I am generally an absolute optimist when it comes to supporting the Hammers. I try to see the positives in defeat, the near misses in a draw and enjoy the jubilation of a victory. But that optimisn well and truly faded and died with our bubbles tonight and it saddens me to say that it is time for a change.
Zola as a man and a person is one that it would clearly be a pleasure to know. An intelligent, affable and positive person. As a manager however, he has been finally found out and is lacking in judgement, organisation and motivation. His appointment was an interesting one, but at times last season, memorably in away games against Wigan and Stoke, we seemed to marry good passing football with some real grit and fight. It turns out they were the exception, not the rule we were looking for.
This season there has all too rarely been that kind of football – arguably against Millwall with an anger fuelled crowd, for short periods at home to Chelsea and Arsenal. But against most other teams, we have simply folded. More importantly than that, in a run-in which promised deliverance in the shape of 'winnable' games, we have capitulated against the likes of Bolton and tonight, Wolves.
There is not much point analysing the game, it was broadcast for all to see. I'll still maintain we have good players, Parker, Behrami, Diamanti, Daprela, but they are simply not being organised or motivated in the right way. In a game like tonight, it's simply not good enough. Usually the optimist in me would cite a mistake by Tomkins and Parker's misfortune, but that would hide the multitude of sins we witnessed tonight. Sins that simply cannot be repeated.
We need a change and we need it now. I am sure Mr G and Mr S already have their plans in their heads, now it is time to put them into action. I'd like to think it is Mark Hughes waiting in the wings, there are not too many alternatives around. Slaven Billic has been cited, but for me, Hughes would be the right man to take us forward. But a change is needed, and whether he is pushed or leaves of his own accord, which I'd like to think this affable and honourable man will do, we need to get our grit and style back. And that is not going to happen at the helm of Gianfranco Zola. Ciao Gianfranco….you have killed the optimist in me tonight, and when that happens, things must be really bad….