Following his shock departure from West Ham, former Chelsea great Gianfranco Zola has emerged as the favourite to take over as Head Coach at Spanish giants, Real Madrid. The genial Italian is highly regarded in the Spanish capital and is believed to have all the necessary credentials to lead Real into the next campaign.
A spokesman for Madrid said: “We have been linked with Wenger and Mourinho but feel that Zola is head and shoulders above both. The guy is so nice and has played the game at the very highest level. We are confident that Zola’s experiences at West Ham will have taught him a lot and we have it on no less an authority than Julian Dicks, that the East London club made a grave error when dismissing him.”
He continued: “Indeed, such is the track record of Dicks at Grays Athletic, leading them to a bottom place finish in the Blue Square League, that we are considering appointing him as assistant to Zola; assuming Steve Clarke is not available of course.”
However, with Zola sure to be in great demand, it is uncertain that he would accept the post at Real Madrid should it be offered to him. Ferguson’s days at Manchester United may be numbered and Zola could elect to hold on, anticipating walking into the Old Trafford job when it becomes available. Alternatively, Chelsea may prefer Zola to the ageing Ancelotti, whilst Arsenal will almost certainly have kept close tabs on the smiling Italian, fearing a swoop for his services from Tottenham Hotspurs. But Zola may well see a return to Italy as his best bet, which is sure to have Jose Mourinho looking over his shoulder anxiously in the coming weeks.
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ReplyDeleteWhy you slagging off dicks one of the greatest players to ever play for west ham or a man of honour like Zola. Yes Zola should have gone no doubt but he doesnt deserve the tripe that you keep dishing up Hammers so called Fan. There was a reason that Zola was liked even though most agreed he needed to go so stop slagging him off he has gone and he has acted with dignity and respect throughout unlike our chairmen who have undermined hm at ever corner.
ReplyDeleteGood luck Zola in whatever you do next you were a little out of your depth at west ham but thats not your fault it was Duxbury the bufoons fault. Thanks for your efforts but please realise results were poor and a change vital going into next season which will be harder still. Up the hammers
ReplyDeleteSo Scott Duxbury was responsible for picking Jonny Spectacles at left back game after game; playing Faubert out of position at right back; using a lone striker in a shedload of home fixtures and sticking with that numpty Kovac, who couldn't pass water, let alone the ball? Well, that explains everything.
ReplyDeleteYes duxbury appointed a manager who was not ready to run a huge club like the hammers and Zola did not have the nouse to use the correct tactics so yes i said Zola deserved to go but he shoould never have been appointed in the frst place and thats duxburys fault. It would have been ideal for Zola to work out but the davis have done the correct thing and now we will go for experience so no chance of bilic. I ould love Martin Jol or even Avram wouldnt be a bad choice.
ReplyDeleteEveryone knows it was the right decision for him to go but these self-congratulatory posts you put up are just unsavoury. You've got no class. This is not the way to treat people.
ReplyDeleteThis is needless HF. You’re showing as much class as Sullivan, Gold and Brady. Move on now and get back to writing the stuff you used to before you became infatuated with criticising Zola.
ReplyDeleteThe guy does not deserve this. He gave his all for us fans; there is no point in insulting him. You have to write responsibly HF and not incite the younger and angrier fans who then come here, read your stuff and start with the vitriol towards Zola for no reason. Dale did the same thing towards Luis Boa Morte around the time he was getting booed by his own fans.
Whatever you think of Zola’s managerial capabilities, he doesn’t deserve this.
Some of our fans are beginning to resemble our owners, and soon, so will how our club is viewed.
You are so far u your own arse HF it aint even funny. 30,000+ fans at all the home games knew it was time for Zola to go but he only got minimal abuse because the man was and is pure class and was being dicked upon by Sullivan trying to force him out. His sacking WAS the correct decision no doubt and your I TOLD YOU SO is so fucking boring and selfish it aint clever or remotley humerous. Again like 99% of oour true fans I wish Zola good lluck and hope he becomes a sucess in the future because if any man deserves to be a sucess then Zola is that man for sure. Thanks Fonzey and good luck again
ReplyDeleteYou know what as well Zola may well end up at Real in the future but where are you gonna end up HF???? On the scrap heap writing more pointless wankey blogs like this sad pathetic one. If Zola was standing in front of you I bet you wouldnt even say a word to him that was nasty or yu would ask for his autograph. You are a vindictive sad arsehole and you hsve no class unlike Zola
ReplyDeleteWhat a cheap shot. Not very clever and you should say sorry before you get reported to Newsnow again.
ReplyDeletelooks like you've really captured the zeitgeist HF. What's it like riding the crest of a wave of popular opinion?
ReplyDeleteStani(15:09)- Well done. That sums it up nicely. (15:11) Also good but OTT with the language.
ReplyDeleteIn response to above:
ReplyDelete1) I would love to meet Zola. I would ask him to explain his tactics and his selection policy. After he has explained himself, I would run through what happened game by game and ask him to account for why he pressed on with the same tactics when they were patently failing. I would love to hear him explain why he played Daprela against Arsenal twice, against Chelsea and against Man City, but failed to use him against Fulham. If that isn't sheer idiocy, I don't know what is! Never mind Spector's ability, was Zola trying to destroy the kid's confidence deliberately by picking him ONLY against the strongest teams in the Prem? And then, of course, there is the policy of picking players on the wrong flank in midfield. Why Zola? Why?
2) I am not slagging Dicks off as a player but ripping the piss out of those who are quoting him as an expert on management. Look at the guy's record! No wonder he rates Zola!
3) Stani, you are getting far too moralistic. There is nothing here that is spiteful, it is exaggeration with a purpose, not to lampoon Zola but to lampoon those who are insisting he is a great manager in the making with no evidence whatsoever to back up their opinions. Trevor Brooking says...Julian Dicks says...never mind them, what does the bloody table say?
And I do not have a "responsibility". This is a blog, I say what I believe and I also extract the urine when I feel it is appropriate. It is appropriate now because people are making themselves look stupid by lining up to support Zola. The fact is, that in ANY OTHER BUSINESS, your contract requires that you perform COMPETENTLY. Failure to do so results in warnings and then dismissal. Zola has been proved INCOMPETENT. If honourable he would have walked. And believe me, lots of decent people admit they are not up to doing a job and resign; they don't cling on in the hope of a pay off; and those people are not millionaires!
I will sing Zola's praises as a man if he wishes West Ham well and drops any compensation claim. Then, I would love to see him succeed and prove that "nice guys" can win. But I always felt he was hanging on for a pay off and the failure to resign after obviously failing proves it. So, Gianfranco, prove me wrong!
Spot on Stani, Zola has more dignity, class and talent in the hairs clinging to his arse then HF has in his entire bloodline. If you were Zola and offered the West Ham job, would you take it? YES. If you were paid stupid wages to stay, would you stay? YES. Zola kept the club up and is in no way to blame for the mess its in. He was out of his depth however, but the appointment was made by Duxbury.
ReplyDeleteWhatever one’s thoughts on his record as our manager, Zola’s sacking should not be a cause for boastful celebration.
ReplyDeleteWhen Roeder got sacked all my hammers mates were over the moon as he was totaly useless and held no respect with the fans or players. When Curbs went all my mates again were delighted as the footbll was so mundane and we all struggled to get up for any home game. When Zola got sacked we all agreed it was correct but it was a huge shame as Zola is a fantastic ambasador for football and to have a man like him lead your club is a total honour. Just a shame he was not up to the job ad yes he made mistakes as HF GLEFULY points out time and time and time and time and time again like a boring old record. But the man is a total legend and does not deserve to be rubbished by a knobhead of a keyboard warrior like Hammersfan. You are in the vast minority mate i guarantee you. Very very few people will rubbish the man but will agree he needed to leave for the good of the hammers. In summing up hammersfan you are a total selfish self ritious arsehole.
ReplyDeleteWho is boasting about his dismissal? If he is worthy of managing West Ham, why isn't he worthy of managing Real Madrid? If he has the skills, he has the skills. How old was Klinsmann when he managed Germany? How old is the manager of Barcelona? Why do the same fans who say that Zola will be a great manager find it so offensive when I suggest he may be good enough to manage Real Madrid? In truth, managing Real is an easier job because you can buy pretty much who you want!
ReplyDeleteTell me, why should we be a "training school" for a manager? Surely that's the role of Grays Athletic? No doubt the same dicks who supported Zola would be happy to see Dicks succeed him. 'Ammer 'ero, learning the trade. Give 'im a go! Dicks and Di Canio, the Claret and Blue dream team! Get your heads out of your arses!
no one, absolutely no one is calling for Dicks and/or Di Canio to be manager. You are deluded. The problem people have with you...YOU not Zola, is that you love to stir it up and can't take it when you're in the wrong, lashing out at imaginaries (in zola we trust, monkeys bla bore). Get a grip man, you're way off the mark.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely loads of people have been calling for PDC for two years now! You obviously don't read the West Ham forums and I have seen plenty advocating a PDC and JD management team.
ReplyDeleteJust think, if I only wrote bland stuff, you would have no reason to rant at me! And you do get a kick out of that, don't you?
I never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
ReplyDeleteStill running away from debate with the same lame cliche I see!
ReplyDeleteLove the post HF, you have a great sense of humour. Whats even more hilarious is reading the responses. They love Zola so much and take your post so seriously is if you insulted their mother! LOL How dare you make fun of their mother, opps sorry smiling face Zola. Remember HF he is a nice bloke who even brings tea and biscuits out to the press. Of course he doesnt answer questions, just a stunt to make himself look good and to get the press on his side.
ReplyDeleteListen you mugs who love Zola....HE WAS THE WORST MANAGER EVER IN THE HISTORY OF OUR CLUB!! Thats a fact! so get over it.
Cheers mate. The problem some people have, apart from lacking a funny bone, is that they won't admit they were wrong. Stani apart, these are the last rumblings of the "In Zola we trust" brigade. Not to worry, as soon as a new man is appointed, they will all fall into line, like a row of dominos and chant, "In Grant / Hughes / Jol / Pardew / Curbishley we trust. Suddenly the new guy will be above and beyond criticism. Zola will be forgotten for a while, then the revisionists will get to work and start saying how all Grant's / Hughes' / Jol's / Pardew's / Curbishley's problems are down to the mess Zola left behind. The same happened with Turds! West Ham through and through, bleeds Claret and Blue, blah, blah, blah. Zola arrived as that bloody Plastic if you remember!
ReplyDeleteBeing too moralistic cannot be a bad thing these days HF. Your exaggeration with the purpose of making a point to those that support Zola without no evidence is something you have done many times before so you don't have to any more. Even if in making your point to these Zola supporters you do not intend to insult Zola, you still are by continuing. I think you should consider that.
ReplyDeleteOf course you have a responsibility, we all do. Whether you/we accept it is another matter. What would your response be to Zola if he said "And I do not have a "responsibility". This is my team, I do what I believe ....."?
People are lining up to support him because of your continuing outbursts. It is not the other way around HF. People genuinely feel that now that he is gone, there is no need for you to say these things about him. Ok, they may use poor reasoning to back up their points but you must recognise their urge to defend someone who does not deserve ridicule from you (intentional or otherwise).
He kept us up; he was asked to keep us up; that is competent no? Zola did not cling on, he believed he could make a difference which is why he carried on. He is not a guy who chases money HF, I cannot accept that you seriously believe that he is.
He has nothing against us fans or the club. His gripe is with Sullivan and I fully support him in his actions. You want him to drop the claim when he's been publicly undermined and treated so disgracefully? I know you wouldn't if you was in his position. There, I've found a thing you and Zola have in common....apart from the smile that is :)
Stani, you know Zola did not keep us up, Hull, Burnley and Portsmouth kept us up. How many times did he set points targets that his side then failed to reach? Every team starts the season with a target of 38 points to avoid the drop; Zola failed to achieve that target. He FAILED Stani, he FAILED, and, in the process, he took us to the brink of annihilation. Thank God S&G came in when they did. I repeat, any honourable man would have resigned, either after the Stoke game, when it became impossible for us to control our own destiny, or at the end of the season. He is seeking compensation. Here's another challenge for Zola then: his gripe is with Sullivan, then let him sue for wrongful dismissal on the basis that the money will be paid to the Bobby Moore Cancer Fund. Then I will respect him 100%! He doesn't need the money does he? So... I tell you what, if I was as wealthy as Zola, I would do that!
ReplyDeletesome absolute ludacrious comments on here. why on earth would people be happy with zola sacked and grant in? pretty much the same situation if you ask me, wow pompy get to a cup final after beating the likes of southampton, fair enough they beat spurs but if the ref had actually made correct decisions in that game they would have been out. look at pompy in the league, they were as shocking as us. this move is just to sign players on the cheap from pompy and apart from piquionne and o'hara they have nobody good enough to get in our team, and just wait if we thought spector was bad, if grant comes then so will tal ben haim and that is a recipe for disaster. get martin jol in he is big enough to take the owners and players on and a proven track record he is a must.
ReplyDeletei agree with much of what you say HF but don't rip into Dicks please
ReplyDelete