Zola is back and so is the Project!

Dear God, Zola is back in management with Watford and the same script is being trotted out already! Listen to Godfather Nani!

''I think Watford's fans can expect an exciting and attacking style from his team. Gianfranco represents this project perfectly.''

How many times did we hear about "the project" at Upton Park? Duxbury coined it, Nani gave lip service to it, and Zola smiled and nodded and touched his forelock and waved goodbye to Collins and Bellamy and welcomed in any old Continental crap that Nani wanted to foist upon him.

Poor old Dyche. He did a reasonable job last season and has been kicked out because he has a mind of his own. Perhaps, like Curbishley, he wouldn't lie down and take it.

I'm not sure if Watford fans understand exactly the extent of the disaster that could be about to befall their club. You have my sympathy guys, it should have happened to a far nastier club!

Leeds Outbid By Cardiff In Race For Coventry Defender

Who would have thought it? Billyonaires in waiting Leeds United appear to have been outbid by mighty Cardiff City in the race to sign Coventry’s Richard Keogh.

The Coventry man, of course, was a cornerstone of a Coventry team relegated from the Championship last season, so he is hardly the next Rio Ferdinand, but it again seems odd that the new owners, who ever they might be, are not promising funds to secure Warnock's transfer targets. And Keogh is hardly costing megabucks, with Cardiff only offering £750,000.

Is Keogh worth it? That's not the point. The issue is the inability of Leeds to match it if all this oil money is really in the take over pipe line.

Austria Vienna 3 West Ham 1 - Don't Panic! Don't Panic!

Remember what happened two seasons ago? Grant's team went from one pre season friendly victory to another and by the time the first game of the season came around, there was talk of challenging for a place in Europe. And we all know what followed.

It's not great to get into a losing habit, of course, but we only had half a first team out for each 45 minutes so we shouldn't read too much into what happened. Although Baldock's goal was good news: it would be great if the lad proved to Allardyce that he is worth a shot at the top level because he looks a more natural goal scorer than anybody else currently on the books, Vaz Te apart.

The three goals conceded may also be good news in the long run if it persuades Sullivan & Gold that new defenders are needed for us to survive in the Prem.

So, disappointing that we lost but let's not worry just yet.

After SPL Rejection Glasgow Rangers To Form Tennis Team

Cheer up all you Gers, you may be playing footy in the bottom tier of the SFL next season, but at least Andy Murray is in the Wimbledon final. Time to change sports guys!

What is McCoist up to, calling for Rangers to be dumped into the third division? Is this a desperate attempt to butter everybody up, an all too late attempt to appear humble and contrite? Surely it won't wash!

So where does Scottish football go from here? How do Stirling Albion, with a capacity of 3,808, cope with the Glasgow Hordes who will descend upon them, the entrails of Catholics stapled to their tartan kilts?

And what will Celtic do, stripped of the revenue from local derbies against their hated rivals? It just won't be the same will it? Perhaps a section of the Celtic crowd can be persuaded to don the Rangers blue just so they can all enjoy the usual bundle!

Leeds Closing In On Star Striker

OK star striker may be stretching it a bit! In fact, with a record of 23 goals from the last 4 seasons, from a total of 115 games, the term "striker" might be challenged by Trades Descriptions. Even Carlton Goals has a better strike rate than that!

So Leeds have SOLD an exciting youngster to Huddersfield and are now signing on a free a lag who is 30 in September - anybody would think the club was on its uppers rather than within touching distance of billions of pounds of oil money.

Look at it from Varney's point of view. If you were him, why would you sign for Leeds if you expect a host of multi million pound signings to follow? Move from the South Coast to Yorkshire to sit and rot in the reserves? No thanks! And why would you agree a salary package ahead of the oil coffers being opened? I know he is a bit of a turkey but would he really vote for Christmas like that?

It's all very odd and, all joking apart, something doesn't add up. Clayton was transfer listed because of his wage demands, not because he is crap; Varney is being signed because he is cheap, not because he is brilliant. And Leeds expect to be billyonaires in a few weeks? Leave the Rolls in the garage love, I'm catching the bus!

Leeds Star Jumps Ship!

So, is Clayton the first of the exodus or just unwanted flotsam washing up in Huddersfield? Captain Snakeinthegrass has been quiet lately but has not yet committed to the cause, perhaps waiting to see if this rumoured take over actually happens, or perhaps biding his time at Leeds until a truly big club like Norwich City bids for him. Should he follow Clayton out of the door, midfield resources will be very thin on the ground!

The loss of Clayton to mighty Huddersfield Town must be a huge disappointment. I was impressed with him last season and not only because of the way he took his chance to equalise at Upton Park. The boy looks like a proper footballer to me and I think he has a future.

So what is really going on at Leeds? Surely Clayton was worth retaining, if only as a squad player. His wage demands can't have been that high if Huddersfield can meet them, so what's happening exactly? The "We are billionaires" boast of the flat capped whippet owners sounds a tad hollow when Huddersfield Town can tempt away one of the better young players on Leeds' books!

Mark Noble - Statistics Show He Is West Ham's Pirlo!

His critics will say that at 81%, Mark Noble's pass completion rate last season was lower than Nolan's (82%) and Collison's (87%), but that would be missing the point entirely, for it is Noble who takes corners and free kicks, playing the ball in to a crowded box and Noble who attempts the majority of the killer balls.

Most crucially, look at just how many times Noble passes the ball! Nolan made 1009 passes last season and 827 went to a team mate. Collison, apparently, only made 105 passes, with just 91 hitting a man in Claret and Blue. Noble, on the other hand, passed the ball 1331 times and made 1074 completed passes!

All season, I argued that Noble was the hub of the team and these stats prove it. Noble and Nolan enjoyed similar game time to each other and Noble saw far more of the ball, and far more than any of his other team mates.

Those who still harbour a prejudice for what ever reason need to explain why the stats support the view that Noble is fundamental to our game plan. Even with long ball Allardyce in charge, Noble gets on the ball more than any other player and all fans of proper football should be grateful for his presence. Without him, the ball would go long far more often!

Pirlo's pass completion rate in the European Championship? Not much better than Noble's!

West Ham 5 Bradford 4 - Mayhem & Merriment!

This has to be one the greatest games ever to be played at the Boleyn. 0-1, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 3-4, 4-4, 5-4. Poor Bywater has a mare and defensively we were dire, but going forward...well this team really should have won something!

Sinclair scores, so does Di Canio, and Cole, and Lampard. Di Canio has a tantrum. Paolo and Fat Frank nearly come to blows over who takes a penalty. 'Arry's twitch makes an early appearance. The game has everything!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZkg-LUKhpA

Leeds United Chasing Loan Ranger

So Neil Warnock is looking to his old club to bolster the promotion push. Paddy Kenny has been on the way to Leeds ever since the last ball of the season was kicked, but Warnock is struggling to find his way into Master Bates' wallet. And now he has apparently turned his attention to DJ Campbell, presumably on loan, at least until the mystery buyer coughs up the cash that QPR would demand to make the deal permanent.

Every West Ham fan wishes Leeds well in this venture given Campbell has been linked with a move to Upton Park. He will no doubt do a reasonable job in the Championship and looks a decent signing for Leeds in the circumstances, but I wouldn't want to see him anywhere near a Claret and Blue shirt.

First Indication Of Identity of New Leeds United Owner

News is just breaking of the possible identity of the man behind the bid to buy Leeds United. Although nothing has been finally confirmed, a jet chartered by Sheik Nosob Sggih landed at Leeds Bradford International Airport yesterday and the reclusive figure, with an entourage of special advisers and security, was rumoured to have been driven away in fleet of black Mercedes.

The search for the mysterious figure behind the Leeds take over has been ongoing for some time and has led some to question whether a bidder actually exists, or if it is all a ploy by Ken Bates to divert attention away from inactivity in the transfer market. Even now it has not yet been confirmed that Nosob Sggih is, indeed, the elusive and much sought after bidder, but his arrival at the airport would be a remarkable coincidence given he has not been seen outside of his home country of Qatar since the beginning of the Arab Spring.

Little is known about Nosob Sggih other than he is a shadowy figure who wields significant influence in his home country. There are rumours of a press conference later today and the footballing world will hold its breath in anticipation of the announcement. If Nosob Sggih is indeed revealed, then the landscape of football as we know it is sure to change for ever.

Have Tottenham Appointed The New Oneday Ramos Or The New Glenn Roeder?

So at the end of the day, Levy was put off by France's miserable performance in the Euros and has opted for AVB rather than Blanc. But having ducked one disaster, Tottenham have probably recruited another instead.

'Arry was 'opping mad when Roeder replaced him at West Ham and talked of the difference between a manager and a coach, insisting a football coach had never won anything in the game. He was spot on with Roeder and the suspicion is that he will harbour the same opinion of green behind the ears AVB.

Quite why Levy thinks AVB will handle the Tottenham egos any better than he handled the Chelsea egos is beyond me. The guy was exposed as light weight at Stamford Bridge and he faces similar problems and temptations at Tottenham. The Spurs squad is beginning to crack apart at the seams and after a fantastic season under Redknapp, requires major reinvestment to repeat. Meanwhile, there's a reasonable crop of youngsters available who AVB will find more malleable and so easier to manage. If he tries to jettison experienced players too early, as at Chelsea, the knives will be out again.

If not the new Roeder, then AVB has all the makings of becoming the new Oneday Ramos - a big reputation abroad but lacking the necessary understanding of the British game to repeat the trick in the Prem.

The trouble is, AVB arrives with major question marks over him, even before the first ball is kicked. If Spurs come out of the blocks slowly, then God help him!

Shot Holt Opts To Stick With Delia's Cooking

Explaining why Grant Holt opted to sign a new three year contract at Norwich, a club spokesman said: "We had already offered him a very good deal but when Delia promised him three three course meals a day free of charge, there was no holding Grant back. He literally yelled, 'Give me the pen!'"

"Everybody can see how well he fills out his shirt and there's no getting away from the fact that Grant likes his food. I understand that West Ham offered him a free pie and mash meal five times a week and jellied eels on match days and Grant was sorely tempted, but once you've tasted Delia, nothing else will do."

A West Ham insider revealed the club were bitterly disappointed at missing out on the 31 year old lard arse, explaining: "Sam liked the look of him because he is such a big lump. The club feel that they offered very favourable terms in the light of the present economic climate but, at the end of the day, couldn't quite match up to big spending Norwich City. Whilst we have now missed out on both Yakubu and Holt, we remain confident of signing one big lump or another before the season kicks off in August."

Sullivan & Gold Condemn West Ham To Everlasting Mediocrity

So that's it then, the two "West Ham fans" who own our club have shown their hand and committed West Ham to eternal mediocrity - for as long as they are in charge at least.

Of course, Sullivan's call for financial restraint and a sensible pay structure can't be argued with, but when he then brackets the club with Norwich, Swansea and West Brom, you know sensible means turning off the salary tap to a mere trickle.

And this comes, of course, at a time when TV revenue is going through the roof with the team finishing bottom of the Prem due to collect more money than Man City received last season for winning the division! Sullivan admits that there will be no "collective decisions" on salaries in the Prem - and bloody good job too as they would be against cartel law - so he is effectively saying that we are accepting a place amongst the minnows of the division and setting up a situation where we will be looking for bargain basement players both in terms of transfer fees and salaries.

So this is why we lost Green and why we were unable to persuade Yakubu to stay in England. Looking ahead, what chance will there ever be of retaining young talent if we are operating a wage cap whilst other clubs are prioritising winning trophies? Anybody remember Duxbury claiming that West Ham were no longer a selling club? Now every player will have a price - and a moderate one at that - because wages will be set lower than the competition.

I am not saying we should be competing with Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea on wages - that would be madness - but isn't bracketing yourself with country bumpkin teams like Norwich and Swansea going a tad too far? Mind you, nice touch at the end where Sullivan roots us in the local community and recycles the "Moore than just a football club" line. You bet ya David, so rooted in the local community that we will be buying players in Queens Market!

West Ham 4 Tottenham 3

Another happy memory from the archive as West Ham launch yet another great escape following the signing of Hartson and Kitson. Both score in this classic encounter, with Dicks smashing home a trademark penalty to win us three crucial, crucial points. Tell me, why wasn't Dicks selected for England squads just to be used for penalty shoot outs? One minute of extra time remaining, on you go Julian! In fact, he would be worth a place even now! This one nearly brings the goal frame down it is hit with such power!

Sheringham scores for Spurs and Sick Note Anderton not only appears but nets too. For West Ham, Michael Hughes again sparkles. Watch it and enjoy!

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

Take note Leeds, Watford, Forest, Wolves, Cardiff and Leicester, six into three doesn't go!

They are getting jolly excited down in the Championship aren't they? With West Ham out of the way and take over money soon to be flying left, right and centre, there's more cocky fools suddenly shouting the odds about their club's promotion chances than you can find on the terraces of White Hart Lane for a home defeat against Arsenal.  The trouble is, six into three really doesn't go.

We kept hearing last season what a tough division the Championship was to get out, but we didn't find it all that difficult, and the other relegated teams Birmingham and Blackpool finished on our coat tails. Wolves, Blackburn and Bolton fans can take heart from that, and of the three, you would have to fancy Wolves and Bolton to be in the running for an immediate return. And Blackpool, of course, should still be in the mix assuming Ollie stays.

All of which makes it a tad more difficult for the take over pretenders who seem to be assuming that the division is there for the taking once the money is in the bank. Yes Leeds fans are excited about the prospect of being rid of Bates, but the recruitments made so far do not suggest a promotion charge even with Warnock at the helm, because player for player, Wolves, Bolton and Cardiff are certainly stronger at present.

Then there are the other pretenders. Leicester were pretty poor last season but the squad is stronger than last season's performances suggest and they should progress. If the Forest take over happens, they could be in the shake up too. I was impressed with them at Upton Park and their performance at Elland Road suggests there may be more to come, even before new recruitments are signed.

Meanwhile, Watford fans are suddenly getting excited about Nani, Zola and their new Pogle's Wood owners. I make Watford very long shots indeed, personally, but who knows, Zola may have found a magic bean since his departure from Upton Park and Pippin like, he may unearth the source of milk and honey.

Charlton could do a Southampton and Blackburn and Birmingham, despite their owners, might have something to say about Leeds walking the division too. It promises to be a very, very interesting season!

Pearce Squad for Olympics is a Joke - Pull Tomkins Out Allardyce!

So Pearce couldn't find a place for Beckham but there's room for a whole bunch of no marks that I've never heard of and for Tomkins, who spent last season in the Championship. I know there are restrictions on over age players but that's not the point. This squad doesn't stand a cat in hell's chance of winning a medal, so why not pick Beckham as a reward for all he has done for the Olympic bid?

I was angry when it was first announced that Beckham had been left out, and I'm even angrier now I've seen the full squad. Allardyce should pull Tomkins out immediately. Why risk injury and lose him from pre season fixtures for the sake of a tournament that means nothing and that we can't win anyway? Reid was told to opt out of the New Zealand squad so what's cool for the Kiwi should be cool for the Kander surely?

And back to that squad, the overage players, Cleverly, Ramsay, Sturridge and Butland apart it is less the Who's Who of British football and more the Who? Who?

Zola Pulling In To Watford Junction!

So rumour has it that the mighty triumverate is about to be reunited, with Zola due to link up with Godfather Nani and Grand Puppet Master Duxbury at Watford some time next week. The club which achieved success employing Graham Taylor's route one football is about to embrace Zola's tacky tick 4-3-3 nonsense and God help them!

Watford fans are trying to put a brave face on things, arguing that the terrible threesome can't be held responsible for what happened at West Ham; but that overlooks the fact that Nani guided Brescia to relegation and that Duxbury and Zola have not been able to find a berth in football since their departure from West Ham. Why would that be, exactly?

This could end in tears, especially if Zola is really being awarded a four year contract. Still it will be fun in the meantime. Perhaps Nani can coax Savio out of his latest asylum. Maybe Zola can re-ignite Freddie Sears' career. Who knows, McBenni may make a comeback. Perhaps Tristan can light up, lamp post fashion, the Watford attack. Lopez may roll in like a barrel of lard. What about Jimenez Cricket? Kovac may fancy another stint in England too!

Once Zola has been reunited with the Godfather and the Puppet Master, poor old Watford could be well and truly up the junction!

Leeds United's Warnock Still In Hurry To Populate Squad

Warnock has said: "I want to make sure that as many signings as possible are here before we start on July 11. It’s the first day of pre-season when you want or need most of your players on board. That’s when everything starts”, and whilst I am inclined to agree with the sentiment, it does seem a bit odd if millions upon millions will soon be available for buying new players.

It's a difficult balance of course, which makes the timing of the takeover so awkward. If Warnock sits and waits, then freebies like Luke Chambers could be snapped up by the likes of Ipswich Town; but would Warnock be interested in players who played for teams that struggled to avoid the drop last season if he was absolutely certain that the transfer coffers were about to be flooded with oil money?

It's looking increasingly likely that the takeover will happen, but it's also looking to me as if the new owners will look for steady progress rather than an overnight revolution. As I warned yesterday, the gloating Leeds fans may be jumping the gun. Master Bates will be milking every last pound out of the deal that he can, and the need to take ownership of the stadium and training ground may then take priority over the purchase of players. Maybe Warnock knows this, explaining why it is still all systems go in terms of recruiting mediocrity.

It also seems a little odd that secrecy still veils the prospective owners. There has been no statement of intent, no indication whatsoever of what is planned. Why?

So everybody is still marking time, hoping and dreaming and presuming and gloating. We are billionaires may just be a tad presumptuous. We will see.

West Ham Land Top International Defender

Well George McCartney does have 34 caps for the mighty Northern Ireland! Let's hope there's more exciting news to come!

Leeds Fans Jumping The Take Over Gun

The excitement is understandable. After so many years in the doldrums on the Bad Ship Bates, there's bound to be unbridled joy at the prospect of a take over, especially when the magic words "Middle Eastern Investor" is thrown into the mix. Suddenly, inevitably, thoughts turn to Manchester City and the Etihad, with flat capped whippet owners dreaming of tabling £50m bids for the best talent around.

The cockiness knows no limits. We are Leeds. Let's all have a disco. Everybody hates us and we don't care. It's hard to sustain even a tiny flicker of sympathy or affection when you read the revolting arrogance being posted all over the web. But we know all about that at West Ham. We came over all West End when the merchant bankers from Iceland bought the club but look how that ended up!

The trouble for Leeds is that, Middle Eastern investors or not, they are in the Championship. Even if they have £50m to invest in a player, a £50m player aint going to join Leeds in the Championship, so immediately they are chasing scraps and cast offs.

And as we discovered when suddenly flush with cash, when selling clubs know you have money to burn, they double the price and add some. And given you are buying second rate anyway, the inflated fee carries no guarantee of success. Look at Dyer, Ljungberg, Quashie, Boa-Morte, Davenport and Faubert!

Want a more recent parallel that's a little closer to home? Look at Warnock's "capture" of Wright-Phillips, Anton, Dyer and Barton!

There seems to be an assumption that Leeds will now be unstoppable, that the Premiership is on the horizon, that Europe is only a couple of seasons away.

Well the owners of QPR are worth a bob or two between them, and they only narrowly missed the drop last season. Look at what Liverpool have spent to achieve mediocrity. West Ham were the big money bully boys of the Championship last season but needed the playoffs to get up.

Of course the take over, assuming it happens, is positive news but Leeds fans should rein back expectations. If the Forest takeover happens too - and that looks more advanced than the Leeds buy out - then there will be two Championship clubs chasing the same limited pool of players, further inflating prices and wages as they compete with each other.

And as we discovered last season, when you are the big fish in a small pond, everybody wants to beat you. Look at how Leeds raised their game when they came to Upton Park and hosted West Ham. Biggest gate of the season at Elland Road? They came to watch the might of West Ham United, the club of Moore, Hurst, Peters and Brooking! It was so much easier for the likes of Southampton and Reading as they were treated as just another team and the atmosphere, in consequence was less intense.

Then there is the danger of a divided dressing room. We experienced that under Turds, with the big money signings on massively inflated salaries, feeding resentment amongst the crude mechanicals living off of salary scraps, with contracts negotiated in advance of the merchant bankers' arrival.

And finally there is that weight of expectation. Our home form last season was dreadful because the opposition set up to frustrate and fifteen minutes in, the home crowd were voicing frustration. As each minute ticked past, so the frustration of the crowd increased, feeding the desperation of the players. You could see our players wilting under the pressure and the opposition growing in confidence minute by minute.

So Leeds fans should calm down and show a degree of humility. The more cocky they become, the more likely they are to end up with a bloody nose. Yes smile but gloating is going too far because the rest of the division, no the rest of foootball, will love it, really love it if Leeds stumble and if the take over gun shoots them in the foot!