Winter window manifesto for West Ham to pinch Europa League place

Instead, real class out wide is needed to stretch teams who will not be picked apart by a smart pass, with perhaps someone a little more contemplative than the raw pace of on-loan Victor Moses, who tends to work best on those famed counter-attacks.

Someone who can stay wide and put in a peach of a cross, with under-utilised pair Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho (when he returns) would not impede Bilic’s pretty play but instead give it another dimension, and reduce the need to splurge on a new frontman. These two have goals galore in them, and can help take points from tough matches.

Valencia wingman Sofiane Feghouli, one of the current crop from Algeria’s attacking ensemble, has previous with running down contracts and is reportedly snubbing new offers from Gary Neville’s Bats.

A free agent in summer 2016, the 25-year-old would surely represent a bargain. Currently linked with Manchester United, for whom it seems an unlikely transfer, Feghouli might do better to follow in Payet’s footsteps and taste the Premier League with an ambitious club with whom playing time is almost guaranteed.

As a cheaper alternative, Norwich City’s oft underrated Robbie Brady is no speed merchant, but could put pinpoint crosses atop Carroll’s head all day long.

Alternatives for attacking depth

The recent spate of injuries show West Ham lack depth, but only quality should be used to fill this squad brimming with potential.

Competition would surely be created by a much-mooted move for AC Milan star Keisuke Honda, and the Japanese icon should be top of the Irons’ Christmas list. Able to add a sprinkling of silk where there is already much steel in Bilic’s deep midfield, or fill a variety of positions up front, Honda is the versatile schemer required at Upton Park to ensure such a dismal run does not reoccur.

Though, another playmaker would currently be overkill, should Liverpool’s reported interest in vying for the permanent services of Lanzini prove a battle West Ham can’t win, a January swoop for struggling Bordeaux’s adaptable Wahbi Khazri could be just the tonic.

Fresh from previous Ligue 1 plundering success with Payet, Khazri could be a coup in a similar vein. Still just 24, the Tunisia international has six goals and four assists in France already and, most crucially, can also play wide as well as central.

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Check out our other winter window manifestos, or dip into our Premier League archive.