Wow, I wrote an article on how much former manager Alan Curbishley revealed in one little word, now current manager Gianfranco Zola is at it, struggling to match the East End oratory brevity of Turds, but speaking volumes in just five short words. When asked about Ashton, Zola said how much he was looking forward to working with Beano, stating, "I'll be very excited to have him training with me but, unfortunately, it hasn't happened for the moment."
However, the "killer" phrase came in his next sentence as Zola added, "He is still working on his fitness and hopefully he will be OK soon...AS FAR AS I KNOW"! You what? This is the manager of West Ham revealing that he is not fully in the loop about the club's most expensive signing and the player that many regard as key to our future success.
I think it would be remiss at this point not to ask, "What the flocking hell is going on?" We are one day away from the start of the season and it would appear that there is a major communication breakdown between the club's manager and our first choice number 9. Either that or the news is so bad that Zola has been gagged.
In the same interview Zola revealed that he is just as much in the dark about Lucas Neill, stating, "Lucas Neill was discussing the situation with the club, so you have to ask the club about it. It looks like they haven't found an agreement yet and I don't know how it's going to end up, to be honest." Hello? How the hell is Zola meant to plan for the new season when he doesn't know what is going on? He was clearly keen to keep Neill and, as much as I don't rate the guy as a Premiership right back, I find it odd that the club have not found a way of retaining a player that the manager seems to regard as important.
It is Zola who will ultimately be judged on the team's results but Zola appears to have little say on the shape of (and personnel in) his squad. This is precisely the situation that led to the dismissal of Jol at Tottenham and the walk outs of Keegan at Newcastle and Curbishley at West Ham. Zola has made all the right noises so far but I would be surprised if he is happy with the present situation. He may remain loyal but I could see Clark saying "Stuff this" if the management team are asked to "make do" with an inadequate squad once the transfer window has slammed closed. Chelsea would welcome him back with open arms.
10 comments:
Mate, you are full of shit and you read far too much into things. Between Zola, Nanni and Duxbury, they identify the players that they want and Nanni and Duxbury go out to try and get them. It is no secret that Zola has nothing to do with players contracts and therefore leaving the negotiations to the negotiators and therefore probably doesn't know at this particular time how far any negotiations have progressed. Maybe he is throwing out one or two porkies but hey! It may not be prudent not to say too much at the moment for all we know. It's funny that people think that Duxbury & Co are just telling porkies to the fans, but has anyone considered that it could be the media that they are holding back on. As for Clarke going back to Chel$ki, I don't think that is going to happen, not while Abramovic still owns them, after all it was support and reassurances that Clarke was looking for from Abramovic because of Scolari and got none.
I feel sure that Zola was employed on the basis that he manages what he is given and the hiring and firing is done by others at most his input would amount to suggestions as to who he would like what positions need to be strengthened etc and perhaps occasionally used to influence a players decision.
He would have been employed under those restrictions and therefore I don't think it will trouble him he is not a manager in the English sense but more of the trainer type along the continental model really employed to get the best out of the playing staff whilst the club is run by (bloody)accountants
Deane, I imagine you are right. But at the time he thought we had money.
Mate, people aren't abusing you for this web blog for your opinions as such, but for your brainlessness.
You write: "...and I don't know how it's going to end up, to be honest." Hello? How the hell is Zola meant to plan for the new season when he doesn't know what is going on?"
Zola doesn't know which way Lucas Neill will go (accept new offer or not) and you take this to mean that Zola can't plan for the season?
He has to take this into account just like every manager before him since time immemorial!!
You seem to have been bitten by the "sensationalist" bug where you ape the mass media in hyping up things that don't need hyping up because, really, they speak for themselves. You want the season to start so we have something to talk about just like the rest of us, but PLEASE can you stop writing this DRIVEL!! Your 'headlines' appear in my NewsNow results and sometimes i forget to check the URL before clicking, and i find myself here already groaning because i know its going to be the same over-hyped crap.
Again, it's not so much your opinions, its your style of presenting your opinions, while at the same time appearing to write and publish the first thing that comes into your head!
PLEASE for the love of our football club's fan's reputation in general, IMPROVE THIS BLOG!! Maybe try writing drafts ... ie, write your post and then sit on it for a bit, and then go back and read it again. If you're not making drastic changes at least some of the time, you're doing it wrong. Some people don't need to write drafts, but you aren't one of them.
Quality, not quantity, or people won't read you at all.
I think you might be getting a little caught up in pre-season hysteria. Zola sounds like he is avoiding the question and not showing his hand. Deano was last seen kayaking off the North east coast, so nothing to worry about there!.....
Hammersfan, GFZ has stated in many interviews that he knew the club had limited resourses. His only pre requisite was to have SC on board and go from there. Faubert will be fine at RB and as I have said in several articles now players will arrive before the end of the window. Stikers apart, we have the strongest and most attractive squad assembled in our premiership tenure. The whole club is progressing massively but you have to take into account we have suffered a near fatl meltdown financially and that isn't easy to resolve. With what we have we will finish in a comfy mid table position, form there onwards we have the potential to push on to be an established top six side, the players comming in are all experienced young internationals and therefore the future is looking very rosie. Why don't you put an article out on how we may look in two seasons time with Noble or Collison as our skipper.
Tom, I hope you are right but name me another team who are waiting on a decision from their club captain about where he will be playing his football this season as the season kicks off. I can't remember Alex Ferguson admitting to being in the dark about the fitness of a key player, can you? Imagine how the players are feeling at the moment. Who is our long term captain? What happens if Cole is injured? Who is going to score? An early setback and confidence could nosedive.
Soporific, nobody makes you read it.
Also remember lads, he's a brand new manager with less than a full season under his belt at this level. He needs help making personnel decisions until he gets more experience. Now, Duxbury is a snake, don't believe a word out of his mouth, but Zola, Clarke and Nani I think have a history of honesty and frankness.
Just relax. Don't start panicking until February at the earliest. Neill is a selfish coont looking for a young man's pay day with old man's legs. Ashton is a big fat pussy who hurts himself having a Richard. Let's move forward with what we've got.
But have we got enough to move forward? I don't think so.
Hammersfan I don't disagree with your thoughts, I am merely taking the positives from the negative. As for the Lucas Neill situation, I admire the club on this one. He has seen the deal and personally I reckon he will return, but under our terms and wage structure not his. Ashton not up to fitness is embarrasing for GFZ, and I think he might well be on his way out. Had we had the strikers in now I am confident Deano would have been history. This is world cup year and he can't motivate himself to get fit. Parker took a physio on his family holiday, there's commitment for you. Did you see Deano at Upton park last week greeting the players off the park at full time like Berahmi, I didn't. If I were manager I treat the situation the same, show my team and club the commitment or ship out. It is either that or he just hasn't recovered. If Cole gets injured then let the youngsters have a run early and I wouldn't be suprised to see a few goals.
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