It gets madder and madder - unless Zola is on his way out of course. The revelation that Gianfranco was not told that his entire squad, apart from Parker, is available for transfer, nor that we had bid for Dorrans, is nothing short of surreal. Who exactly is deciding which players to target and what is the criteria? Is it a case of Karren Brady saying, "I fancy that Dorrans"?
Zola's position is clearly untenable. Sullivan is doing everything he can to force Zola into resigning. Some have argued that Sullivan was simply saying every player has his price, except Parker of course, but Zola has not read it that way. He has taken Sullivan at his word.
It seems we are into a game of chess here. Zola probably wants to stay and Sullivan obviously wants him out. Is Avram Grant recommending players? He could be brought in as Technical Director over Zola's head if Sullivan's tactics don't work.
How motivated are Zola and the players going to be on Sunday now? Fortunately the result doesn't matter to Fulham either! Still, if our team are in the shop window, where better than at Fulham given the connection with Harrods?
16 comments:
I'd be surprised if Zola wanted to stay and for the sake of his health and his family he'd probably be better off walking away.
However, I read in yesterday's Guardian that he was sufficiently pissed off by Sullivan's antics to hang around and wait for a pay-off. (Ok I'm paraphrasing somewhat but it's the general drift.)
We been careless enough to lose one case of constructive dismissal of a manager, are we heading for another?
Firstly, I do wish G&S would just keep their traps shut. Good Chairmen should be seen and not heard.
I've read Gold's word quoted, so we know what he did say, which was (to paraphrase), every player has his price.
What we don't know, is what question and how it was phrased to Zola.
If the media were not trying to create mischief, what would they do, idle hands, devil's work etc.
If you were to believe everything that is written, Zola could just walk now and claim constructive dismissal, on the face of it, his treatment is worse than Curbishley's.
There's also the fact that Zola has said (apparently) that all he wants to do is coach, not get involved with player purchases and sales. If that's the case, what's he got his knickers in a twist about Dorrans about?!
Zola's latest interview -
- apparently, he "knew 100%" we were going to stay up! How'd he know that then? Ridiculous!
- apparently, the team has been through a lot. Like what? Other than having to put up with him, I can't think of anything.
- he admits we "weren't brilliant"! You can say that again!
Maybe it's lost in translation, but to me Zola usually comes across as if he doesn't know what he's talking about.
In clined to agree Batman.
Apache mate, the difference is that Turds had a clause in his contract that gave him the ultimate authority over transfer deals. Zola hasn't. Would he have a constructive dismissal claim if he walked? Sullivan and Gold keep saying that he has their support! They may be bastards but they're not stupid!
Suppose I agree with your analysis about Gold & Sullivan's bizarre utterances, that they're a plot to force Zola to walk. Is any other manager worth their salt gonna want to come and work for the clowns tho? Were they like this at Birmingham?
Granny, 72, Having A Baby With Her Grandson
2 hours 38 mins ago
SkyNews © Sky News 2010
A grandmother has shocked her friends and family after revealing she is having a baby with her own grandson.
Pearl Carter, 72, says she has never been happier after beginning an incestuous relationship with her 26-year-old grandchild Phil Bailey.
The pensioner, from Indiana, US, is using her pension to pay a surrogate mother so they can have a child, reports New Zealand's New Idea magazine.
She said: "I'm not interested in anyone else's opinion. I am in love with Phil and he's in love with me.
"Soon I'll be holding my son or daughter in my arms and Phil will be the proud dad."
Her lover is the son of Pearl's daughter Lynette Bailey - who she put up for adoption when she was 18-years-old.
When his mother passed away, Phil tracked down his long lost grandmother and they quickly fell in love.
Pearl told New Idea magazine: "From the first moment that I saw him, I knew we would never have a grandmother-grandson relationship.
"For the first time in years I felt sexually alive."
It was during their second week together, after dinner and wine, that Pearl made her move.
"I called Phil into my bedroom, sat him on the bed, and then I leant over and kissed him," she added.
"I expected rejection but instead he kissed me back."
Phil revealed: "I wanted to kiss her there and then. My feelings were overwhelming.
"I love Pearl with all my heart. I've always been attracted to older women and I think Pearl is gorgeous. Now I'm going to be a dad and I can't wait.
"Yes, we get laughed at and bullied when we go out and kiss in public but we don't care. You can't help who you fall for."
The pair paid $54,000 (£35,000) to find a surrogate mother and buy a donor egg to inseminate with Phil's sperm.
They placed an advert asking for an open-minded surrogate, and Roxanne Campbell applied.
"Initially I was shocked," says Roxanne, 30. "But they're a brilliant pair and I saw how much they loved each other. I know the baby will be loved too."
Pearl said: "I am finally going to be a mum and not forced to give up my child. Phil's going to be a great dad.
"I never in a million years thought at 72 I'd be 'pregnant' and in love with my grandson.
"I make no apologies and I believe God's given me a second chance."
And your point is?
Gold has already stated they don't sign players without the manager's o.k. To quote him he said they might say to the manager 'we think we can get hold of so and so do you want him? and they could have said that to Zola about Dorans, but perhaps did not tell him how much they were offering and exactly when. You have to remember that Zola's English is poor and probably he often doesn't describe situations accurately .He said the first time he heard about the offer was in the newspaper that does not mean it was the first time he knew of the interest. Personally I think good chairman let the fans know what is going on I would far rather that than be kept in the dark as has happened in the past
LOL So instead of Inter's victory over Barcelona, there was a headline in La Gazzetta dello Sport that West Ham wanted to buy Dorrans! If his English is that bad John, he won't have read it in a British paper!
Why are you so determined to see West Ham as one big happy family? It clearly isn't true!
It's good to see the club is already active to bring in new players we actually need. But I hate the way the double D's are operating...just can't see the positive. Sure, it seems they want Zola to resign but who wants to takeover the manager job under those two dictators? Their media presence just causes more trouble and doesn't help the club/fans at all...pls D's just sit down and shut up for a few weeks...would be great
Batman,
Mate, Zola's '100%' comment was just a figure of speech, nothing more, nothing less. We cannot be 100% sure if we'll wake up tomorrow so how can we be 100% sure of anything? Yet it is still a widely used phrase. It is merely signifying the belief he had in the team.
He does know what the team has been through because he's the manager, and from the outside, we can only guess.
Now HF has agreed with you because he's fine-tooth combed Zola's comments for some underlying or esoteric meaning in the past. But Zola is no spin Dr, politician or lawyer, and he does not prepare his statements draft after draft in advance to slyly avoid some issue or make a sly statement.
Also, English is not his first language either, so all things considered, I think we can spare him the death sentence.
Stani, what is your take on the way Zola is being kept in the dark? Is that because he doesn't understand what Sullivan and Gold are saying to him, or because they genuinely aren't telling him?
Another question: how many years was Zola at Chelsea? Isn't it odd that his English is still so bad? Look how quickly Jose picked up the language. Does Wenger struggle with speaking and understanding English? Does this perhaps point to a problem with basic intelligence? Just because he was a "cultured" footballer, it doesn't necessarily mean he is an intelligent guy. Maybe that explains why he doesn't seem to recognise nor learn from his mistakes!
I don't think West Ham is a happy family anything but. Neither do I think that guys who have made six or seven hundred million can be stupid so I look for reasons. One is as you say Zola could have a brilliant football playing brain that is useless at anything else. Another is Zola is supposed to have stated that he is happy coaching the material he is given, this for a manager indicates a low mentality Now if he did say that, he can hardly complain now about not being informed of what is going on in the transfer section. This in turn indicates his latest outburst as not being one from a nice man. Without being racist lates face it Itallians do have a problem making their minds up as to which side they are on look at the last world war.
HF,
Yep, I stated previously that I think they are trying to make him walk. They saw what Curbishley did so are trying to make history repeat itself without trying to leave the possibilty of Zola suing them.
Language is a very complicated (but wonderful) thing HF. It can take decades to be comfortable with the intricacies of a new language, it's colloquialism etc. You know exactly what Zola meant when he said he was 100% sure we'd stay up. The major influence on ones grasp of language is the company one keeps. Spending your days in changing rooms with Wisey and the boys is hardly going to improve your English markedly....init?
There are different forms of intelligence. Wayne Rooney is one of the most intelligent footballers you will find but I doubt we'd see him give Clarke Carlisle a run for his money on Countdown as four letter words beginning with 'f' wouldn't score him much.
If you are saying Zola is not an intelligent manager, I would disagree, and so would our player of the season who, I think we can both agree, knows much more than both of us.
I would take huge issue with your final statement Stani. He does not know more than me!
Has it occured to you that Parker LIKES Zola? There's a difference between liking somebody and respecting them you know. I manage. I don't want my staff to hate me but I would not be comfortable with them hugging me either!
Parker did say "People will say I would support him but, from the bottom of my heart, he is a good man and is a very good manager...", just to take care of the likes of you. He knows you well HF!
And I don't think anyone would be comfortable hugging you HF, not even Iain Dale...
...then again, when times are hard, you get what you can :)
Post a Comment