Written by @_CarltonCole9
We had Payet – And even he didn’t understand Quick disclaimer: This is going to be a (relatively) serious article. If you clicked on this looking for a joke about the currency of Eastern European countries or how well-endowed Diafra Sakho is, you will be disappointed. If you want to read about my thoughts surrounding the whole Payet saga, read on at your own pleasure. At 11pm last night (11.01.17), I contacted Ex asking if I could write an article about Payet as he was a trending topic among West Ham fans. He said yes, so I thought “Ah cool. Will do the article tomorrow. Gonna go to bed now.” The article was going to be a glowing report on Payet. I was going to say how he is the best player to don the claret and blue shirt for decades, better than Di Canio and Tevez in my opinion. How he is the only player who can be considered world class at West Ham. How even if he leaves, I will still love him.
And then the Slaven Bilic interview happened. First of all, well done to Slaven for calling out our best player. It takes some balls to do that. As for Payet, to paraphrase Groundskeeper Willie, what an arrogant, selfish, cheese-eating-surrender-monkey he is. When he signed for West Ham, he was an under appreciated talent who, despite being in the Ligue 1 Team Of The Year twice in three years, was relatively unheard of. At 28 and with only a handful of French caps to his name, it seemed his career was going to fade as one of the “what could have been” players. This is shown by how West Ham fended off little competition to sign him for a mere £10million. West Ham are the team who gave him the stage to become the man he is today. West Ham are the ones who gave him a contract that would make Shanghai say “wow calm down lads”. West Ham are the ones who created a catchy yet annoying chant for him. West Ham were the team who made him feel loved.
I seem to remember in around October 2015 when Payet was becoming a cult hero, Didier Deschamps didn’t pick him for the France squad. Slaven Bilic, a man who is hated in France for what he did to Laurent Blanc, pestered Deschamps to give him a chance, publicly and privately. Deschamps caved in and the rest is history. How does he repay Slaven? Saying that he won’t play for him ever again.
What an ungrateful %$£. But here is the issue; I wholeheartedly understand why he wants to leave. He is too good for us and he knows it. When he signed the contract in February, he was promised a world class stadium and a world class team built around him. He was given a tacky athletics stadium and Simone Zaza. He has created the most chances in the league this season but has no one to convert them. This is why in recent games, you can tell that he has lost interest. However he could have at least tried to care and put in a performance for the fans who adore(d) him so much.
What next for Dimi? This is where I go back to the point of the article I was originally going to write. Whether he goes this month or in the summer, what will his legacy be? Will he be Jesus or Judas? Tevez or Lampard? People who are quiet when the plane lands or people who clap when the plane lands? Personally I am torn. I am going through every stage of grief right now. I feel as if I want to set fire to his Lamborghini whilst singing that earworm Billy Ray Cyrus chant. I want to punch him yet make sweet sweet love to him.
But this is the way I think about it; Dimitri Payet is the best player I have seen play for West Ham. Granted he may not be remembered in the same way as Di Canio because of what he’s done. But he is world class, a word which I have never uttered sincerely at a West Ham player in my lifetime. Only 4 West Ham players have been nominated for a Ballon D’Or: Moore, Hurst, Peters, Payet. This should not be forgotten. When I saw the news that he said he wanted to leave, my heart sunk but I was not surprised. Not because of his half-arsed performances, but because he was a big fish in a tiny, popcorn-munching, soulless bowl. He was way too good for us and he knew it. But despite everything that has happened over the last few months, it was an honour to witness Dimitri Payet in a West Ham shirt.
Spot on, broken promises caused this
madhammer
Not fit to clean Alan Devonshire’s boots. 12 months of decent form then turning on his manager and fans is reprehensible.
I was going to make a comment but it’s not printable.
I can think of many players that have had a brilliant season for whu in the past but,that does not make them a legend or one of our greatest players.How you can lump him into one one(or the one)best players we have ever had is beyond me.One of the greatest,one season players we have had agreed.
Yes, he has talent on the ball but what he hasn’t had during his stop
start career is a big heart. To be considered great at West Ham
he needed “time on the pitch” not 80 games or so. His latest antics
will not endear him any future club’s supporters.
Sell him Bilic quickly, a festering sore is no good to anyone!!
Whilst we can say the boards lack of decent summer signings have partly led to this, nothing can forgive a player that goes on strike. If I refuse to work in my job I get sacked and I don’t have a queue of other companies offering me employment.
One of the “brand” West Ham’s new quotes is “stronger than iron” in Dimi’s case it should be “weaker than tin” he has showed his true character, no matter what the board did or didn’t do, he had a responsibility to at least see out the season, had he done that we all would have remembered him for the great things he did last season, instead he wants to leave his team mates and supporters for greener grass elsewhere. The board needs to make a decision at the end of the season about how competitive they want to be, if they want to be top 4 they will have to change the buying philosophy and but 3 or 4 superstars, they need to forget about ffp for a season and pay what it takes because without Payet we are a mid table team.
Di Canio for me was better. In time Payet could have taken his place but now quite frankly I hope he rots on someone else’s team bench, which ever club that may be! Laters you filthy money grabbing frog.
Palace at home tomorrow. COYI
Payet is no legend or truly world class player because every player in those categories has, or had, commitment and respect as well as footballing talent. To mention him in the same sentence as Moore, Hurst and Peters, after one good season then this, is no right. He is an utter disgrace.
Personally, I’d like the board to tell Bilic that he’ll have funds to replace Payet irrespective of what happens, and for Bilic to offer him his desired transfer in the summer if, and only if, he shows 100% for the team, manager club and fans for the rest of the season. Pay must also be suspended whilst he refuses to play and train at that level. That should be incentive enough not to rot into insignificance!
So everyone that is slated Payet, are we also slating West Ham as a club for sending Zaza home because he wasn’t good enough for us? Dimi is better than WHU (sadly) and he is wanting to leave to play for a bigger team. Football has lost passion, players play for wages not the team they grew up supporting. Mark Noble is a very rare gem and we should be singing about him every game!
I have seen all 4 Ballon D’Or nominees play for West Ham live, and I can honestly say Payet doesn’t deserve to mentioned in the same article let alone sentence as Moore, Hurst and Peters. He gave us one fabulous season and his performances this season aren’t a shadow of last seasons. I would forgive him for wanting to get away if he had put in a decent shift this season, but he hasn’t and he has sunk in my estimation. I believe we will better without him!
It was nothing to do with signings – he was tapped up at the euros and never wanted it after that. One player was never going to make us top 4 material and we should have sold him for 50m when we could and built from there. Be realistic
No he is not bigger than the club. We are a big club and heading in the right direction. NO club has the right to think they are bigger than any other (regardless of them buying their way to titles). If that is the mental attitude of fans then we all might as well pack up and let the so called big teams have it all. NO. We have to compete (like Leicester did last season) and try to win the league, cup or any silverware. I personally think too many teams are living on past reputations and that are entitled to win everything. Time for a change methinks. Why shouldn’t we be able to sign world class players? China seems to be throwing money at it and getting players and that is not even a top league. I think you have done a disservice to West Ham by writing this article about Payet being bigger than this club.NO, Payet is having illusions of Messi. He is getting older and soon no one will want him. He needs to apologize and start to realize this is the best place for him to really be. (I think gone too far and we will get rid)