Noble wants Zola stay

(GSM) – West Ham midfielder Mark Noble is backing under-pressure manager Gianfranco Zola as the right man to lead the club. The Italian manager is in danger of being sacked with the Hammers battling to beat the drop in the Premier League.

Zola was publicly criticized by club co-owner David Sullivan, but Noble insists Zola has been mistreated. West Ham hold a three-point advantage over 18th placed Hull City.

“He’s the manager so he will take the brunt of criticism but I think the criticism is unfair,” Noble told the Daily Telegraph. “He’s dealt with the criticism unbelievably well.

“There have been six or seven games where we’ve been in the lead and given away silly, late goals. Sometimes it’s concentration, sometimes it’s bad luck.

“He’s a lovely fella but when he needs to make a decision, it gets made. That’s why he brought Steve Clarke in with him, because Clarkey is a strong character. If the manager wants to do something, he won’t pussyfoot around.

“He’s had a lot of criticism but you can tell the players are behind him, there’s no rift in the camp.

“I want him to stay. He wants to play football the right way. He’s still learning as a manager. He’s still young. He’s probably learnt more this year than he has over the past five years.”