Guest post by George Bucci from Moore Than Just A Podcast
Thursday gave us the revelation that the man most West Ham fans thought of as a cult hero wants to leave the club and has told Slav he will never play for us again.
There’s no question that this isn’t the professional or gentlemanly way to get what he’s after. Threats to strike, (allegedly) cutting himself off from his teammates and acting like a spoilt child isn’t going to put you in the good books of any West Ham fan.
But the truth is, these ridiculous and frankly embarrassing events start a lot higher up than in Dimi’s head.
Dimi joined in the summer of 2015, a player that very few of us had heard of, not getting into his country’s team and looking to make an impact on the English Premier League and the world of football as a whole. Despite his stocky build when he arrived, and the numerous times I called him ‘Who Ate All The Payet’s’ on Moore Than Just A Podcast, he did exactly that.
We gave him the platform, love, attention and support he needed, and he delivered, no doubt about that. Many moments of magic last season (the chipped finish v Palace away stands out for me) saw us have our best season in recent years, things were looking up, he was adored by us and for a while I’m sure he thought we were alright too.
A new contract ensued and I bet any money he was guaranteed and sold on all of the progression coming up in the club’s immediate future, which I’m sure helped him put pen to paper. I bet the pay-rise didn’t hurt either.
Then the time came for those promises to come true; time for the ‘most successful stadium migration’ in history, time to get hold of those world class strikers in Zaza, Fletcher, Ayew and Calleri, time to turn West Ham into the ‘big’ club in the only way three particular people know how.
In case you haven’t guessed by now, I am implying that Brady, Sullivan, and Gold are the sole engineers of the general embarrassment and anger surrounding our club at the moment, and as a result, we’re in this situation.
Those of you who listen to our podcast will know that I was on the fence for the move to the Olympic Stadium, and as a fairly young fan I have always tried to look for the positives in the moves our Chairmen and vice-Chair person have made both on and off the pitch.
But inevitably, Dimitri is probably feeling the same as most of us; angered at broken promises of big name signings, disappointed at the so-far unsuccessful stadium move and the fact the stadium is regularly far from full (even though we’re all told differently), our indiscrete and amateurish transfer policies and conduct, and although probably less annoying for him than us, let’s not forget the general treatment of fans as customers, the threatening letters sent to season ticket holders, the insulting move of block 114, and much more.
I bet he’s cheesed off too that we still don’t have Wi-Fi or Europe’s biggest screen at the stadium yet too.
As my tweet said on Thursday;
This feeling is reminiscent to the 10 year old me watching my boyhood hero Joey Cole move to Chelsea
— George Bucci (@georgewhufc) January 12, 2017
and Dimitri Payet was one of the only remaining pulls for me to go and keep using my season ticket at the moment. Without him in the side the proposition of watching SuGo and Brady’s West Ham United ‘London’ isn’t such an enticing one. And that makes me very sad.
Let’s hope they prove me wrong today and smash Palace. No cheeky chip over the keeper from Dimi to come though
COYI.
George
www.moorethanjustapodcast.co.uk
The opinions are solely those of the guest blogger and are not necessarily shared by ClaretandHugh
What a load of gonads ! We are all disappointed by the pathetic new recruits & the performances this season, but we don’t just give up. There are those of us who were strongly against the move from Upton Park & who question the motives of the triumvirate. But, we don’t just wash our hands of the team. Payet has a “human right” to work for whom he wants, but he gets paid a fortune to sweeten the restraints on his job mobility & stick to his contract – or to try & vary it by mutual agreement. He has NO right, & there is NO justification, for him to get his own way by taking the actions which he has, apparently, done. He is a traitor to West Ham &, if he thinks about it, to himself ! He has lost his dignity & shown himself to be just another run of the mill spoilt brat.
I agree with all you’ve said here. I will never wash my hands of the team but making the effort to show my support (on a train as I write this!) is becoming harder and harder as we tell the media about every player we make a bid for, as bouncers threaten fans etc. etc.
Well as a fan who’s being going home and away for the last 25+ years I’ll say that the fat little moody money grabbing French **** has simply stabbed us in the back! The board aint the best granted but this little **** is paid to do a job and he can’t be arsed so stop making up bleeding excuses for him 🙂
This isn’t meant as a piece to defend Dimi, just simply hoping the more rational fans among us will realise this situation stems from bigger problems caused by them within the club…
George your entitled to your opinion like anyone mate but some of these so called rational fans your on about are the ones that have attacked the club week in week out! Fact is he’s downed tools, stabbed the manager, the fans and the club in the back all the while taking a 1m bonus, 125k a week and having his ego stroked on a daily basis and every whim catered for 🙂
Yeah agree with much of that,we all know there are some issues.We have our own personal thoughts about it.And yeah im still waiting for a reply to my email 😂😂
Like i said before i have a ‘dislike” list about the club at the moment but who wants to see me repeat it everday like a constipated parrot 😀
Still im looking forward to the match today.There should be a good edge to it after Fat Frogs actions & the return of some of our fans messiah.I dont know George but stick the irons anywhere & i will still go to watch them,this stadium doesnt put me off.To be honest i still have a good crack with my mates 😃
Blame the board for everything including manure from the police horse. Grow up.
I wanted the board to sell him in summer and use money wisely to build a team. I am not sad Payet the mercenary wants to go. I was not taken in by him especially this season. His attitude and workrate puts a lot of pressure on Cresswell and Lanzini and others around him. He is a lazy git with no pace but some talent.
Kouyate, Reid, Cresswell, Lanzini and Antonio’s attitude and workrate is rxcellent. Let’s build a team around them. We need a team and I know we will be more balanced with Payet gone.
What is the point of a contract if the player just wants pay increases every two minutes. What can a board do in that circumstances. I think they were weak to give him a million to stay. They should have cashed in and bought upcoming players instead of believing he was going to take us to Champion’s league.
I think Lanzini and Fernandez will flourish. We need a right back and a forward. Do, get rid of the odious fat git and sign the two players we need …preferably British. Starting from today, We should be singing his name and cheering Lanzini who has been wrongly under-appreciated. He’s my favourite and I would be heart broken if he went.
Good riddance pie eater. We have a jewel we will nurture and love. His name is Lanzini.
Agreed, cash in and buy Sigurdsson!!
I’m over Payet already. To stop going to watch your side because of one player is madness. I really worry about some of our fans, they wouldn’t have lasted 5 mins back in t’day. Agree with my man above Lanzini will step up to run the show. Payet? Payet who?
If you read the many paragraphs before my comment about using my season ticket isn’t it clear there are other things bothering me other than the exit of Payet?
Poor you as a young supporter watching someone who never put any effort in the last 8 games of last season either, wanted rid in the summer, we need pace up front and a solid right back and another player like kouyate, try supporting them through the Terence brown years like I had to watching the cream of talent like cole, Carrick, Ferdinand sold off as soon as they could get a decent price for them, at least the club are trying to stop that happening now but any player who does not want to give 100percent can just leave as far as I am concerned, I actually would not sell him an just let him rot for three years not even in the u23s an other clubs should help pay his wages to stop any player trying this again
I was a supporter then too. Look at my tweet…..
The club aren’t trying to stop that. If they wanted to stop that they should have invested more in more quality in the summer and who knows where we’d be.
2 or 3 top top quality players were all we needed. We ended up with Tore and Arbeloa….
I wonder what the moaners get from slagging the club, the owners, the board, the stadium, the popcorn, E20, the badge, I mean everything, about West Ham United, off, day in day out, 24/7 on the blogs? Why repeat it time and time again, thinking they are clever dreaming some new way to put our club down in words? Why not get behind the club now? Does anyone think we are moving back to Green St, that we won’t be in the London Stadium for most of the rest of our lifetimes? That SoGo and the Barroness will sell up because of their nastiness? I don’t think so. Come on you lot support your bloody club
What a load of utter tripe. Payet has previous for this – I guess it was the fault of the West Ham board then as well. The biggest problem that West Ham have are people like you feeding and spreading negativity all over the place.
Stick to TOWIE or Big Brother.
You make a fair point but this was Dimi’s shot at the big time (in some respects) so maybe if promises were kept we’d be in a completely different mindset and situation?
Big Brother is class at the moment though……
No, I’m sorry, but you are wrong on every count in this article. The fault lies entirely with the player(s) who have failed to deliver rather than the board who have worked tirelessly and have tried. Your analysis, observations and conclusions are totally wrong. All and every problem comes from the fact the team have underperformed. Brady, Gold & Sullivan are not responsible for the shameful showboating against Watford or the equal shameful and numerous occasions we have been out thought, out fought & out worked. On paper the board & Billic have assembled a brilliant squad. Who would you swap in Watford for our players? But our players have underperformed. End of story. It is their fault and their fault alone. Don’t make excuses for them. They should be ashamed.
Well that’s your opinion, I’m not sure how you can say we have a great squad on paper is argument that they made good signings? As you say it all comes down to what happens on the pitch
I’d have Deeney, Ighalo, Behrami (for old times sake) and Capoue please.
20/20 hindsight is a wonderful thing. We were all more than happy last year with the Frenchman’s performance.
However, it’s time to move on. He has screwed us every which way this season – his initials DP suddenly seem remarkably appropriate.
One thing i’ve learn’t with age is to stop looking for scapegoats. Don’t blame the board for Payet’s attitude, that is solely down to him and him alone. They delivered the stadium, 60,000 fans, great pitch, adoration and loyalty bonus above the rest of the team. Payet isn’t on strike because of problems in block 114. Signings haven’t been great but you can’t have it both ways. The board signed Payet! How do you square that? He is a petulant player on £100k plus a week and gave promises. He needs to HONOUR his obligations.
Again this isnt a piece defending Dimi, I’m as angry as anyone.
The stadium isn’t great. 60k fans is just pure fabrication (try 47k) and no I agree he doesn’t give a monkeys about 114.
Same fans who were heralding the board & recruitment team for their astute signings in the last two years now saying they are clueless.It doesnt add up which in the main just proves some will moan for moanings sake.
Yes we had a poor summer window,it happens,i have seen bigger clubs than us blow fortunes on players who have not stepped up to the Premier League demands.Many of Van Gaals signings & look at the dross Spurs signed with the Bale money..
so fairly conclusive pal, you’re wrong. stick to the day job.
Do you honestly believe that Payet gives a damn about is the fans are treated? I don’t believe he has given a single thought to the move & how effects the fans as he whizzes by in his Lambourgini
Nope hence me qualifying that fact when I brought those points up. Of course he doesn’t
I do think playing In a mostly quiet atmosphere with fights and empty seats wouldn’t have helped though
Reminiscent of Joe leaving when you were 10? Really? C’mon naivety at 10 is fine but at your age you should know better.
I am still surprised he did what he did but only cos of the manner in which he did it.
If it was someone like Antonio or Cresswell downing tools in such a manner then I’d give up on football for good!
I hope the club let him rot to make an example of him. What he’s done is what is killing the soul of our game and someone needs to make a stand against this type of toxic demise of our beloved game.
Yep Dimi was the first player in a long time I thought brought that level of excitement and anticipation when we had the ball. I bought into him. So of course it hurts.
I disagree take the money now and get him out. Just don’t let Sullivan buy the players with the money we make !! Or dont tell everyone how much were bidding. And don’t let you’re son tweet our top targets.
The problems started as soon as he cemented his place in the French Team around March time last year. Probably told he should be playing CL football and that resurfaced after his brilliant Euro 16. I’m sure he and his family also prefer the French climate to a 6 month winter in Chigwell
So so wrong young man. You sound about as shallow as Pie et. Not going because your favourite player won’t play sounds very petulant and childish. Bit like your hero actually. COYI X
Haha so very true, perhaps George is French?
You Missed a great game today George! We now have our team back…
Actually George was the one who went today to watch the wun, I am the one who skipped it today. George’s season ticket seat is two seats away from mine in block 113
I think alf was joking because George said Payet was the only think that kept him there.No Payet today so there should have been no George Lol
Haha when have I ever said I’d stop going? I said Payet was ‘one of’ the only things I was excited about seeing. But if we play like that more West Ham United ‘London’ are worth going to watch again!
Lol George,same players on the pitch as last season at UP.I dont think someone like Noble has turned from ‘United’ to ‘London’ because of the move.Spend more time enjoying watching the players in our shirt & less time worrying about the other stuff.You can do that for 90 mins a week before going backing on the offensive against everything else cant you.Dont turn in to a grumpy old fart before your time 😂😂
What about a cheeky chip from Manu then!!