Even at his most optimistic, Slaven Bilic might have struggled to see how the incredible sulk might have such a positive effect on West Ham.
Since Dimitri Payet's strop and exit, West Ham have climbed into the top half of the league table with three wins from four games.
'We are swimming in our difficulties really good,' was how Bilic put it.
Bilic made the interesting point that his side have become more versatile since Payet's sale.