Monday, 8 December 2008

'Don't panic' says Zola after Spurs defeat

Gianfranco Zola has promised not to panic despite the team dropping to 16th in the league - just three points above the relegation zone with a tough trip to Chelsea up next.
The Hammers manager says his players will regroup and work harder following the disappointing 2-0 defeat to local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Zola, whose side had a goal ruled out for a foul when the scores were 0-0, said: "We knew the first goal would be important - as this game was always going to be tight.
"I don't know if the goal should have been disallowed or not but I do know we should have had a penalty when their player handballed it to stop Carlton Cole from scoring.
"But I can't kill the referee - he's a human being and they make mistakes."
Zola had a word for the Upton Park fans who were disappointed with the result.
He said: "It was a big game for the fans so I understand their frustration but we will work even harder to improve the situation.
"We won't panic - we have faith."
West Ham fans could be forgiven for not welcoming former manager Harry Redknapp back to Upton Park with open arms - he has won every Premier League game at his old club since leaving the Hammers in 2001.
Redknapp, who was West Ham manager for seven years, managed to keep his 100% record going with his new Tottenham Hotspur charges on a cold December night.
An uninspiring game settled by a downward header from the inspirational Spurs skipper Ledley King on 67 minutes and sealed by a long range drive from Jamie O'Hara in the 89th minute.
O'Hara's goal came less than ten seconds after substitute David di Michele somehow failed to score from inside the Spurs six-yard box.
It was not the result the majority of the 34,277 inside Upton Park had come looking for.
Gianfranco Zola's Hammers had followed a six-match winless run with five points out of the last nine available - a three game spell in which as many clean sheets had been kept.
To be fair both defences had looked solid until the Hammers back four was caught flat-footed as King rose to head home - the ball hitting the floor before bouncing high into the net beyond the despairing dive of Robert Green.
The result means West Ham have now won only one of their last ten Premier League fixtures and sees them drop below Spurs in the league on goal difference.

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