West Ham United's players have rallied around the manager, Gianfranco Zola, and made it clear where their allegiances will lie if discord between him and the club's new owners develops into a major split.
Zola and David Sullivan clashed this week when the Italian expressed dismay over the co-owner's decision to announce swingeing pay cuts before Wednesday's important Premier League game against Birmingham City at Upton Park.
Sullivan had also cast doubt on Zola's ability to succeed as a manager, comparing him to the former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ossie Ardiles, who was deemed a failure, and suggesting he was "too nice" to take tough decisions. Though Sullivan subsequently declared that he was "100%" behind Zola and that the Italian was not in imminent danger of being dismissed, a feeling persists that West Ham's new regime is contemplating replacing him in a bid to ensure Premier League survival.
West Ham's players put forward a strong case for Zola on Wednesday by producing a tenacious display to beat Birmingham 2-0 and pull a point clear of the relegation zone. The Italian midfielder Alessandro Diamanti scored the first goal and celebrated, pointedly, by charging to hug his compatriot on the sidelines. Most of his team-mates did likewise.
"We are all behind the boss," Diamanti said. "He works very hard and is a top guy and is always the one who takes responsibility when we don't play well. He is always there for us, always encouraging us and always on our side. We don't forget this, so I was extremely pleased to win and when I scored, my first thought was for the boss."
Scott Parker echoed that sentiment. "Everyone has massive respect for the manager and that was clear to see," said the midfielder. "We're all pushing in the same direction. We just want him to do well. He's a good man."
Even the newly-arrived Egypt striker Mido insisted there was a powerful bond between players and manager. "We are fully behind the manager," he said. "I can see how everyone loves him around the place. He's a great character and the players wanted to fight for him."
Parker said that Zola had spoken to his squad about Sullivan's comments before the Birmingham game. "He let us know his feelings," Parker said. "[Sullivan] knows the situation and if he feels it's best to say what he's saying, that's it. Sometimes people say things to get a reaction, you could look at it as reverse psychology. But I don't know if it was that."
He also warned that West Ham must continue to improve if they are to remain clear of the relegation zone, and admitted that, irrespective of the manager, sometimes the players are too nice. "You know what you get from us: we're a good passing side, we're pretty," he said . "But we've got to do the dirty stuff, the ugly stuff to build a platform."
On Wednesday West Ham's players were motivated to do that ugly stuff and that included Mido, whose work ethic was often questioned during previous spells at Tottenham, Wigan and Middlesbrough. The 26-year-old said that such questioning was unfair, and that he is determined to succeed at West Ham beyond his current three-month loan deal.
"I've never had a problem with my attitude. I have moved around a lot of clubs, that's why this reputation came to me. But everywhere I've been I've worked hard in every training session, every game," he said. "Look at Robbie Keane, he's had so many clubs. Some players accept not playing and still getting paid. I'm not one of them. Hopefully this will be my last club. The last week I've been here I've been happy and hopefully at the end of the three months I will be here longer."
