likes of Brennan Johnson, Richarlison, Xavi Simons, or whoever the Tottenham boss opts to start in attack.
Lining up on the right-hand side for the Hammers, meanwhile, will be Jarrod Bowen.
Potter spoke glowingly about West Ham’s inspirational captain in his pre-match analysis, Bowen getting off the mark with a wonderful strike in the 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest last time out.
“I think the goals speak for themselves. He’s a goal threat, that’s what Jarrod is,” Potter enthused. “His finish against Forest was very, very high level. It’s incredible the way he takes it so early. His movement to hit the ball… he’s a killer around the box.
“He’s been a fantastic captain for us. A great leader. He speaks really well to the players [and] in small groups.
“He has been a joy to work with, to be honest, and everybody knows how important he is for us. Those goals and assists… There is not too much to say, it’s a great record.”