Time running out for Zola

There is no doubt that from what you read and hear, Gianfranco Zola is one of the nicest men in football. He was a fantastic player and he made a pretty solid start to his managerial career. Unfortunately for him, West Ham and the West Ham fans, things have gone horribly wrong.

Definitely

After Tuesday’s 3-1 home defeat against Wolves left West Ham just three points above the drop zone and very definitely looking behind them rather than up the table, Zola took the blame.

“The team is not playing well. I take responsibility. I am personally hurt because I didn’t expect a performance like that. It is painful. It is a big blow. For me personally and the team. These are the moments when you have to react.”

Many West Ham fans walked out of the ground when Wolves scored their third goal, as the players left the pitch, striker Carlton Cole was involved in an altercation with one irate supporter and some of the fans who remained in the ground were singing to Zola, ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning.’

All in all it couldn’t be going much worse for the little Italian. Joint owner David Sullivan says he is still confident of staying up,

“I’m very confident we’ll stay up, but it’s a bad position. We’re all shell-shocked and deep in thought. I still don’t think we’ll be relegated but it is more likely now.”

The other joint owner, David Gold, is believed to have spoken at length with Zola about the future. After this defeat, the fifth in a row, the pressure on the two David’s to act is growing all the time. They have already said that they will be asking the players to take a pay cut at the end of the season whatever happens and that relegation would be like ‘Armageddon’ for the club.

Captain Matty Upson knows that things need to change.

“We need to have a long, hard look and change something about what we are doing.”

The only saving grace for the owners and Zola is that Portsmouth, Hull and Burnley might all be just a little worse that West Ham and the London club might manage to stay in the division almost be default. Although those three teams look to have an easier run-in than West Ham it is difficult to see them picking up many or even any points. I don’t think West Ham will need a great deal more to be safe.

After the game Zola expressed his disappointment that the fans had booed and jeered the players.

“It hurts me very much. I have a close bond with this team. The only way we can do better is to play better and win games. That’s the only way we can react to this. Wolves played well and I was impressed and surprised by their performance but, when you are in this situation, shouting at the team will not help. It is very difficult to take any positives out of this. It’s been simply a bad day for us and I need to think a lot about that. If the fans want to pick on somebody they must pick up on me because I am responsible. If they want to chant something they must chant about me. They have to leave the players because they belong to West Ham, they are working for West Ham and they are committed to West Ham. Last year, when we were playing well, I was getting compliments. I took the compliments. I can take the criticism as well but they should leave the players.”

As the players left the field police and stewards had to react as angry fans gathered around the players tunnel. Carlton Cole was dragged into the tunnel by team-mates after he appeared to have a disagreement with one particularly angry fan.

Borrowed

Zola had said that this game against Wolves, who were on the same points prior to the game, was a ‘six-pointer’. The result was a disaster for him and his assistant Steve Clarke who must be on borrowed time. It all started so well for the pair after they took over from Alan Curbishley in September 2008. In their first season they finished ninth and hopes were high for this, their second season.

Off-field problems and injuries have not helped them, but things have been going from bad to worse. If they have any time at all to turn things around, it won’t be very long. That’s for sure.