OPINION
West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate had a lacklustre 2017/18 campaign and then suffered disappointment with Senegal at the World Cup.
The 28-year-old saw his nation go out of the international tournament due to their disciplinary record as Senegal finished on the same points as Japan in Group H.
This would no doubt have been a heartbreaking experience for the international captain as to be eliminate is painful enough but to go out due to something as minuscule as the amount of yellow cards a side receives is crazy.
Kouyate is no doubt even more hurt following his nation’s elimination compared to some of his teammates as he likely feels like he could have done more to help his side’s cause.
The 28-year-old midfielder, despite being Senegal’s captain, was dropped for his nation’s opening game of the tournament and was allowed to only play three minutes of that fixture.
Kouyate then only played 25 minutes of the 2-2 draw with Japan before playing the full game against Colombia where his side suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to end their time in Russia.
After having a less than stellar time at the London Stadium last season as he struggled to deliver the goods in the majority of his 37 appearances for the Hammers, his confidence is no doubt at an all-time low.
The midfielder, who earns £60,000-a-week (Source: Spotrac), must be given time by new boss Manuel Pellegrini to conquer his World Cup blues as when at his best he is a fantastic player for the club.
Senegalese outfit Galsen Foot previously shared that the Hammers were looking to replace Kouyate and they would be making a terrible mistake if they did that as the 28-year-old defensive midfielder can provide his side with the steely presence they require in the middle of the pitch.
Kouyate has heaps of energy, is a tough tackler and with time once his confidence is back will deliver the superb performances that he is capable of doing and has shown that he can provide in previous seasons for the club.
However Pellegrini should take in account that the midfielder may not hit the ground running in pre-season or in the early stages of the campaign due to his recent disappointment and should understand that he will come good with the right guidance.
If he doesn’t take this into account he may wrongly try to sell the midfielder and that will be a mistake that he will end up regretting.
