Zola

Wouldn't be at all surprised if he resigned. He seems to have given up - Steve Clarke did the post match interview last night.

Bedshammer wrote:Wouldn't be at all surprised if he resigned. He seems to have given up - Steve Clarke did the post match interview last night.

Zola was a top player and appears to be a nice bloke.However, he's been working with one arm tied behind his back and in West ham's position I think they need more of a Curbishley type.I think at the start of February it could be the players that you've managed to keep rather than players you've managed to sign which will be the telling factor.In West Ham's favour Pompey,Wolves,Bolton,Burnley and Hull are all poor premiership sides and IMO it will be more to do with how shit they are which keeps West ham up.Can't see anything beter than bottom 6, but reckon it won't be bottom 3 and that will be done with a new manager in place.

I think you're right. While I like Zola I don't think he's got the stomach for this. There are a lot of rumours linking S&G with Curbishley, incidentally. While I'm not enamoured with S&G, they do at least understand the English PL.

Who'd be a Hammer, eh?

Apparently Green made another howler last night according to the radio. There was some rumour linking him with Villa, with Friedel going in the opposite direction, cant see that happening in the slightest. His confidence seems shot. Zola seems popular at the club, but is in a very tough position with the club needing to move on, you need to get a buyer very soon or else you will be in massive trouble.

zola out zola out!

Zola's popularity is waning, along with his enthusiasm, sadly. He certainly can't afford the luxury of showing respect to Chelsea on Sunday, like he did last year.

The thing with the team is, they are potentially strong. Faubert and Kovac are donkeys and we have Behrami, Upson & Cole out injured, but the makings are there. Incidentally, I think Scott Parker is a better captain than Upson. I hate to say this, but Zola's pretty football just ain't working. We need to clog out a few wins.

Oh well, we've only got Chhelsea next.......

Problem for Zola is when he came to the job he was so pleased and grateful he handed responsibility over for transfers to the backroom boys probably thinking well at least i have a job of managing a Premiership side, he's now counting the cost of that.

You only have to watch West Ham for a game to see were the problems are and is that Zola's making, probably he would be better of striking a deal and leaving the club ASAP.

I'm also wondering about Steve Clarke's role in all of this, to be honest. He's supposed to be one of the best defensive coaches in the country.

Thing is Beds, however good a coach he is he can only work with what he's got, then if you pile on top of that a coach who deep down believes he's working with players that he simply thinks are poor and don't get what he's telling them....whole thing falls apart.

Look at the Villa No2, then equate that blokes past and who he was as a player, then look at the present Villa midfield and what you see is a very heavily influenced football side that's based on how that coach See's things, i mean we play with 3 wingers in midfield and a potential winger in our front 2 men, Steve Clarke's role is obviously being skirted over and everybody is pulling in different directions, you can't possibly sell a player like Collins, however injury prone and then expect either not to cover with like or expect the side not to look different.

I honestly thought when i watched West Ham v Villa, despite the win, West ham looked physically weak, and you can't survive the premiership like that. IMO.

Now I'll have to disagree with you there, Mal.
I don't think the players are being given the direction they need. The stuff going on behind the scenes must be affecting morale though, and there's a rumour that Clarke and Zola are distancing themselves from each other.

Bedshammer wrote:Now I'll have to disagree with you there, Mal.
I don't think the players are being given the direction they need. The stuff going on behind the scenes must be affecting morale though, and there's a rumour that Clarke and Zola are distancing themselves from each other.

I always look at a squad and see if the players were to leave the club where would they end up.I'd say Upson,Green,Parker,Collison and Cole would attract interest from clubs pushing for Europe whilst the rest (Noble on form aside) would do well to stay in the Premiership.The club have sold too many quality players and replaced the quality with potential.No doubt there's also been some real bad luck with the likes of Ashton and Dyer, but i'd expect a club of West ham's stature to be comfortable in mid table at the very least.The last time the club were relegated you had a far superior squad, and i'd also argue that the Newcastle squad who were relegated last year were better as well.A George Graham style run of 0-0/1-0 performances are required not pretty football which results in galant defeats

I'd be devestated if Zola went. Honestly, what quality manager could we get in to replace him?

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:I'd be devestated if Zola went. Honestly, what quality manager could we get in to replace him?

Curbishley?

villanfromluton wrote:

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:I'd be devestated if Zola went. Honestly, what quality manager could we get in to replace him?

Curbishley?

He wouldn't come back. We'd need a proven premiership manager someone like Bruce or Allardyce but they're hardly likely to leave their respective clubs.

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:I'd be devestated if Zola went. Honestly, what quality manager could we get in to replace him?

To be honest, I think he's off. I wouldn't be devastated if he did go - I don't think he wants to be here any more.

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:

villanfromluton wrote:

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:I'd be devestated if Zola went. Honestly, what quality manager could we get in to replace him?

Curbishley?

He wouldn't come back. We'd need a proven premiership manager someone like Bruce or Allardyce but they're hardly likely to leave their respective clubs.

Well, I've been hearing that S&G have been in contact with him. Only rumour, but credible.

Bedshammer wrote:Now I'll have to disagree with you there, Mal.
I don't think the players are being given the direction they need. The stuff going on behind the scenes must be affecting morale though, and there's a rumour that Clarke and Zola are distancing themselves from each other.

So you do agree with me Beds, that's my point, at odds, but my other point was no real physical presence in the side, that's was obvious as hell to me so it must be to most people, take WBA last season, if a teams status relied on a good passing game and attractive football they'd be in the Champions league, you take Upson, Parker and maybe Collison and that's a big maybe out of the side and there is no real strength to talk of.

Take Villa as an example ( obviously i will) we have players like Dunne Cuellor Warnock Collins Young, players with natural strength and character not only to make decision but skill as well, one of the biggest improvements in the Villa side this season is ....Milner, strong as on Ox, 2 Richardsons couldn't have knocked him of the ball for his goal last night, and skill, Gabby during the summer did what......weight training to bulk up, and its paid dividends, much stronger player, its a key asset to any Premiership side and it actually counts for more than pure skill only, that's how Stoke have survived and teams like Blackburn, unless you are Arsenal and can rely on an extra yard of pace throughout your side, so they don't actually have to be that physical, then the rest of us are all in the same boat. My only point is West Ham have no real power other than 1 or 2 players, that's not enough, any new manager will first put power into the side, that's all I'm saying, obvious, and by the way when you are saying less pretty football and clogg out a few games your saying the same thing in a more basic way.

will Clarke go If Zola goes? Cos we won't get anyone decent....and maybe Clarke will do things differently

Personally i think it's all rumered bollocks
wh are in the shite money ways every monkey brain knows that
Players are being linked with every other club in the prem side
But they players i would like to see **** is
Kovac useless watse of space,Franco, just does not cut it
Gabbidon is utter caCK LATELY, AS IS TOMKINS boltons 3rd should never have been and with 2 defender making him as well
Chelsea's game iant looking forward to at all

With new owners, why would Curbishley not come back? He still lives round the area, didnt do nothing wrong,

I think it may be rumour about Zola and Clarke. If they were at loggerheads, surely Clarke would have told Zola to go out and face the music after another depressing defeat.

villanfromluton wrote:With new owners, why would Curbishley not come back? He still lives round the area, didnt do nothing wrong,

I think it may be rumour about Zola and Clarke. If they were at loggerheads, surely Clarke would have told Zola to go out and face the music after another depressing defeat.

The fans didn't want him.

Mark here's a stat for you - since the Sunderland game Franco has been involved in every single goal we've scored. It's utter balls to say he doesn't cut it, look at the work he did for the goal against Bolton, he took 3 defenders to the side of the penalty area with him, beat them all with quick feet, and gave the ball to Collison who set up Diamanti.

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:Mark here's a stat for you - since the Sunderland game Franco has been involved in every single goal we've scored. It's utter balls to say he doesn't cut it, look at the work he did for the goal against Bolton, he took 3 defenders to the side of the penalty area with him, beat them all with quick feet, and gave the ball to Collison who set up Diamanti.

How many goals?

QBVILLA wrote:

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:Mark here's a stat for you - since the Sunderland game Franco has been involved in every single goal we've scored. It's utter balls to say he doesn't cut it, look at the work he did for the goal against Bolton, he took 3 defenders to the side of the penalty area with him, beat them all with quick feet, and gave the ball to Collison who set up Diamanti.

How many goals?

13 in 7 games. He's only scored 4 (I think) but the work he does with the ball at his feet is top notch.

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:

QBVILLA wrote:

Ezekiel 25:17 wrote:Mark here's a stat for you - since the Sunderland game Franco has been involved in every single goal we've scored. It's utter balls to say he doesn't cut it, look at the work he did for the goal against Bolton, he took 3 defenders to the side of the penalty area with him, beat them all with quick feet, and gave the ball to Collison who set up Diamanti.

How many goals?

13 in 7 games. He's only scored 4 (I think) but the work he does with the ball at his feet is top notch.

That's a good stat.A similar argument that is used by Heskey regarding England