Dimitri Payet’s financial arrangements and dip in form from his own incredibly high standards have dominated West Ham United affairs this week, interrupted only by a magnificent 120 minutes of Cup football.
Sadly his form dip – which is what we will be addressing here – has coincided with the club claiming they initiated talks aimed at giving him a new deal.
Whether that’s the case or not, a section of fans have decided to make their feelings on the grubbier side of the game clear and aren’t entirely happy with what’s going off.
That’s understandable but ignores the facts of football life – it’s about dough, dough and more dough – and grim though it is to accept that the wallet is usually more important than the badge in most cases, it’s the way it is in the 21st Century.
If West Ham improve Dimi’s deal that’s their business – although I think the difference between his £60k a week and Andy Carroll’s £87k is an issue which perhaps needs to be addressed anyway!
However, I’m more concerned with the voices that are being raised about his last three or four games despite him displaying his game changing abilities with that magnificent free kick onto Ogbonna’s head and a free kick against the upright in the first half.
The mesmeric footwork has disappeared and the grumbles of concern are being heard way up the Barking Road and beyond!
The question of why he is being played wide has been regularly raised and that, plus his inability to run through defences at will recently are questions easily answered .
He’s out there because he is being marked out of the game through the middle, where there is no Sakho to run channels and move defenders out of position.
Nor is there a Lanzini to share the ball-carrying creative midfield duties which keep defenders occupied and thus freeing more space for Payet.
I genuinely believe it’s as simple and straightforward as that and he will rise again as soon as one or the other – preferably both – are back which may even be this weekend.
Football brings huge over-reactions at times. It shouldn’t. This guy is one of the best ever to wear the claret and blue and I’m with the manager who urged the cub to pay him what he’s worth.
Then bring back the big two and watch him fly again!
COYI
So the guy has had a couple quiet games by his own mentally high standards.
De Bruyne and Silva against us did nothing. Ozilnhas plenty of quiet games.
People need to be realistic…he’s not Superman but an ordinary human whose form will inevitably fluctuate.
If he could maintain the way he’s been playing in every single game season after season, he wouldn’t be playing for us, and he wouldn’t have been playing for Marseille.
Some of our fans are beyond unrealistic sometimes. And there’s no middle ground…players and the team are either brilliant or ****.
Well said!!!! I am sick of these “so called” Hammers Fans” who sing the praise of players until they have one or two of games then use social media to spit venom at the player, Real West Ham fans show some loyalty and understanding, These people doing all the bad mouthing are just cowardly Internet Trolls with nothing better to do,
Could not agree more! + 42!!! 😀
Don’t think it’s just Sakho and Lanzini,
I think he needs a target man to play off,Carroll brings the best out of him as well,
He is wasted on the left wing,with Obiang in the side winning the ball in front of the defence and Kouyate getting busy
Payet should have a free role behind the front 3
Antonio works hard to help out and Lanzini does a lot off the ball,Sakho works hard and with in reason so does Carroll,
But Valencia and Moses are like Zarate when they are not on the ball they are lazy,
Song has lost his edge and Noble with a lot of energy goes no where,
You don’t give the top players any thing but creative freedom which means ten men have to do eleven men’s jobs,so you can’t afford more then one in the team,
Couldn’t agree more Hugh, one man doesn’t make a team and Payet is no different, he is finding his feet again and did more than enough last night to justify his quality. When Sakho plays and opens up space higher up the pitch both he and Lanzini will thrive, if Sakho and Valencia play it could be a field day for the midfielders.
Never have managed to get my head around some people’s ridiculous mentality that a player coming for cash, not the badge, is bad. For most players the club is not their club, they are just an employee, and like most of us, would jump at the chance of moving to a competitor for a nice wage hike. Can you imagine your laughter if the company’s management, workforce or customers called you a mercenary.
I have a friend who works for Marseille and he came to visit when I played a show in Paris this last october. I was talking to him about Payet all night and I remember him telling me, “just be warned, payet is known to dissapear for a few games”….
Great win!
I have been watching Payet very carefully over the last month or so, and like everyone else, have noticed his problems in running.
I think he is injured!
Either he never got over the original big injury, or has picked up another niggle!
Very worrying; lets hope they can work it out
COYI