Ciao everybody, wish you were here, except for Mr Sullivan of course.
The weather here is wonderful and the sea looks so beautiful from the grounds of my villa. They tell me there are sharks in the bay but I am not worried. I am sure if I go in swimming everything will be fine. I have faith you see.
I have been thinking about the situation at West Ham and have decided to stay on. When all is said and done, football is just a game and we should not get so stressed about it. So what if we lose a few games? So what if the club is relegated? At the end of the day, providing the players are trying, we should be happy. Life is too short to worry about little things like relegation. I have played in Seria B and C and still enjoyed my football. We should not lose sight of that - football is sport, football is fun, it is about taking part, not about winning. That is why we should be called West Ham Olympic.
I was wondering this morning, when I woke to the sound of the gulls, why the Sun always rises in the East and sets in the West. If I was God, I would do it the other way around. Like that the Sun could cut inside rather than make its usual journey. The gulls have also troubled me. Surely they would look more majestic if they tried flying sideways and backwards rather than slavishly following the trawler. But now I am sounding like that French philospher.
Anyway, I have decided not to resign. Why not give it another go? My villa awaits if things do not work out so well in East London.
Gianfranco
It would have been funny if it weren't so sadly true! I am sure he is not going to walk away. I don't blame Zola for being who he is. I do however blame the owners for being so naive or perhaps having a second hidden agenda and for taking us all for a ride.
ReplyDeleteMcClaren has his FC Twente Enschede side top the Dutch league - any takers?
ReplyDeleteThis was posted at 6:13am on West Ham Till I Die at 9:20am there were 43 replies - stuff Harriet Fanny can only dream of
ReplyDeleteThere are media reports this morning that, having considered his position over weekend, GF Zola has decided not to resign from the manager’s post. He will return, from a short break in Sardinia, in time to take charge of first team training on Wednesday morning to prepare for the Everton away game.
Whether that is a wise decision for Zola or, more importantly the club, will now be determined by our final position in the PL table at 5pm on 9 May 2010. Relegation would be an unmitigated disaster of the club and, now Zola has made his decision, he and the playing squad must start to deliver and ensure that they stay ahead of Burnley and Hull City in the PL final standings. However, having said that, also keep a close eye on Wigan in the run-in. They have some difficult matches coming up and could very well end up falling into the bottom three. Who knows, perhaps goal difference may come into the final equation?
In theory, our position is far from lost yet, but it is the absence of any kind of decent form that is the worrying factor. Can the squad turn things around. Yes they can, if Zola gets the selection and tactics right and the players show the passion, pride and skill so sadly lacking for the majority of this nightmare season. They need to go to Everton and battle as if their lives depend upon it. Can this squad do that? We shall see? We really do need a result out of left-field at the moment to boost our chances.
Saturday’s match did see a more cohesive and committeed performance, but the yardstick was set so low, after the Wolves debacle, that it was not exactly difficult to improve. The defence was far more robast, standing up to the challenge posed by Delap’s long throw-ins and Stoke City’s more physical style. Da Costa had a sound game at centre half, but was cruelly punished for his one lapse in allowing Fuller to turn in the box.
However, going forward we lacked creativity and relied largely upon the driving forward runs of the admirable Scott Parker. Cole applied himself and went close on a couple of occasions, but Mido was not really at the races. The best partner for Cole is undoubtedly either Franco or McCarthy. Benni McCarthy was heavily criticised after the Wolves match and it is clear that he is still not fully match fit. However, you have only to observe McCarthy in action to see from his touch and technique that he remains a class act. If McCarthy and Cole can click up front, that might just be the combination necessary to fire a successful survival bid over the next six matches.
ReplyDeleteI can only assume that Jack Collison is injured, because he should be reinstated to the slot on the left side of midfield. In the centre of midfield, we should continue with the Noble-Parker combination and push Faubert forward to play wide right. At right-back, we can either try Behrami or ask Gabbidon to do a job there. I remain unconvinced by Spector at left-back and hope that Illunga is back for the finale to the season. At centre-back it is just a question of whether we stick with Da Costa or draft in Gabbidon to partner Upson? I would resist the temptation to go 4-5-1 at Goodison, we need two up front to give us some sort of cutting edge.
My team for Everton would be:
Green, Behrami, Illunga, Da Costa, Upson, Noble, Parker, Faubert, Cole, McCarthy, Collison
Subs: Kuruz, Spector, Gabbidon, Dyer or Stanislas, Diamanti, Franco, Mido
This has been a really disappointing season on so many fronts. They have contrived to put themselves in an unnecessarily difficult position, but it is not a totally hopeless one, if we can just hit some timely form. Yes, I know that it is a very big if, but that is where we are currently, desperately grabbing at straws!
If the PL fates are with us and we survive, this squad must undergo a major restructure to prevent a repetition. Where is the money for that going to come from, who knows? But first thing is first, lets secure survival and cross that bridge when we come to it!
SJ. Chandos.
Now with Zola staying put, this is finally the last nail in the coffin. We are doomed, he has no honour and believes he is doing a good job and its not his fault. The fans have backed him for so long with their support that he is convinced that he has done no wrong. Things are so weird at west ham that you may think we are on an episode of the twilight zone. The fans are the real idiots with their blinding faith and trust in Zola . If the situation wasnt so sad and real it would be funny.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes Zola think that he can turn it around? I would love to know what is is going to do differently. Nothing is the answer, same old crap watch and see as Everton stuff us 4 nil! In Zola we Trust...this crazy undeserved faith is unprecedented. Loss after loss and STILL the fans love Zola. Thats why he is staying because of US and the money. Its our fault, we have created this monster.
ReplyDeleteSo, Zola decided to stay and finish the job! Big surprise! I have used the word pathetic before and I was told it was offensive. Well, I don't know another word for it. Wanting to succeed by the manager is just not enough. If it was, then we would be top of the League by now. The guy doesn't now his left from his right. Yes, I know that one can blame the players, and there is some truth in that, but there is no excuse for not having a clue how to make the best of what you have available. Zola has proven time and time again that he cannot put a winning team together because simply he can't appreciate what it takes. He is not gonna change overnight. I am sorry, but this is the final straw. Doom and gloom follows. I will happily apologise to everyone if I am wrong. In fact, I will be praying I am wrong. But someone should tell our new owners that wishing and praying is just not enough. But I guess it is too late for that. God help us!
ReplyDeleteDoes Chandos not know that Collison is injured?
ReplyDeleteI think he is due to have an op on his knee, so not much chance of seeing him again this season.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Daprela on the left? If Illunga is fit and comes back in at left back then he could push forward and they can cover for each other when needed. Stanislas can switch to the right where he should be playing. I know they're only kids and need to be 'protected' at a time like this but maybe a bit of fearlessness and naivety is what we need right now. Can't be any worse than currently can it?
I don't want to be out of order but I think Chandos (and Dale) need to offer more opinion rather than regurgitate what has already been reported, and what we already know, from the news. Being a bit more creative in their writing will also help.
ReplyDeleteHe and Dale also take an awful long time to say anything after a game.
Tony Cottee, Ian Bishop and Don Hutchison and they have all said stick with Zola
ReplyDeleteCOYI let's get behind the team
One thing Chandos and Dale always say and it's COYI
ReplyDeleteFighting talk!
COYI!
Say it loud and say it proud
Time to put differences behind us... and now it's time to shout COYI
You miss the point somewhat. Chandos is on a leash and Dale is a "company man", a Tory would be expenses cheat. Dale bans people who disagree with him, I carry posts from people who take positions directly opposed to my own. I believe in freedom of speech, Dale's site sings from a hymn sheet.
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