Three things we learnt from West Ham’s 2-2 draw with West Brom

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Payet’s departure has not proved detrimental to West Ham

The Dimitri Payet transfer saga dominated the news agenda at West Ham ever since it was announced by Bilic on January 12 that the Frenchman had refused to play for the club again. It cast a shadow over the London Stadium and was an unwanted distraction for the manager, who had enough on his plate to deal with. Payet had been West Ham’s star performer and a real surprise package since joining in the summer of 2015. Many thought that his return to Marseille, which was finalised shortly before the transfer window closed, would weaken them substantially. It has actually had the opposite effect. The Hammers have lost only once since Payet’s went on strike and they appear much more united on and off the pitch. A weight has clearly been lifted off all the players’ shoulders. It reinforces the old adage that no individual is bigger than the team.