Prior to our radio show last week, myself, Dave, and Ex were having our usual pre-show chat in studio two, when Ex dropped what was probably one of the most controversial pieces of news since he’s been an ITK. ‘Shocked’, was an understatement to say the very least when the pair of us learned that Marseille, and the agent of Dimitri Payet had been in contact with the club to offer us his services for a second time. I genuinely couldn’t believe what i was being told as Ex was trying to explain how this had occurred with just five minutes left on the clock before we went live on air. With an overly exaggerated eye roll, the first thing i said to Ex was “He wouldn’t want to come back to us anyway” – Ex quickly quashed my opinion and confirmed that he does in fact want to return. It was a bit difficult to take in by this point, as Dimi is like the ex partner that you just can’t let go; You know full well that it’s bad news, but there will always be that temptation!

So as it stands, Marsielle want a bigger transfer fee than what they bought the 31 year old for, and the player wants a bigger wage than what he was on previously – which was in the region of £110,000 per week. We full well know what he brings and what he can offer, but i have a bad feeling about this move (should it come off). When we first signed Dimi, he was part of a magical season which saw us say goodbye to our home, Mark Noble was playing like Steven Gerrard in his prime, the faithful fell in love with Slaven Bilic, and we broke numerous records which included an all time points tally, and away wins in the Premier League. By his own admission, Dimi was playing the best football of his entire career, which revived his international career, also. He was the star of Euro 2016 back in his native, France, finishing the tournament as runner up, and having the most assists. As soon as he returned to West Ham, that’s where it all went wrong…

Iv’e seen a number of our supporters on social media jump straight to the defense of the French reptile; particularly on twitter. West Ham supporters have become extremely soft and forgiving over the years i can tell you that! Just remember this man REFUSED to train with the first team. This man REFUSED to talk to his team mates. This man REFUSED to listen to Slaven Bilic when he was looking to his best player for some inspiration. This man REFUSED to pull on the shirt and play for our club, and worst of all, this man REFUSED to explain to the supporters who worshipped the ground he walked on, why he wanted to leave. He just disappeared without a trace & didn’t give a toss about anyone. We’ve all heard stories and rumours as to why he wanted to go back to France, and i keep seeing people say “Family comes first, we’d all do the same”, all over social media. He didn’t think of his family which caused the mess he then found himself in though, did he? He has a long standing history of being a disruption in the dressing room at every club he’s been at, including us. You have to ask yourself why Marsielle are looking to sell him again already? Hasn’t he just led them to a Europa League final? wasn’t he made their captain, too? I’m really not convinced by this, and he can’t think he can just drop us and pick us back up whenever he feels like it. We are in a really good place at the moment – we’ve finally got a manager that plays football that we all want to see, we’re signing good players which will 100% improve the first team, and there’s a positive feeling around the club at the moment. Now is the time and our chance to finally kick on from what has been an absolute shit storm since moving to popcorn palace, and i can’t see how bringing back a 31 year old for a big transfer fee, on a higher wage, who disrupted the entire club from top to bottom without a care in the world would be good business for us. We should be looking to get Lazini back to his best, building a young, hungry team that wants to play football for West Ham United. I certainly don’t hold grudges as i believe everyone deserves a second chance. Dimi gave us some memories we’ll never forget during the last season at the Boleyn Ground, which till this day, i still thank him for. But on this occasion, for me, the Dimitri Payet ship sailed over a year ago and we must look forward and push on.

 

Speaking of looking forward, we should be over the moon on the capture of Jack Wilshere, which will turn out to be a fantastic piece of business by the club. I think it’s a perfect fit for both parties as we look to strengthen what has been a bit of a feeble midfield for the past couple of seasons. Jack is a player that will improve the side massively, and brings lots of european pedigree. His style of play will compliment our existing forward players as he can pick a pass out of nothing and isn’t afraid to get stuck in. We can’t keep on relying on Nobes to fly into tackles every time we’re in dire straights! The simple fact that Jack had a choice to join at least 10 other clubs, lowered his wage demands, and is ‘desperate’ to join the club he supported as a youngster is more than enough for us to get fully behind this move and welcome him on board. I for one am extremely excited by this signing (when its confirmed!), and the devastation of his departure by Arsenal supporters speaks volumes.