Zola: 12 Months in the job. Verdict so far? [POLL]

[-DL-]

Exactly a year ago today, Zola became West Ham manager. He took over a team from Curbs which was accused of playing dire football. He won his first two league games, but it was 13 matches before we tasted victory again.

Ashton breaks down in Zola's first training session, Bellemey gets sold in the January, and yet we still managed to finish a respectable 9th.

The football has improved, the style of play offensive rather than the defensive stuff we watched under Curbs, though that it not to say that it's been flowing, attractive football every game.

Under Zola's coaching, Colin has gone to a player who couldn't hit a barn door to an England international. It appears Zola may now be doing the same with Faubert. And that is not forgetting the marked improvement that we saw in Boa-Morte towrads the end of last season.

The youngsters, Stanislas, Collison, Tomkins, Hines, becoming important first teamers and squad players.

Personally, considering the lack of finances, and with all the termoil with our owners, the little Italian, along with Steve Clarke, have done an excellent job. If we could get decent owners, and them invest a few quid in the team, we could be a force to be reckoned with in my opinion.

First Year Verdict?

8/10, only fault I have with him is how late in the game he brings on substitutes. Apart from that? More of the same for the next 12 months please Franco.

[Big_Russ]

9/10...

Considering the mess we were in financially.

[jam]

great job

[Bishy]

Our greatest asset. I think the lack of finances has let us see Zola for the coach he is. If only we had some funds, we would be truely dangerous.

[HenrytheHammer]

Chuffed to bits considering how sceptical I was when he took over. I really didn't have much hope for him but have been pleasantly suprised along the way. He has been open, honest and positive the whole time and has shown great character.

Most importantly he has promoted good attacking football and bought the kids through well which is the very foundations the club was built on and exactly want I wanted to see. Couldn't ask for more from him. Keep up the good work.

[vtwhu]

Great job, only question is how much credit to Zola, how much to Clarke?

[norse]

Very long time I was this happy with the manager(s).
to Zola and Clarke!

Considering the financial situation they are doing a great job, and most of our first team players have become better after their arrival.

[Iron Alex]

Exactly a year ago today, Zola became West Ham manager. He took over a team from Curbs which was accused of playing dire football. He won his first game, but it was 13 matches before we tasted victory again.

Ashton breaks down in Zola's first training session, Bellemey gets sold in the January, and yet we still managed to finish a respectable 9th.

The football has improved, the style of play offensive rather than the defensive stuff we watched under Curbs, though that it not to say that it's been flowing, attractive football every game.

Under Zola's coaching, Colin has gone to a player who couldn't hit a barn door to an England international. It appears Zola may now be doing the same with Faubert. And that is not forgetting the marked improvement that we saw in Boa-Morte towrads the end of last season.

The youngsters, Stanislas, Collison, Tomkins, Hines, becoming important first teamers and squad players.

Personally, considering the lack of finances, and with all the termoil with our owners, the little Italian, along with Steve Clarke, have done an excellent job. If we could get decent owners, and them invest a few quid in the team, we could be a force to be reckoned with in my opinion.

First Year Verdict?

8/10, only fault I have with him is how late in the game he brings on substitutes. Apart from that? More of the same for the next 12 months please Franco.

can i just say that actually, we beat newcastle, lost to watford, but then beat fulham in his second league game

[-DL-]

Even if it is down to Clarke, then GF deserves all the credit for getting him in

[DM]

8/10 for the last year....Keep it up GZ and SC!

[-DL-]

can i just say that actually, we beat newcastle, lost to watford, but then beat fulham in his second league game

You can and you did!

I stand corrected, don't know how I missed that.

[[HH]]

Great job, only question is how much credit to Zola, how much to Clarke?

Exactly my thoughts.

They're a team, and both compliment one another. The angry no-nonsense assistant, and the calm placcid manager who doesn't raise his voice. On the surface, it seems to be much like a reverse of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor in terms of personalities.

Either on their own, and the situation would be completely different in my opinion.

I'm happy. The football is good. The defence is disciplined, youngsters are being blooded in, and players such as Cole improving is a testament to the coaching.

[smuts]

So far....good.

However, playing devil's advocate..........................

1) it will be interesting to see how the youngsters would fare if we got taken over and were given £50 million to spend. I would expect a few of the youngsters back on the bench in the next transfer window.

2) The question is has the improvement in Cole down to Zola and Clarke or just Cole finally realising that he couldn't loaf around, go out clubbing, etc for the rest of his career and actually have to knuckle down to his job?

3) Is the system that we want to play actually going to work? In practise, it sounds nice...but as we say recently, it sometimes ends up as the back 4 hoofing it to Cole who tries in vain to lay it off to a midfielder who is miles away. I also have doubts about the way we are getting our wingers to play.

Not having a pop at Z and C at all.....but they are valid questions as Curbs got slated for everything and a lot of these positives could be applied to him as well.

[Sloop John B]

good points Smuts. Could also argue that the improvement as a defensive unit and the improvement of Cole began under Curbs and has continued with Zola. has Zola shown any skills in the transfer market, or is he just being led around by Nani??

Be interesting to see how the other candidates have done since, anyone got info on what the likes of Donadoni and Laudrup have been upto in the past 12 months???

[kitthehammer]

Our greatest asset. I think the lack of finances has let us see Zola for the coach he is. If only we had some funds, we would be truely dangerous.

Nope, Tony Carr is our greatest asset.
Zola could leave tomorrow and we could get another manager. If Tony Carr left, i think that would be the end of our academy as we know it and wave goodbye to an average profit of around £10mil a year (over the last 10 years i should think) in players raised and sold - Ferdinand/s, Lampard, Cole, Defoe etc.

Back to Zola. I certainly think he is still developing as a manager and has had to put up with a great deal regarding finances and injuries. He is perfect for the club in being genuinely interested in getting the academy players into the first X1.
My only criticism is that on the pitch he doesn't seem to have much of a plan B, only a plan A that he plays every match with the same formation. Its all very well bringing on subs to replace knackered players but that wont change anything if the one and only formation you play with isn't working. However, he does seem to be getting some good out of players playing below their best and seems to be influential and admired and respected to by new players and youth players though.

7/10 - but still learning.

[JonG86]

Laudrup got sacked and Donanadoni is now manager of Napoli.

[Sloop John B]

Laudrup got sacked and Donanadoni is now manager of Napoli.

Where was Laudrup wasn't it somewhere in Russia?? He was my fave of the 4...who else was in contention sure there were 4 names.

[PrawnSandwich]

I worry when he constantly goes for an idealised 4-3-3 and doesn't seem to have a back up, but he's learning and think we're in a lot better shaped than we could be given the crap he has had to deal with from day one.
7/10

[sendô]

I agree re substitutions too late in games, sometimes it can be best not to change things but he waits too long sometimes. I also think he needs more of a plan B - we tend to have one formation for the game that we dont deviate from, even if things aren't really happening. To be fair to Zola, a lot of the above boils down to lack of options on the bench - now we're looking like having some options it'll be interesting to see what he does with them.

So far so good though.

[Jameslegend]

I am very pleased with how he has managed our team so far. Him and Clarke are doing a fantastic job all things considered. Keep it up! 8/10