Hammered! A West Ham blog

When Zola was unveiled as West Ham manager back in early September 2008, my heart sank.

Although I had never been a fan of Curbishley, his boring football had seen us finish mid-table the previous season, and we’d started well before he had resigned.  What we needed was an experienced manager, even if it was someone fro a lower league.  What we got was someone who had been a fantastic player, but whose only managerial experience was in managing the Italian Under 21 team for a short period.

Fortunately in my eyes, West Ham understood the problem and a week later unveiled Steve Clarke as Zola’s assistant, and to me, this signing was the bigger and better of the two.

Clarke & Zola

At first it was said that Zola’s warmth and enthusiasm helped to pick up the entire squad, thanks to how infectious it was.  Unfortunately this was only ever a short-term pick-up, and almost two seasons later we are seeing a West Ham squad that is struggling.

This season was supposed to be one of consolidation.  To, at the very least, achieve another Top ten finish.  Instead we have, and continue to, flirt with relegation.  Although I don’t believe that we will go down, even if our next two fixtures away to Chelsea and Arsenal will no doubt see us back in the bottom three, staying up will probably not be enough for Zola to keep his job.

When Sullivan and Gold took over the club in January there was a rumour going around that, in the terms of the agreement they signed with the Icelanders, they were not able to get rid of Zola until the end of the season at the earliest.  I don’t know where the rumour came from, or indeed why there would be such a clause in the deal, given that there is no real benefit to anyone but Zola.  What I do know is that the quotations given by the two Davids all seem to give immediate backing to Zola, but nothing long term, and their recent cosiness with Curbishley and the agreement that they came to regarding his settlement with the club for wrongful dismissal, all points to the very disarming concern that we may see the grey one back in charge at Upton Park before the new season starts.

Curbishley, in all of his grey dullness

What a shame that would be.  Zola, for his lack of managerial nous, seems to be a great coach.  The transformation in Carlton Cole, who has gone from being a donkey to being the first choice striker by a country mile, is no doubt down to the little man.  Even more recently, the positive change in Kovac can be attributed to positive coaching.

In an ideal world, which I appreciate we’re not in, I’d like to see Zola step down as manager, but stay with the club in some kind of coaching role.  I’d like to see Steve Clarke retained in the Assistant Manager role (and preferably at a much lower wage than the one he is reputed to be on which makes him the highest paid Assistant Manager in the league), and then an experience manager brought in to the club.

The rumour mill has linked us with a couple of managers.  Warnock, who thankfully is now at QPR.  Coppell, who I’d hate to see at the club.  Curbishley, again, another manager I believe lacks the charisma in his playing style to be a good appointment, and Mark Hughes, who would instill some much needed back bone in the team, though would no doubt want a decent sized transfer kitty before considering coming here.

I dare say that the two Davids already have someone in mind.  Their history is to hire British Managers (Barry Fry, Trevor Francis, Steve Bruce and Alex McLeish at Birmingham), and in more recent years the latter two have shown a discipline and strength that you could argue Mark Hughes shows.

Interestingly enough, it was announced yesterday that Ludek Miklosko, West Ham’s goalkeeping coach, was leaving the club.  He was immediately replaced by Kevin Hitchcock, who is a former team mate of Hughes, and worked with him at both Blackburn and Manchester City, which adds weight behind the rumour that Hughes is next in line at West Ham.