“We’ve got Payet, Dimtri Payet, I just don’t think you understand.”
That was the song that the West Ham faithful used to sing when the French genius produced a moment of magic that only he was capable of, but not anymore as the want away midfielder has got his wish of a return to Marseille, but just how will the Hammers get on without their superstar?
I’ve been lucky to be at the London Stadium a few times this season and it was clear from the early part of the campaign that the body language from Payet wasn’t good and the success of the Euro 2016 campaign had gone to the Frenchman’s head and his wallet.
Whenever a player returns from impressing at a major tournament the attributes go to their head and the vultures start swooping around the talent were convincing the Frenchman that East London wasn’t the place for his or his families future.
In the opening few games the Hammers were finding it hard to perform at their new home and the London Stadium was far from a pleasant experience, but unlike most clubs would do the Hammers supporters continued with their loyalty towards Payet, despite his below par performances as he was the man who was likely to get them out of the mess they found themselves in.
Apart from one piece of World class skill in the 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough most West Ham fans would say that he was far from “on it” like he was last season and he became a “luxury” player and when you are fighting for your life at the foot of the Premier League table as they found themselves at the early part of the season the Frenchman was far from the man you would like to be sat next to in the trenches.
A look at the stats for Payet are very impressive in the number of changes he created for West Ham, but unlike truly World class footballers the number of times he gave the ball away are far from impressive.
So what does the rest of the season hold for West Ham.
Since Slaven Bilic publicly slated the Frenchman in his press conference surprisingly the results have got better and better for West Ham, they are without question going to miss him against the Premier League top sides and that is where he shone last year but against teams in or around them at the bottom of the table he was never a player that would be putting in a tough shift in Hull on a wet Wednesday night.
Bilic has done the right thing to overload a player who doesn’t want to be at the club and he’s invested the money wisely in two great signings Jose Fonte from Southampton and Robert Snodgrass from Hull, both know the Premier League inside out and both will make West Ham have a feel off a team rather than just a one man side.
West Ham were as short as 3/1 in the Premier League Betting to be relegated with Payet and now they are out to 100/1 outsiders and that is about right as their is no I in team.
Andy Carroll has now started to look like the striker that Liverpool paid a British transfer record fee for and in Argentinian international Manuel Lanzini they have a player who is more than capable of becoming the new West Ham idol and has looked better and better in recent weeks since he’s become the main man in east London.
Payet is gone and £25million is a good bit of business, Bilic has handled the situation with class and brought in two quality players and the future looks a lot better at the London Stadium now that there starman has returned home.
