Sunday 28 March 2010

Zola, Right Man Perhaps But Wrong Time



(The article below has been submitted by Rabelais. It is a "third way" in the Zola debate.)

Zola might make a good manager and it is a mistake to blame any one individual for the catastrophe that has been West Ham this season...but Zola is a guy caught in a perfect storm. And God, what I wouldn't give right now for an old sea dog like Roy Hodgson to have his hand on the tiller.

As HF says, Zola is tactically naive but he has other problems which are not necessarily of his own making:

1. A weak(ened) defence: look who we've lost without serious replacement - Collins, Neill, Ferdinand, McCartney.
2. A midfield light in attacking creativity - too many Nobles, Kovacs, Parkers and Behramis.
3. A slothful forward line - McCarthy, Mido, Franco.
4. And a whole lot of inexperienced youngsters all over the place, who really don't need to be blooded in a relegation dog-fight.

That said, Zola has seldom made the best of what he's got.

On the other hand, he being bullied out of his job by his employers. In any other industry he would have approached his union for advice, for he is clearly the victim of 'constructive dismissal'. But Zola has neither a union nor the guile to take his chairmen on.

So given that he is a victim of circumstance, what should he do? I bare the guy no ill-will and wish him well, but for his own sake and that of the West Ham, he has to walk. It is so patently clear that while Sullivan and Gold are in charge he has no future at the club, even if he leads the team to safety - which looks about as likely as snowball in hell.

So he should go because he has absolutely nothing to gain by standing each week on the touchline like a gimp, watching his team get beaten, without the power or acumen to do anything about it. If he decides to hold on for his P45 and the pay-off, he will look, not only an undignified figure but also a mercenary, self-serving figure.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Zola has a very powerful "union". http://www.leaguemanagers.com/lma/about-2.html

Anonymous said...

so the seperation package is being done then.Like when pardew join from reading He had in his contract west ham would pay his legal bill

John said...

People on this site keep stating that Zola is learning and getting better. What a load of tosh.a) You don't pay a manager 1.9 mil a year to learn the job. b) He seems worse now than he ever was before, so what is he learning?. c)He is going away for three days to work out whether or not it is him that is the problem which proves he hasn't learnt from his mistakes he is not even aware that he has made them! I thought Hull had blundered bringing in Dowie its beginning to look like a shrewd move now.

Rabelais said...

John,
I don't know that anyone here is arguing that Zola is getting better. West Ham's present position would seem to suggest otherwise. But I don't think Zola is an idiot. He's a guy who walked into a club and inherited its problems (it was broke), unquestionably created a few of his own (tactical naivety) and has a few new ones not really of his own making (Sullivan's outbursts).

Maybe going away for a few days to think about his future will be a good thing and help Zola see things clearer.

Whatever Zola decides West Ham look odds on to go down. But whatever the outcome of this season, and even if we manage to claw our way out of the relegation places, West Ham's problems are bigger than the little Italian and longer standing than his brief tenure.

TurdsOut said...

This site makes me laugh - you tw@ts all think you're more tactically aware / sophisticated than Zola AND Clarke! Get a life - ALL OF YOU

Bunch of moaning ninnies the lot of you

Hammersfan said...

Yep, that's football FANS for you - full of opinions, passions and convictions. That's why football forums and blogs exist. It's also why there are football magazines, pundits and journalists.

T.I.S said...

My football manager game suggests i'm VERY tactically aware.

Anonymous said...

and let's not forget tw@ts like you!

Anonymous said...

t.i.s. what you on yahoo fantasy football?

Anonymous said...

20;56 not directed at you mate - but the post before from fanno

Anonymous said...

Paolo Di Canio to return to West Ham

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1260151/Paolo-Di-Canio-return-West-Ham-academy-director-Tony-Carrs-testimonial.html

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYcQCKr59Zs

claret! said...

Now Dowie seems to have Hull fired up - we need destabilise him, let's start a rumour that West Ham want him as manager, that should do it............

Anyone know how to change wikipedia?