There is no doubting just how brilliant the signing of Dimitri Payet was by West Ham. However, each and every new face brings certain aspects of their game that will look to improve the team, but no one is perfect. The 28-year-old will look to make a bold impression on both the domestic stage and the European stage for the Hammers. Let’s take a closer look at what exactly we can expect from the Frenchman.
Background and History:
The move to Upton Park will be Payet’s first taste of English football. He has spent his entire career in France up to this point, for several different clubs. He joined Nantes as a teenager before moving to Saint Etienne in 2007. Four years later, he was signed by Lille for €9m, and then joined Marseille for €11m in 2013. He has been consistent wherever he has plied his trade, but the English division could be a whole new can of worms for him.
Furthermore, Payet has been a performer on both the international stage in addition to club level. He made his France debut in 2007, where he recorded an assist. Now, he has notched up 14 caps with his first ever goal coming in a recent friendly defeat to Belgium. He will be looking to push for a place in Les Bleus Euro 2016 squad.
Style of Play:
Payet predominantly plays as a central attacking midfielder. This is the position which he occupied for the 2014/15 campaign in a Marseille shirt, sitting deep in the hole behind a striker. It is not Payet’s job to find the back of the net, but it is his task to find the players in which to do so. He was doing this for former Irons target Andre-Pierre Gignac most of the time, and it evidently worked a treat with Gignac scoring 21 goals in the process.
In addition, Payet can also play on the right-hand side of an attacking midfield trio but he has rather limited experience of playing on the wide areas. However, this does not necessarily mean that Slaven Bilic will not deploy him as a winger. Besides, Payet enjoys cutting inside so this is perhaps something that will be widely considered. He is not a fan of keeping the ball on the deck; though as aerial passes seem to be favoured by the French international.
Strengths:
His fantastic ability to assist cannot be denied, as it is Payet’s primary positive. The really good thing about it is that whichever club he has moved to, he has delivered the goods and services. 17 assists last season was by all means terrific but it was not a shock to the majority of OM fans. In the 2012/13 season for fellow Ligue 1 club Lille, Payet recorded 14 assists. This is down to his impressive range of passing.
He can be the difference between winning and losing at times with his decisive decisions on the ball. Whether it is five yards or fifty yards, he can produce some pretty spectacular through balls. His assists have also come from his good delivery from set pieces. Free-kicks on the edge of the penalty area and corners are when you want this man to be stepping over the ball. He’ll also score you goals. Over the five previous campaigns for three different clubs, Payet is averaging ten goals per season. This is particularly down to his long range shooting ability. Dimitri was renowned in the French top tier for never scoring a simple goal.
Weaknesses:
Payet is unfortunately not renowned for his heading skills. At 5ft 9, it is arguably not his fault but this still does not detract from the fact that putting him in the penalty area will make little difference in terms of increasing the Irons’ goal threat. The attacking midfielder does not track back very often either, questioning his defensive abilities in addition. He does not get into stuck into tackles, so this is something he will have to adapt to hastily in order to adjust himself to the physical Premier League philosophy.
Finally, the lad needs to focus a bit more when wearing the shirt of claret and blue. A quick lapse in concentration, which we have witnessed before in Ligue 1, could quite easily lead to an opposition counter attack.
Expert Opinion: Jonathan Johnson, French football journalist with ESPN, Bleacher Report and French Football Weekly
Payet has been one of Ligue 1’s most creative players for the last few seasons now. The Frenchman joining West Ham will not only be a loss for Marseille (and a massive one at that) but also for Ligue 1. A move to the EPL at this stage with his Euro 2016 place not necessarily secure is a bit of a risk & I honestly feel that the player could have done a bit better than the Hammers.
However, the move shows great ambition on Bilic and the club’s part & Payet will definitely be a major asset. To get the best out of him, West Ham must keep him in his current central attacking midfield position as it has seen him become extremely creative. Payet can play on the wing & originally started there, but West Ham fans should not expect him to play there. If he does, he won’t be half as effective as he would be played as a No. 10.
