Zola warned to WATCH HIS BACK at West Ham by Curbishley
Posted on 13. Sep, 2008 by Milox in Premiership
Alan Curbishley while wishing new West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola well, has also warned him to watch his back.
The Italian succeed the former Charlton boss at Upton Park, to become only the 12th permanent manager in the club’s 113-year history.
But the former Italy Under-21 boss has been warned by Curbishley that promises are not always kept by the Irons. This statement followed the sale of defender George McCartney to Sunderland on transfer-deadline day, while unknowns David di Michele and Herita Ilunga were signed behind the former Irons bosses’ back.
“I want to congratulate Gianfranco Zola on getting the job and wish him all the best, and I mean that,” Curbs told SunSport.
He added: “I’m bitterly disappointed that I had to make the decision to leave the club.
“I grew up in Canning Town supporting the club, played for them and was lucky enough to become one of very few managers of West Ham United.
“But the way things unfolded I had to resign because I couldn’t accept what was going on. And if I had stayed, then I would have condoned it.
“The signing of those players had nothing whatsoever to do with me.
“I went to a meeting on September 1 — the last day of the transfer window.
“It was a continuation of a conversation which began the previous day with Gianluca Nani and Scott Duxbury.
“On the Sunday I told them we must keep McCartney and if that meant no players coming in then I was happy to stick with the squad I had.
“But when I arrived at 1pm I discovered that George was already at Sunderland having a medical.
“I told them that we needed to get a defender in because having sold half of my first choice back four — Anton and McCartney — we needed cover.
“Chelsea defender Paulo Ferreira was mentioned and I agreed on a move for him as he is a versatile player and that’s what we needed.
“Both Di Michele and Ilunga were mentioned to me. However, I told Nani and Duxbury that I had never seen either player play.
“And for that reason I couldn’t comment on them. And I stressed again the necessity of getting a defender in.
“They went ahead and signed Di Michele and Llunga and had I stayed on, then I would not have known them on the training ground.
“Walter Lopez — who was also signed on loan — had been on trial with us for nine days but, along with the coaching staff, we opted not to take him and he was sent back. Then, mysteriously, he’s been signed for a year as well.”
And having also had defender Anton Ferdinand sold to Sunderland against his wishes, Curbishley felt he couldn’t go on.
He added: “When Ferdinand was sold to Sunderland, Scott Duxbury told me that he was the last player out.
“The other players were becoming a bit anxious at what was going on and I reassured them by telling them what I had been told.
“Then, on the Tuesday ahead of the Carling Cup game with Macclesfield, I said the same thing publicly in my Press conference.
“Again the subject of selling players was raised after the Blackburn game at home and once more I stated that no one else would be sold.
“Then, of course, the following Monday McCartney was sold and I’d been completely undermined making my position untenable.”
[Guardian-Series]
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