Gianfranco Zola has vowed to remain as West Ham manager after taking the time to consider his future following his team’s 1-0 defeat to Stoke on Saturday left them just outside the relegation zone of the Premier League.
It was West Ham’s sixth defeat in a row and immediately after the game Zola flew to Sardinia to find the perfect conditions to decide what was in the best interests of the football club.
The Italian has since revealed that he is determined to get West Ham out of the mess they are in and will remain in charge for the time being. West Ham’s Premier League odds suggest they are in a real battle to stay up and he clearly doesn’t want to walk out on the club when they need him most.
Speaking about his decision, Zola said that he has had “time to reflect” and has come to the conclusion that even though everyone involved needs to “work harder”, they can “get the results” needed to remain in the Premier League this season.
It is going to be an uphill battle though, especially when you consider the form West Ham are in. A week ago, they had two winnable home games against Wolves and Stoke, but these both ended in defeats to leave the club in a fragile position in the league table.
As for the Stoke defeat in particular, Zola admitted that it was “emotional for everyone”, but he is convinced the people involved at present can “turn it around”. He also revealed that he still has the backing of the club’s owners, after David Gold said his job was safe prior to the Stoke game.
Zola said he is “grateful” for the support from the club’s board and added that now his future has been clarified the only thing on his mind is keeping West Ham in the Premier League.
Taking this attitude into the remaining games, Zola says that each of the six remaining fixtures are “cup finals” that West Ham must get results from. Players like Matthew Upson are expecting to go to the Football World Cup 2010, but they will need to buck up their ideas in the coming weeks if they are to impress England manager Fabio Capello.
Next up for West Ham is a trip to Everton, followed by a home game against Sunderland, so Zola and The Hammers should be clearer about their fate after these encounters.
