If we don't win tomorrow night, Zola will be, at best, a dead man walking. Sullivan's comparison of Zola to Ardilles tells us how highly the Vibrating David rates the Italian as a manager. Apparently the Rampant Rabbiter said of his manager: "The question is, 'Is he too nice?' Ossie Ardiles was the nicest guy you could meet but look what he did to Tottenham." Now if that isn't a loaded rhetorical question, I don't know what is!
Zola has taken the most unusual step of speaking out, actually daring to criticise the new owners of the club. There is clearly no love felt for Sullivan and Gold based on his retaliatory words, "I am not getting in to a debate about I am like this and they are like that. I am what I am and I respect that they are different. There is no concern there and it's not my interest to judge them." It may not be his job to judge them but his contempt for his new masters is very thinly veiled in those words!
Zola, indeed, has hinted at resignation, saying, "I don't like to leave situations unfinished but I am a person with principles and I won't allow anybody to walk over my principles or my person". Well Sullivan isn't walking over Zola's principles as such, rather he is stamping all over them!
Zola is heading for the exit door. The question is, who do the Davids have in mind as a replacement? Anybody willing to work for peanuts would appear to be the first priority! Meanwhile, I can see another constructive dismissal claim in the making!
And to think, whilst all this is going on, we play a crunch game against Birmingham tomorrow. Perhaps the two sets of fans can unite in burning effigies of Sullivan!
It's a done deal. Sullivan met Curbs last week to discuss the compensation, the meeting went very well. Curbs agreed to invest his £3 M in the club and work for a low wage along the lines of say......Charlton!
ReplyDeleteWhere did you hear this HF?
ReplyDeleteAnd do you support Zola in this scenario?
Is that serious Marty? God I hope not!
ReplyDeleteStani, I support Zola the man. Sadly I don't think the man is up to keeping us up. Mind you, I don't know who will be if Sullivan destroys everybody's morale!
ReplyDeleteIf it's true they are trying to undermine him in an attempt in getting him to leave, I think we need to support the manager in this case.
ReplyDeleteThe fear is what will happen when GSB get their own man in.
I know Zola is making mistakes but I do believe he will be a top manager one day. But that is the thing, will it be soon enough for us to benefit from it. I hope so, I really do....although we may never get to realise this the way the owners are talking.
West ham will have to be relegated to reduce the wage bill..if they dont take a pay cut..i know how D/S works...it would pay him go into the championship to reduce the wage bill..i hope im wrong but but i dont think so you will have to wait and see .what he is saying now is just a smoke screen to hide the facts..
ReplyDeleteFrom someone who doesnt support west ham but reads this blog because i find it interesting i thought I'd comment on this whole media sniping between sulivan and zola and to me it does appear that the 2 davids are trying to force zola out the door on the cheap by him resigning and therefore no compensation paid.
ReplyDeleteThe entire situation is very odd if I didn't know better I'd swear they were running the club through the medium of the national papers judging by how often they're in those and the comments they're making; yes they may have a point that some players (kieron dyer springs to mind for some odd reason) are overpaid but is the middle of a relegation battle the best time to announce 25% pay cut in the summer? And is in a newspaper the best way to announce this rather than sit the manager down in private. Certainly doesn't smell right to me
Hammersfan, you may have already read this article by Martin Samuel.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1249730/MARTIN-SAMUEL-Gianfranco-Zola-like-Ossie-Ardiles--nice-bloke-useful-Bungle-fight-death.html?ITO=1490
I am afraid that i agree with him. 2.36 also makes some good points. This is the worst time to announce a pay cut. Sullivan is putting the pressure on straight away. I did comment that in my opinion he should be decisive. He has certainly done that. By all accounts Zola is great fella, no one doubts that. His brand of football is the type we all love to see. We all lived the dream when he came, but we do not have the players to play as Arsenal & we do not have the money to buy them. Sullivan will fix the finances first. He has to. No point finishing 6th then defaulting on interest & player payments & going into administration. Zola & the players would know the situation & we are not getting results. Something has to change. What can it be? At this stage we would be far better off to consolidate as a mid table side that go through the trapdoor. It's a struggle to get back up. Maybe Sullivan wants to go down & rebuild from there. I would hate that as much as anyone. Defense wins games unfortunately. ManU know that, they noticed that thre or four months ago. The chasm between Zola & management is widening & no matter whose fault it is, is unsettling. I would not be surprised to see either Hughes or Curbs take over. Something has to happen & if we are to survive, if it is not already too late, happen soon. You can only live on faith so long, then your belly gets empty.