Hammers deny crisis talk as Villa waits

Confirmation that owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson is trying to sell West Ham will have come as little surprise to followers of the club's fortunes both on the field and in the financial pages this season.

With just one Premier League victory having been recorded since a 2-1 win at Fulham on September 27, the Hammers have been preparing for Saturday's visit of Aston Villa in the knowledge that only a single point is keeping them out of the relegation zone.

A player exodus to trim a hefty wage bill is expected next month and although a new shirt sponsor has been found following the collapse of travel firm XL earlier in the season, the club still has a 30 million-pound lawsuit by Sheffield United, the result of their illegal use of striker Carlos Tevez two seasons ago, hanging over them.

Positive thinkers are a boon in such troubled times and assistant manager Steve Clarke, who left Chelsea to become Gianfranco Zola's right-hand man in September following Alan Curbishley's walk-out over transfer policy, was in upbeat mood ahead of a testing fixture against a top-four side.

“There is uncertainty in the current climate at almost every football club,” the Scot insisted.

“West Ham keep getting put forward as the club that's in crisis but that's not the case. There are a lot of clubs that have similar problems.”

Should Gudmundsson, the Icelandic banker whose fortune has been severely dented by the global economic crisis, manage to engineer a quick sale of an asset he appears to value at an optimistic 250 million pounds, it would not be inconceivable for the new owners to quickly dispense with Zola, who brought zero managerial experience with him to the east end of London.

Clarke, who played with Zola at Stamford Bridge for several seasons, was unmoved by the uncertainty however.

“Personally it has had no effect,” he said. “I come into the club every day and my job is to work with the players and help Gianfranco improve the team.

“If you allow yourself to be distracted by other things that are going on about you that you cannot control then you lose focus.

“We have to focus on the job in hand, to get points to get West Ham higher up the Premier League table. We could talk all day about take-over speculation but until it actually happens there is no point wasting your time on it.”

Aston Villa will arrive in London on the back of a healthy run of domestic results that has taken them up to fourth, above Arsenal and just a point behind champions Manchester United.

Manager Martin O'Neill has injury problems, with giant forward John Carew, the Norway international, currently sidelined.

But his policy of giving 17-year-old Nathan Delfouneso an early taste of first-team action has already paid dividends.

The teenager scored in both of Villa's most recent UEFA Cup group games, including Wednesday's 3-1 defeat at Hamburg, and has certainly impressed defender Luke Young.

“Nathan scored another goal which can only be good for his confidence but it is the way he approaches the game as well,” he said. “He gets the ball and he just takes people on.

“He is not just out there trying to get through the game and do OK. He wants to show what he can do. We see it in training every day. He has got quick feet, is lightning quick, can beat a man and score a goal.

“Sometimes when you come into a side you are a little bit safe in what you do but Nathan has come in and wants to make his mark.”