Given his undoubted ability, Zola does not have a great record of winning things as a player. True he has a Seria A winners medal, but in that season he only made 7 appearances for Napoli. Describing him as a "bit part" in that success would be hyperbole in the circumstances therefore. Then there was the Supercoppa Italia in the following year (the Italian Charity Shield), but the Italians take domestic cup competitions as seriously as Katie Price takes marriage vows. There were 2 UEFA Super Cups but that's the European equivalent of the Charity Shield - an exhibition game with an edge.
The medals that really count boil down to two FA Cups with Chelsea, a League Cup, a Cup Winners Cup and a UEFA Cup - and try telling Rooney, Lampard, Ballack, Keane, Scholes and co that those competitions are anything more than padding for the trophy cabinets. No side featuring Zola as a regular ever won a league title and no team featuring Zola ever won the European Cup / Champions League. A total of 35 international caps is also disappointingly low for such a great player.
Significantly, Zola finished as a "runner up" on too many occasions: he was on the losing side in the final in the FA Cup in 2002, the Charity Shield in 1997, the Cup Winners Cup in 1994, the Coppa Italia in 1995, the Supercoppa Italianna in 1995, in Seria A in 1994/95 and in Seria B in 2003/04. Zola was also in the squad when Italy finished runners up in the 1994 World Cup.
There is a saying that "Nice guys come second" and Zola illustrates this perfectly. In truth, given his prodigious talent, his playing career is a story of massive underachievement. And leopards don't change their spots.
We are going down because Zola is not a winner. Look at his lily livered response to both Tuesday's inept performance and Sullivan's fully justified criticism of that shambles. Sullivan simply voiced what every fan is thinking. He witnessed the fans turn on the team on Tuesday and he came down on the side of the supporters. But Zola? He has criticised Sullivan and tried to make excuses for the team. Crazy, absolutely crazy! The players needed to hear that their performance was pathetic and shambolic. Instead Zola has said, "Blame me". So Zola has simply given his players a "Get Out Of Jail Free" card! Ludicrous.
Just listen to him:
"We know that we have to produce a fantastic performance against Stoke," Zola said. "The good thing is that I do not need to motivate the players with a team talk, because they have already had one."
No need to motivate the players? Was he watching on Tuesday? Who has motivated them? Sullivan? But Sullivan was wrong to say what he said according to Zola.
He adds, "We are a good team, but going through a difficult moment. We need to make sure we show everyone we are a good team and are going to try to show that."
I know he is operating in a foreign language but that "moment" has been going on for 9 months now and I am worried by that use of the word "try". I don't want to hear they are going to try to show that they are a good team, I want to hear that we will!
Who would you back to motivate our malingerers on Saturday, Nice Guy Zola or Neil Warnock? Unfortunately Pulis is a Warnock type, a manager who will punch a player who has upset him. Stoke have nothing to play for but are guaranteed to arrive full of fight; but are we sure of that our dandy boys will be up for a battle? To answer that, look back to Tuesday night!
12 comments:
I couldn't be more sure of anything in my life that we will get relegated with Zola in charge. And FFS sake do not hire Hoddle, one rivals legend hasn't worked out, neither will another.
Clarke's gotta come in and call in for a true relegation battle! We need Parker, Kovac, Faubert, Upson, Diamanti, and Cole to wrestle their way through Stoke this weekend! We need Stanislas, Green, and Tomkins to play their hearts out!...and most importantly we need to play 4-4-2. COYI
TIS, I find it funny because months ago you defended zola when myself and others expressed our concerns. The majority of fans like yourself are to blame, always defending zola defeat after defeat! Whether it was because he was a rookie, a foreign bloke, a nice guy, a great smile, his honour. Remember he said he was not in it for the money, bullshit thats why he and clarke will NOT resign. He has no honour and this little F++K is killing our club. Never blames the players, even today the bastard responds about the sullivan letter with "how the players going to feel"!! WTF, lets not hurt their feelings. He even says that Sullivan may do more damage than good, already making excuses for the stoke defeat. Check out the poll on the daily mail vote about where he should be sacked. 70% say no and 30% say yes. That says it all, the fans still love zola, just check out the Org. Have you noticed the press they also seem to give him the benifit of the doubt with their stories. EVERYONE STILL LOVES F++KING ZOLA. I GIVE UP.
20:21 You Mug, daily mail? that right wing reactionary nazi shit sheet - whatdotheyknow about football? No wonder you give up reading crap like that! West Ham Till I die - books it by 58-42% that Zola should go..... votes from hammers fans for hammers fans
2021, we can see the errors of our ways and if TIS has changed his mind, then all credit to him. It takes a big man to change his mind. I am happy to admit that I backed Zola's appointment initially as a breath of fresh air after Turds. How wrong I was! You are spot on when expressing exasperation at the fans' continued backing of Zola, however. I have referred to this "type" of fan as the Three Monkeys Brigade for some time now. They will not see, speak nor hear any evil where Zola is concerned. Excuse after excuse is made and all the hard evidence proving his incompetence is totally ignored. How anybody can back him after Tuesday is beyond me. If we lose tomorrow, we are down, but still the Three Monkeys will chatter "In Zola We Trust"!
I cant wait for WRESTLEMANIA. Good luck to the undertaker
Yep, a whole lot of us lived the dream when Zola came. Myself included. We thought that Zola would take us to attractive football after the Curbs era. It could have worked out that way, but it didn't. Some people still hope that things will change overnight. They will wake up in the morning & all will be o.k. again. It won't. Zola is inexperienced. He has never been here before. Unfortunately, we haven't got time to wait for him to learn. The players have to pull us through. It's not rocket science as HF says. Sullivan has the right to say as he said. He paid 50 mill of his money. How would you like it? 50 mill, your employees not really interested in the job, the company going arse up. Do you think you might say something? Seven games left, we can still survive, i think we will, but gee, big game this one, isn't it.
One correction Winston, sorry. It is rocket engineering!
to blame for what exactly?
Always defending smiling Zola, over and over again. Keep up TIS
A few months ago a few people on this site were voicing their fears that if Zola remained in charge we would be relegated. There were reasons for these fears. For one Zola's management experience was second in command of the Italian under 21's so from this experience somehow everyone thought he could manage a team in the hardest football division in the world. Zola obviously likes to be liked and probably over reacts to a player's concerns. You can't be a boss and still be one of the boys which I am sure he thinks he is and thats why he is so protective of them. I am sure the team respects him as a player but definitely not as a manager. From what I have seen of Zola I quite frankly find his comments that managers and players in Italy use their brains and that that is only just beginning to happen in England insulting and inaccurate. Sometimes I wonder if he has got a brain. If he is going to leave in the summer what is the point of keeping him on now for the next six games. A fresh face and ideas would at least give us a fighting chance to stay up otherwise after todays performance there is no hope.An honourable man would at least offer to resign
I fear we are now down John.
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