18West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has claimed that his team are proving that they don’t need Dimitri Payet.
Payet forced a move away from the club in the January transfer window after refusing to play for the club.
The Frenchman was eventually sold to former club Marseille for £25 million.
However, his strike created a solid unity in the Irons dressing room – with several players caliming the same.
Now boss Biic has also added to that praising his team for not “sinking” without the talisman.
Andy Carroll’s return to form has also helped as West Ham have won three of their last four Premier League games,
“The team have responded,” Bilic told West Ham’s official website. “We lost a great player, but these things happen in football. The team have reacted in the best possible way.”
“The boys have shown in those difficult situations that we aren’t going to sink, we’re not going to crumble. We had to take more responsibility as an individual and as a team, and that’s happened.”
West Ham have climbed up the table and are ninth in the Premier League now and are set to face West Brom, Watford and leaders Chelsea.