That is exactly the effect Glenn Roeder wants as he searches for a second addition of the open transfer window - with a striker now heading the shopping list, of course.
On Lee's signing, Michael says:
"It is more competition for places and it keeps people on their toes."
Michael insists that the first home win of the season, against Nottingham Forest, was simply nothing more than the Hammers have deserved of late.
"The confidence is higher and we are looking forward to it, but we have been fine lately and we go into this one like the last game," he explains.
"The lads showed a lot of character to win the game - if you are down the bottom you have to grind out results.
"You are not always going to be on top in games so that is what you have to do.
"Relief is not the word from our point of view, really, after the win last weekend.
"We got in the hat for Manchester United and that is all that matters.
"It is always the same in the FA Cup third round, up and down, and if they had scored the penalty we would have had to have bounced back again as we did a couple of times anyway - so credit to the lads."