Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! The club need to learn from today’s unfortunate events and learn quickly! The principle lesson being that you cannot conduct your club’s affairs via the media in this way. They may have got away with it in the relatively calm regional backwaters of Birmingham, but this is a high profile London club that (especially in recent years) is in the constant glare of media attention.
Both Gold and Sullivan seem to have publicly backed off from the earlier reported comments, with Sullivan acknowledging the fact that players are contracted and you cannot not just rewrite the salary levels guaranteed by those contracts. So, just what has this episode achieved, apart from causing uncertainty, internal division and discontent! Absolutely nothing!
I tell you what, it makes you appreciate the influence that Duxbury previously exerted at the club. I know that he was not universally popular and that as CE he probably must take some responsibility for the financial state of the club. However, subsequent events have shown that Duxbury skillfully walked a tight rope in the last couple of seasons. He faced massive pressure and a virtual vacuum at board level. Yet he managed the situation, ensuring that, in spite of the media feeding frenzy around the club, things were kept under control. Duxbury knew that the club could not afford for it to be publicly acknowledged that the club’s financial affairs were as bad as they were. He bought time via ‘creative accounting’ and consistently projected the ‘Party line’ that the club was financially stable and self-sustaining. This bought us time and crucially kept the PL ‘fire sale’ vultures at bay.
Duxbury kept his nerve in the face of intense pressure from the banks, preserved the integrity of the squad and dealt well with incidents such as Bellamy’s transfer request. I think that in retrospect, and under these difficult set of circumstances, Duxbury holding things together was a near miracle and was to his credit. Yes, he was implicated in the farce around the Tevez affair, but he was obviously acting under instruction . Also, it is conveniently forgotten by some that the PL/FA joint investigation found that there was no evidence of the club breaking rules after the first PL Tribunal decision. This was a vindication not only of the club, but also of Duxbury himself.
As for Zola, well done for telling it the way it is at the pre-match press briefing. He was absolutely right to criticise any media comments that unsettle the players and undermine his preparation of the team for this vital game. It has to be acknowledged that there are certain lines of demarcation between the board and management that must always be observed. One of these is that nothing that the board does should interfere with the manager’s pre-match preparations.
The club need to cut out lose comments and unnecessary speculation. Media statements from the board need to go via one person, probably the very personable David Gold, and be guided by a communications professional and a overall strategy to proactively use the media, rather than being used by it!
I think that it is generally recognised that tomorrow night could be a season defining game. The PL results tonight mostly went our way (Burnley’s limitations being cruelly exposed!) and we must get a win to get out of the bottom three and follow that up with the defeat of Hull City on Saturday. If we can go into the Man Utd away match on 27 points, losing that match will not be a total disaster, as long as we then pick up the pace against Bolton. It is all to play for and we can get out of this hole if the tactics, team selection & player attitude and application is right.
I sincerely hope that Zola and Clarke can gee that players up and get them in a combative mood for the match. We need to treat the game like a cup final and blow Birmingham City away with a passionate, fiery and committeed display of attacking football. We so desperately need one of those inspired matches under the floodlights at Upton Park that we have all experienced and enjoyed over the years. And we fans need to play our part by creating a ‘red hot’ atmosphere on the night.
Zola should have kept the players back after training this week to show them inspiring footage of previous relegation battles. Matches like the 4-2 defeat of Man Utd in the last match of 1976-77, the famous ‘obscene effort’ 1-0 defeat of Man Utd at the end of 1990-91, the victories over the likes of Villa, Blackburn and Liverpool in 1994-95 and the Hartson-Kitson inspired revival of 1996-97. It would show them the desire and skill that they will need to emulate in the coming weeks!
COYI!
SJ. Chandos.
posted froim previous thread: Well this morning looks a little brighter on the managerial front. David Sullivan has come out in an open interview and publicly backed GZ saying that he is entitled to his opinion. With tonights game against Brum DS said this is not a grudge match , however if Brum win I will be proved right & if WH win Gz will be proved right. Let us all hope that we are able to break Brum current winning spell and come away with 3points.
Fishy , I think a lot depends on Birmingham's state of mind. They have reached 37 points they may just be thinking they are already safe for this season. Let's hope so. Being midweek they may not have too many fans there . My worry is Sullivan has stirred them up – I hope not! An early goal for us would help. Surely Bowyer cannot score against us again.
COYI
Tim , I agree Brum are ready for a fall and we can make that happen. AS GZ says all he is concerned about is to focus on the game & also get the players in the same frame of mind. __I just hope that everyone has the same idea & we pull off that unlikely win>Lol!
I'm so fed up with this, when did we last see a positive article or pundit review about West Ham? G & S are revelling in this! Just say for argument Zola & Clarke quit after having a gutfull of trying to win matches while the Upton Park version of Eastenders carries on around them or as some of us want here, they're dismissed, who the hell would want to come in??? Yes mate, come and work for West Ham, no funds available, most of our top talent wants away because we don't want to pay them and we'll undermine any confidence you instill in the team just before match day. We missed out on business with money & drive to succeed and managed to get two pence Sullivan & five pence gold, a modern day step toe & son
It's the managers job to protect his overpaid, highly pampered under performing squad from criticism. If he is unable or unwilling to do that then he needs to look at his own position.
A metaphorical kick up the arse doesn't do anyone any harm. Proposed pay cuts and the like aren't coming in overnight. A manager can only pick a team, send them out and hope that what he's told them is enough. Now is the time for the team to say "stuff the new bloke. We're supporting our manager by giving our all and getting 3 points.We don't want the pay cut that comes with relegation"
Nice to see everyone getting on as normal, here and at UP. I thought it was quite nice to see GFZ actually look upset, that only took 14 losses. The thought of loosing some dosh woke him up.
I like the guy but he, like many before has a weird understanding of playing well, you only play well if you win the rest is spin so get your finger out lads and get the job done!