Dimitri Payet's Former Manager Bizarrely Blames West Ham 'Pressure' for Star's Poor Form in France

French midfielder Dimitri Payet has somewhat slipped into obscurity since his move away from West Ham in January 2017. 

He was a Premier League Player of the Year nominee and  included in the PFA Team of the Year during his time with the Hammers, but has yet to find the same success since his return to France. 

Since his £25m move back to Marseille, lacklustre performances have brought some criticism from the fans. However, according to former Marseille manager Elie Baup, Payet's bad form is down to the nature of his move away from West Ham almost a year ago.

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"Payet suffered a huge amount of pressure for a year, him leaving England, his return at Marseille, Baup told Le Parisien. "He was very exposed, he couldn’t breathe. Maybe, subconsciously, he needed to let go a bit."

Payet left West Ham under difficult circumstances last January when then manager Slaven Bilic announced publicly that Payet no longer wanted to play for the club. Refusing to back down on his demands, Payet forced a move back to Marseille, while a mural of the playmaker outside the London Stadium had to be guarded by security to prevent angry Hammers fans from vandalising his image.

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Baup also added that Payet's confidence has taken a hit since his return to Marseille. Negative comments about his performances seem to be affecting him personally. 

He added, "Like everyone else, Dimitri needs to be 100%. We would have to know where he is psychologically compared to the top level. How is he approaching future challenges? Does he still have that hunger."

"I heard him say he would understand if Rudi Garcia [Marseille manager] put him on the bench. That surprised me because that’s not the Dimitri I know, someone who wants his spot and wants to hold onto it."