TalkSPORT pundit Ray Parlour has questioned Julen Lopetegui’s selection choices after using West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville sparingly this season.
The Hammers spent £25m to bring in the forward from Leeds last summer but he has only started 6 league matches and Arsenal legend Parlour has criticised Lopetegui for not playing him more often:
“He takes people on, he commits people and his work-rate is very good, so I’m really surprised he doesn’t start more games.”
Plenty of supporters would agree with Parlour’s assessment, having been impressed by what they have seen from Summerville when he has been given the opportunity.
The Dutchman has shown what he can do prior to joining West Ham
His form in the Championship for Leeds last season was extremely impressive. The forward scored 20 goals and provided 9 assists in 46 league appearances.
Summerville was named the Championship’s Player of the Year, leading to him being linked with the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea, prior to his arrival at the London Stadium.
Bowen’s injury may lead to more minutes for Summerville
While no fan is happy that Jarrod Bowen will be sidelined for a lengthy period due to a broken foot, Summerville could prove to be the main beneficiary of the captain’s absence.
Lopetegui has generally deployed Mohammed Kudus on the left of the front three in order to accommodate Bowen on the opposite flank. However, we could now see Kudus on the right, leaving a gap open in the starting eleven for Summerville.
The 23-year-old does need to improve on his return in front of goal. So far this season, he has scored just once and provided one assist, but those numbers should improve if he is given more game time by Lopetegui over the coming days and weeks.
Find out who is in West Ham’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here