With Payet cast aside, what do West Ham have to offer in the end of season push?
Olympique Marseille’s latest recruit Payet attends a news conference in Marseille
On the surface, West Ham’s January transfer business could be considered a month to forget: they lost talisman Dimitri Payet for the slightly underwhelming fee of £25 million, as reported by BBC Sport, and brought in 33-year-old Jose Fonte from Southampton and Robert Snodgrass from Hull City.
In fact, what we’ve seen in the weeks following Payet’s departure is the proverbial weight lifted off the Hammers’ shoulders. The influence of a want-away Payet could not have been good for team morale – now, without him, West Ham are playing like a team again.
As for whether Payet will be missed, all you need to see are the markedly improved performances of Manuel Lanzini and Sofiane Feghouli to answer that particular question. So often in Payet’s looming shadow, the wealth of attacking midfielders that West Ham possess can now come to the fore.
West Ham United’s Sofiane Feghouli celebrates scoring their first goal
With Snodgrass and his considerable dead ball ability now joining them, it’s more likely that West Ham can only get better without the Frenchman.
This does all come with a catch, however – and it’s a big one. Andy Carroll’s fitness is now the key to just how well West Ham can do. With him, and the surrounding attacking midfielders, The Irons are a force to be reckoned with – it just happens to be a big ask to get him on the pitch.
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