Dimi Payet; the Epilogue

Lukerz

It's easy for us to say. We're WHU until we die.

He ain't.

I don't want him in the side now. As far as I'm concerned he can pack his gear, move back to France and await his next move once we've finalised all the details.

But, from his viewpoint, he's had 18 months of being worshipped and made to feel like he can turn water into wine and walk across the Thames. He's been paid very well after only 6 months, had a great World Cup and finished in the top 20 of the best footballers on the planet.

He's then seen the club sign some absolute dross, struggle in all competitions, get drubbed 5-0 on Friday and, add to that, he's been subbed and then left out of the XI for the last two games.

I'm sure Jose said something to him when we played Man Utd.

By all means say you don't want him involved, but lets not character assassinate. The board had a chance to prove to him the project they sold was not just fantasy, and they didn't and we're back to making £3m bids for players at the bottom club and £5m bids for proven 34 year olds. If many STH aren't getting on board with the London Stadium dream, 40 years dedication to the WHU cause, bleeding claret and blue, how on earth can you expect a 29 year old from France, been here five minutes, to even be remotely convinced?

And the old "some people will use any stick to beat the owners with" argument has run its course cheers. You could quite easily flip it round and say "some people will use any shield to defend the owners with their life", but I never say that. All opinions welcome and all that. ;ok

Pengeman

Payet is refusing to train with the team and wants to leave (http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11685/10725796/dimitri-payet-does-not-want-to-play-for-west-ham-says-slaven-bilic). Time to sell him. Those unilaterally withdrawing labour don't usually get paid. So Payet should not be paid or should he? No team should keep a player who is self-centred and not committed to the team. It is bad and for the team and everyone else. I remember Nottingham Forest striker Pierre van Hooijdonk doing the same and holding the whole club to ransom. At the end Forest were relegated. Time to lance the boil, collect the fee and invest it in someone committed to the team. I also wonder whether now Bilic's days are also numbered.

alderz

Hammerdublin said:

The owners can only be blamed for keeping Bilic at the helm that long. Look at the state the club is in! I expect a few more players to say that they don't want to play for this clueless manager. The only thing that can and should be done is removing Bilic; this will stop the rot. After that, if anybody doesn't want to play for us he must be sold. But I am sure they all will be happy to play when Bilic is gone.

But what do you think about Bilic though?

jay_in_cpt

He could have done the decent thing IMO , played like last season
Or similar and then demand the move at the end of the season...but he hasn't, he's now shown his true colours and sadly it can only end
With him leaving...should let Ginge get hold of him in car park , well at least trash his car then!
Get rid ASAP

TheMadcapLaughs

OCS ;ok Need to cash in on Payet and play chaps that actually want to play for us, and that would include some of the youth. We need blood and guts at the minute, not egos with early signs of middle aged spread. (Yes Mr payet, I`m talking about you). I think as owners and fans we need to realign our expectations again. Without the mega bucks we are not going to be competing top four. I`m alright with that. Players that play for the shirt and a little bit of excitement every now and then (and that includes relegation battles) will do me. ;scarf

MrsGrey

More from the gaffer

"We have said hundreds of times we don't want to sell our best players. He's definitely our best player," added Bilic.

"That's why we gave him a long contract, and then a new contract four months later.

"I phoned him with that and he refused to play for us. I have a team to manage.

"He's probably been tapped up by some clubs or whatever. That is usual at this time of year.

"It started 10 days ago when the window started.

"But until he changes his attitude he is out of the team and he's not going to train with us. But we are not going to sell him, not whatsover."

jay_in_cpt

So if we do sell him, where does that leave Bilic ?

NEoldiron

The writing was on the wall last month:

Last month, he was linked with a move to Arsenal and admitted he could "have fun" playing in the Gunners' side, but insisted his focus was on the Hammers.

"I read that Wenger considers me the missing piece of the Arsenal's game, but he's never told me that!" Payet told RMC on December 19.
"We conceded five or six at home against them. When you see them playing, as a technical player, you could only have fun in that team. They're candidates for the title every year.
"The situation at the club affects me, but I'm an ambitious person. I'm in a fight with my club and I'm giving everything for them, to get out of this difficult situation, but I'm not closing the door to anything.
"I miss the Champions League... I've got some great years ahead of me and I want to enjoy them by playing in important competitions."

Hammerdublin

alderz said:

what do you think about Bilic though?

I think he is unable to motivate the players; his substitutions are shambolic, his 'nice guy' aura looks agreeable to us but he has clearly lost the dressing room. I like him as a person but not as a manager. The sooner he goes the less damage he will do.

brookingsirons

look apart from tore I don't blame Bilic I respect him and it wasn't easy for him to come out today and tell the world his star player wants out .

This explains many things and for me he has a couple of bad eggs Payet being
one of them that need moving out .

Its times like this when a good assistant like mr kevin nolen should have come in
I don't see what dicks does anyway .

just saying .

OldCastleSwift

jay_in_cpt said:

So if we do sell him, where does that leave Bilic ?

For him to say that I would assume, or at least hope, that that is the view of G&S.

alderz

Personally, I couldn't agree less with any of your points.

He is the manager I would trust to get us out of the sticky situation we're in (not that I think it's as sticky as others seem to) above most (any?) others.

His substitutions have raised eyebrows at times, but you could say that about any and every manager when the sub doesn't have the desired impact.

MrsGrey

I'm still behind Bilic ;ok

I see no evidence he's lost the dressing room, either.

sweepy23

Moojor said:

Lets blame the owners for his bad attitude. Seems fair.

Scenario:

You've gone in for an interview at a new company that have been given a massive government handout. Fantastic new offices and told you will become leaders in your field. To ensure this we will also hire the best/good people from around the world.

What actually happens is that they hire inferior people based in shiny offices. They try and make it all look rosy but you realise that anyone new coming does a poor job and it isn't going to be what you were told. They keep spinning these lies and tell you not to worry.

For the third transfer window (if there were such things at work) the people being interviewed are of the same ilk and no major hires are being made (let's be honest Payet doesn't know who Hogan is and he looks to be our big signing). What would you do?


I do believe he will be sold. I do believe we are trying to sign Hogan quickly to appease the fans. This isn't news to the club. They've known this was in the cards.

sweepy23

By the way Payet still has French plates on his cars. You'd have thought if he was staying for five years he'd have changed them by now.

We've suspected PSG is where he wants to go and it makes sense.

OldCastleSwift

Sweepy - the issue isn't that he wants to leave, it's the refusing to play or train that infuriates the most.

Five years ago I was in a job that didn't meet my expectations, which were based on what I was sold. After ten months, I decided enough was enough and applied for another job. What I didn't do is effectively down tools and refuse to work until I found a new employer.

But then when you're already a millionaire like Payet I guess making yourself effectively redundant isn't an issue.

TwistandShout

Moojor said:

Lets blame the owners for his bad attitude. Seems fair.

The player is an idiot. But the owners didn't help by signing rubbish players in the summer.

TheMadcapLaughs

The team spirit has been nowhere near what it was last season and I`m now convinced that the main problem has been Payet and the whole "its all about Payet" thing. Fantastic player on his day, breathtaking at times last season, but if you look at the very best players in the World they match their talent with good old fashioned work rate. If we sell him, we can strengthen the squad with 2 or 3 solid, quality players. Now this is out in the open I think we can kick on. ;scarf

brookingsirons

In Slaven we trust ;ok

Huttonhammer

Whatever a player feels about his situation you still are paid to play for the club and you fulfill your contract.
To say you no longer will play is disgusting and especially poor considering how much love the fans and club have shown him.
Who exactly was he until he came to us.

Players / agents the lack of any loyalty is part of the reason I don't go to watch football much any more.

I just don't get any satisfaction from it like I did for many years.

brookingsirons

like we all agree it explains many things he has been waiting for January to come imo , I would go as far as saying some or all of the players knew it was coming .

grey_til_I_dye

Delighted to see that the club are determined to play hardball, and not give in to Dimi's whims.

If he refuses to train and play, bonus, as then we don't even have to pay him (or rather, we can fine him his wages.)

If I were the owners, I'd get him and his agent in the office and make it clear that any club who has £80m cash up front can talk to him, otherwise, forget it.

At some point you have to decide what sort of club you are.

If the club cave in, then any other decent player with us, or who might come to us, can figure: it's all right, I'll sign the big, long deal, then do the offski as soon as it suits.

Play him with the kids (or not at all) and see how often he gets in the France squad.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

The player is a disgrace and is making a joke of our club.

Using this as a stick to beat the club with for any reason is absurd. When did a player become so much more important than our club that if we DON'T (and not even through lack of effort) spend millions on other players to appease him and he acts like a brat and refuses to play, it's the CLUB that deserves criticism?

We often hear that football has become something very ugly, with the wages, player behaviour, agents etc. When I see some of the things being thrown at the club because a player thinks he's too good to honour his fat contract, I have to ask if football supporting is any less ugly.

This is West Ham United and we are West Ham United supporters. This isn't Dimitri Payet United and we are not Dimitri Payet supporters.

The player is acting despicably and cowardly and the club deserve to be supported for all they've done for him, all they've tried to do and the dignity they're now acting with.

Dignity, Mr Payet. Dignity.

Slaven_Cups_His_Beard

madridhammer said:

Once again the club( or maybe just the manager) has handled the situation badly.Something hasn't been right all season & this appears to be that it could be the root of it all.
Wouldn't it have been better to have just shut up about it & let him go? Surely we have put ourselves in a worse bargaining position now that other clubs no he's unhappy.
Cash in on him now for as much as we can get,preferably not to another PL club & use the money to buy a striker and/or a right back.

I do agree with this

There is no way we will get the kind of money we could've during the hype.

Massive respect to Slav for telling it how it is, but I also get where Luke is coming from as well, the owners are in it up to their necks right now, there seems little positivity around the club, if they'd just sold him without getting this out now, the fans would of had a meltdown and saying "he wanted to leave" after a deal was done would never of been believed.

Pearces_Left_Foot

When we signed Fegouli Nordviet Zaza with Champions League experience Ayew who was a good player in the PL I thought they were decent signings . I thought Tore looked dodgy from the start. I think very few of us expected them to be so poor through a combination of injuries unable to adapt or whatever. Its easy to say in hindsight they were poor signings. Unfortunately for a club our size attracting world class players is nigh on impossible there are too many better options out there now days .Look at the players going to china ! So saying we should have signed a couple of top players in the summer is easy argument , the club tried repeatedly. The poor season is down to a lot of things , injuries, signings that have not worked, dodgy refs dips in form etc. We have been here before and will again we are not Chelsea Man City who can just go out and buy a top player to sort out problems out we are a mid table premier league team. Bilic deserves to the summer at minimum he was great last season people have short memories

Huttonhammer

We've got Payet

He doesn't want to play eh!

Let's just leave him in the stands.

He's not a real man .

I'd rather have Zidane.

We've got Dimitri Payet!!

tomkinsworldclass

Slaven_A_Laugh_Lukerz said:

You can't blame the board. If he's told Bilic he wants out, that's his call.

All I'm saying, as a big fish in a smaller pond, with no loyalty or ties to he club or area, what incentive is there for him to stay when the club has gone from two wins away from the Champions League to 13th and out of three cups?

All the more reason to give everything to those with connections, roots and commitment to the club, because for us, its the only we will be able to develop in the long term. It also puts into perspective certain elements within the footballing "bubble" amongst fans and the board, where we treat players as tradeable, play fast and loose with the concept of loyalty, always looking for attractive "upgrades" instead of showing unyielding commitment to those players like Noble, James Collins, etc, etc who should always be the heart of the club alongside our academy players and British core.

Payet signed a long term contract on massive wages, so WHU are in an extremely strong position. Theres unlikely to be anyone know who can afford him except china or unless we do a trade with say, Lyon for Lacazette, but thats quite far fetched. Bilic has placed all the responsibility and pressure on Payet, which has probably caught him out as he was probably expecting it to be kept out of the public. If he wants to play football, then he can buck up his attitude and return, if not we dont need him and can fine him for refusing to play or lack of professionalism. Players are easily impressionable and its not necessarily beyond the realms of possibility that he will return a la Rooney. Payet will always have a high value on him, whether it be now or in the summer but now is not the time to do business.

I cant speak highly enough of Slaven Bilics press conference today; its showed how much he cares for the club and I would be devastated if he left us; he embodies everything WHU should stand for and what we need as club in the short and long term.

grey_til_I_dye

I may have to get extra buttons to show how much I agree with twc's post.

Slaven_Cups_His_Beard

SuzanneClaret said:

Why are the owners being blamed for Payet wanting out?

Because many feel if they're invested properly in the summer and picked the right players (which is difficult) then we wouldn't be in the situation we have been and the likes of Payet would be happy.

You can't blame them for someone else's stinking attitude though

Get rid and get rid quick

OldCastleSwift

PLF ;clap 100% agree ;ok