Fulham

An excellent season for the men from Craven Cottage, and a huge credit must go to Roy Hodgson who in two years has transformed his team from relegation fighters to Europa League finalists and fully deserves his Manager of the Year.  Has also revived the careers of Bobby Zamora and Damien Duff who have both had stellar seasons.

Grade: B+

Teacher’s Pet: There are quite few – including Zoltan Gera, Clint Dempsey and Mark Schwarzer.  But the honour goes to Bobby Zamora with his 17-goal season (including 6 in their Europa League campaign) that gave him an inkling of an England call-up.

Detention: Andrew Johnson – has rarely played this season due to injury.

Hull City

Relegation wasn’t so much of a surprise with Hull, the loss their midfield maestro Jimmy Bullard for the majority of the season meant the task was always going to be a difficult one.  Yet the craziest decision would have been to place Phil Brown on gardening leave and appoint Iain Dowie.  With so few games remaining in the season, if they didn’t want Brown why not do it in December or January, when a manager will have more time to potentially make a difference? Third highest conceders in the Premier League with 75.

Grade: F-

Teacher’s Pet: Jimmy Bullard – Didn’t play that many games but still their best player, is good enough to still play in the top-flight of English football.

Detention: Jozy Altidore – Has struggled to life in the Premier League and subsequently only scored one goal.

Liverpool

Cross this season off the list for The Reds, it’s been an absolute disaster for them both on and off the pitch. Finishing 7^th in the league, being knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages and constant injuries to Fernando Torres and the loss of form of Steven Gerrard.  Then there’s the “will he go or won’t he?” saga of Rafael Benitez, plus with the spiralling debts of the club, they are left in a position where they have to play catch-up quickly with the likes of Aston, Manchester City and Tottenham, and possibly the best route is to sell one of their prize assets.

Grade: E

Teacher’s Pet – Jose Reina has had another excellent season between the sticks and also Dirk Kuyt’s work ethic and performances earn him a special mention too.

Detention: Some may say Glen Johnson for an indifferent season, others will point the finger at new-boy Alberto Aquilani, but the winner is Ryan Babel, who Benitez prefers to use more as a sub and hasn’t settled in the three seasons he has been at Anfield, closely followed by Maxi Rodriguez.

Manchester City:

The purest of football fans would have been pleased that City finished outside of the Champions League places with the money they spent. This will only mean the cheque book will be at the ready again this summer.  Overall it should be still seen as a positive season for City finishing 5^th in Premier League, reaching a League Cup Semi-Final despite the making the wrongful dismissal of Mark Hughes.  Roberto Mancini has done a steady job without setting the world alight, other than find a puncheon for a 70’s style sky-blue and white scarf.

Grade: B-

Teacher’s pet: Carlos Tevez – 28 goals in his first season at Eastlands, showing that he is the man to lead the line ahead of Adebayor and Santa-Cruz.

Detention – Joleon Lescott – Everton must have been rubbing their hands at how much they sold him for: £20m+.  Has struggled with form and fitness since his move to City.

Manchester United

In United’s eyes to only win the Carling Cup will be seen as a disappointing season. And they are right, but many positives should also be taken from the season.  First the emergence of Wayne Rooney being in the true spotlight as the ‘main man’ at Old Trafford, since the departure of Ronaldo.  Positive first season from Antonio Valencia  - and a key this season were the limited matches that both Vidic and Ferdinand started together (10 league games) and an extra striker is still needed as without Rooney up-front United don’t have a true ‘fox in the box’, and matches without him last season proved that.

Grade: A-

Teacher’s Pet: Wayne Rooney, double PFA Players and Football Writers’ Player of the Year, 26 league goals in his most productive goal scoring season ever.

Detention: Dimitar Berbatov – The man who suffered the most from United’s 4-5-1 formation.  His lazy effortless style often frustrates United fans but Ferguson is reluctant to sell him, but for him to be successful at Old Trafford he needs to form a partnership with WR.

Next time, the remainder of the Premier League including Sunderland, Tottenham, West Ham and Wolves.

At the end of Hull City’s nil-nil game against Liverpool Sunday, supporters ran on to the pitch but unfortunately there were no stewards to escort the players off the field. As a result, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was encircled by supporters and demonstrated his frustration by pushing one teen away (see above video).

Hat tip: 101 Great Goals.

If there’s one positive about David Sullivan’s outburst last week, such was the reaction to it, he’ll hopefully keep quiet until the end of the season. It’s a tricky situation when you’re a chairman of a club struggling at the wrong end of the table, but sometimes, you’ve got to keep quiet. In Sullivan’s case, that may be trickier than it sounds, such is his penchant for shouting about everything from the rooftops.

During his tenure at Birmingham City, Sullivan was quick to judge and had a constant battle with the fans of his ownership. The crowds were poor, even when Birmingham were chasing down the title last season, but having spoken to some Blues, I don’t think many people would pay £40 to watch your team play Scunthorpe in the second tier of English football.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Sullivan is certainly not to blame for West Ham’s current ills, but the rant last week simply confirmed for me that he doesn’t rate the current manager. Gianfranco Zola maybe one of the nicest men in football and a was a damn fine player in his time, but Sullivan, for me, clearly doesn’t rate him.

Of course, once Curbishley walked out due to the boardroom interference, the Hammers were always walking a tightrope. They are paying the price for splurging money on some very bad buys indeed and the Icelandic financial meltdown. It was always going to be tough for any manager and whilst eyebrows were raised at the time, the financial situation clearly scared most of the experienced candidates away from Upton Park.

That’s no offence to Zola, but it now seems certain in my mind that he was only given the job due to the lack of applicants. Managing a Premiership club, despite the financial implications, is a tantalising opportunity for anyone. Zola would have been mad to not take the job but he is beginning to resemble a dead man walking. The Hammers squad looks bereft of confidence and belief, two things you need in abundance when trying to get clear of a relegation scrap.

This is a side with youngsters being thrown in at the deep end and then left to drown, loan signings and journey men footballers bolted on to the players still remaining from the biscuit buyout. It is not a healthy mix for a squad and when you’re picking up strikers who have struggled in the top tier of France, you are always going to be in trouble. Zola seems unable to instill any fight in the side, though most teams would struggle to get anything out of a trio of games against Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.

The defeat to Wolves left a bitter taste in most people’s mouths but it shouldn’t take anything away from the quality of Wolves’ performance. They were magnificent throughout the 90 minutes, despite West Ham’s problems. Of course, the one shining light throughout all the recent trouble has been the form of Scott Parker, who has continued to give 100% throughout his tenure. If only he could instill some of his grit and determination into some of his more experienced colleagues such as Matthew Upson or Mido.

Zola has been making do since he came to the club and I feel sorry for him and the West Ham fans. They expect better after seeing so much talent come through the club in the last 20 years, though sadly, none of it stayed for very long. The current crop of youngsters certainly have plenty of potential, but blooding them in a relegation scrap with chairman mentioning financial armageddon every other week doesn’t help any of them. Yet what can Zola do? His hands are clearly tied financially and with the players taking Sullivan’s words the wrong way, it doesn’t auger well for the fight that is yet to come.

With Hull suddenly finding a bit of form, and the gap to safety having stretched to four points, the Hammers have it all to do. A visit to Goodison on Sunday, with Chelsea and Manchester United already beaten there is a cause for concern. The final match of the season against Manchester City points to the irony of Carlos Tevez being in a position to relegate a side he kept up just 3 seasons ago.

It’s the week of the Cheltenham festival, so in order to celebrate, this edition of fantasy football tips will take on a slightly equine nature. Apologies in advance for the inevitably dodgy puns. I’ll try and ensure that there’s not too much horse play…

Anyway, to business. Just like horse racing, it’s crucial that you’re able to separate the fine young fillies from the rusty old nags if you’re to succeed at fantasy football. In order to do this, you should remember three things:

1. Check the form
Form can do funny things to players/teams/horses. Take Emile Heskey for example – when he’s in form (an all too rare occasion nowadays) he often looks like an International striker, even one capable of starting for a country with serious World Cup aspirations. Yet, when he’s out of form, he just looks like, well, Emile Heskey.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting you ever select Emile Heskey. Not even when he is in form. But I am suggesting that you take a look at his team-mates. Villa play two games against bottom half opposition in the coming fantasy week (Wolves and Sunderland). Both are at Villa Park and both should really end in home wins. Add Villa’s good recent form into the equation (only one defeat in their last sixteen games) and their miserly defence (six clean sheets in their last nine league games) and Villa players suddenly look more attractive than a thoroughbred in a top hat.

The handicapper recommends -
Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)
James Milner (Aston Villa)

2. Don’t ignore the obvious (pt.2)

Sometimes it doesn’t take in-depth statistical analysis, or dodgy tips from Irish bartenders, to know that you’re onto a good thing. Sometimes, it’s just a case of noticing the bleedin’ obvious and getting in there before the horse has bolted.

Anybody that introduced Wayne Rooney into their side last weekend will already know the benefits of following this particular pointer but if you didn’t then all you need to know is this. Didier Drogba is a fiendishly good, if somewhat petulant striker. He should be fired up after his mid-week nightmare against Inter Milan. He will be a part of a Chelsea side that play Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth. And most importantly, he WILL score goals.

The handicapper recommends -
Didier Drogba (Chelsea)

3. Remember that life doesn’t always make sense

Sometimes all the knowledge and planning in the world just doesn’t make a jot of difference and a big favourite can have a mare for no particular reason (just ask backers of Dunguib and Master Minded). So why not stick your neck out and throw Jimmy Bullard into your side.

Why? I hear you ask. Well, why not?! He’s back from injury, he has a new manager, which can often inspire a reaction, his side take on the all but relegated Portsmouth and he has brilliant hair.

The handicapper recommends -
Jimmy Bullard (Hull City)

In a strange yet understandable move, Hull City Chairman Adam Pearson has removed Phil Brown from his position as manager at the struggling side. It strikes me as strange as Brown has been moved on after an impressive, if limited, performance against Arsenal on Saturday. Removal after the dismal showing against Everton the week previously would have made much more sense.

Pearson, on Radio5 this evening, has claimed that the new manager will be in place and revealed to the world on Thursday morning. Though the rumours sweeping Hull tonight would point to a name to strike fear in to the heart of any fan of football but more of that later. Brown leaves after three and quarter years which have seen unqualified success for the Tigers.

Of course, the last year or so has seen them struggle to retain their Premiership status, but by reaching the top tier for the first time in Hull City’s history and then staying up last season, still ranks as Hull’s brightest moment so far. I always liked the fact that Phil Brown always, always referred to it when questioned about Hull’s current form. Today, even when departing the K.C. Stadium, he still found time to mention it. “Although I am extremely sad to be leaving Hull City, I am very proud of my achievements during my time as manager, especially having led the team into the top flight of football for the first time in the club’s 104-year history and ahead of schedule.”

So Brown leaves and the job isn’t too unattractive, regardless of the position that the Tigers find themselves in. 9 games left and with any 2 teams in the bottom 6 capable of joining the doomed Portsmouth in being relegated to the Premiership. Keep them up and the new man becomes an instant hero, as long as he doesn’t attempt a karaoke on the K.C. Stadium pitch at the end of the match. I don’t think I could stomach that again.

Despite the connotations and the misguided opinion that Hull is not a football town, Hull City is an attractive offer. A super little stadium, excellent facilities and the potential to keep growing with the right level of support and investment. So which exciting and dynamic manager are Hull being strongly linked with? Sit down, you may need a strong drink to cope with this news.

By all accounts, chairman Adam Pearson is favoring giving the job to Gary Megson. Yes, Gary Megson. Hated by every set of fans of every club he’s managed, with the exception of West Bromwich Albion, sacked from five of his last 6 jobs. I have to say, I shook my head when I heard the news. Apparently Pearson was going to give the job to Megson back in 2006, but appointed Brown instead. Can someone explain to me how Megson keeps getting work?

At his last 3 jobs, he’s managed Forest, Leicester and Bolton in 166 games and won 47 of them. An earth shattering win percentage of 28%. Quite how he keeps getting work staggers me. I can’t understand it at all. Yet in the time it took me to write this sentence he apparently can’t take the job due to the terms of his severance package from Bolton Wanderers. I could hear the sigh of relief from Hull City fans over here!

So Pearson has made his move and he will attempt to maneuver someone who can attempt to keep Hull City up. I’ll miss Phil Brown though, I always thought he was refreshing honest, though the media used that against him in some quarters. I’ll miss him turning up on Goals on Sunday wearing a pink sweater draped suggestively over his shoulders, his never diminishing tan and his sartorial elegance on the touchline.

Hull City fans will hope that Megson is unable to join them, because they’re dead in the water if he gets them. Mark Hughes would be an inspired choice if they can get him and he can try an infuse the club with the tenacity that he brought to his time as Wales and Blackburn manager. Come the next couple of days, we’ll know exactly who will be the man charged with saving Hull City. Who do you think Hull City should appoint?

One of the advantages of Premier League clubs being more desperate for points at this stage of the season is that it means that we get to see more open matches. It also creates more end-to-end action.

This past weekend was a perfect example of this. I had the chance to watch Spurs against Blackburn, Birmingham against Everton, Hull City versus Arsenal and Sunderland against Manchester City. And except for the Tottenham match which was too one-sided in favor of Spurs, each of the other games I watched was brilliant.

There were so many wonderful moments to choose from. Adam Johnson’s moment of brilliance when he curled the ball into the top corner of the net. The way Kenwyne Jones leapt to meet the cross and glanced the ball into the back of the net. Gareth Bale and the way he made Michel Salgado look like a League One defender with his dangerous runs down the left wing and beautiful crosses. The incredible saves that Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon made. Or the way that Nicklas Bendtner, under massive pressure, scored a late winner to keep Arsenal’s title chances alive.

What, for you, was the highlight of this Premier League weekend?

Mine, and this may sound silly to some of you, was Adam Johnson’s run that he made just minutes after coming on as a substitute as he dribbled past two Sunderland players and placed a perfect pass to Roque Santa Cruz. It was a rare flash of brilliance in the Premier League, but he showed in just seconds how much potential he has and why he should be a starter for Manchester City. It was a shame that Santa Cruz butchered that wonderful piece of skill with a cross that summed up the season he’s been having.

Share your favorite moments from this past Premier League weekend in the comments section below.

Two teams with two different objectives. Hull City battling for Premier League survival. Arsenal battling to win the Premier League title. So, it was no wonder that the KC Stadium on Saturday resembled a battlefield with both teams getting physical as they attempted to become victorious.

As it ended up, it was Arsenal that grabbed the vital three points to keep the pressure on Chelsea and Manchester United, but it was a close match and it took an injury time winner from Nicklas Bendtner to keep his team’s Premier League title hopes alive.

It could have so nearly been a 1-1 draw. Hull City, obviously lacking in talent against a much more gifted Arsenal side, made up for their lack of superiority by playing with a heart, passion and drive that made Arsenal work even harder for those 50/50 balls. Plus, to make matters worse for the Gunners, Hull City poured defenders back into the box to negate Arsenal’s attacks. And it almost worked.

Nearing the 90 minute mark of this game, it looked like Hull may have achieved their goal of grabbing a vital point. Arsenal continued to push forward but looked unable to break down a dogged defence. But Arsene Wenger’s side refused to give up and it was a shot that was punched away by American-born Wales goalkeeper Boaz Myhill that ultimately led to the winner when it fell into the path of Bendtner and the Danish striker knocked the rebound past Myhill to seal the vital 2-1 victory.

Arsenal supporters erupted with joy and began singing “Super, Super Nick” over and over again.

Overall, it was an entertaining game complete with plenty of controversial incidents, some bad refereeing decisions, some very good assistant referee decisions but the 2-1 result was a fair one in the end. Hull City now look dangerously close to relegation but will take a lot of positives from this game. Arsenal, meanwhile, will get a boost from this win. This was a game that Arsenal would have drawn in the past, but they have that extra edge now that reminds me of the killer instinct that Manchester United has when they finish teams off with last minute winners to grab all three points.

Next step for Arsenal is a home game next Saturday against any team in relegation trouble, West Ham United.

Photo credit: Kassch

Had you wagered with any American soccer fan back in August that Landon Donovan would score his first Premier League goal before Jozy Altidore, he probably would have taken you up on it. You would have won that bet, too, as Altidore has struggled to find his form in his first Premier League season, leaving many Americans wondering why he hasn’t succeeded in England like he has in CONCACAF.

That might be changing. Since his return from compassionate leave in Haiti, Altidore’s form has soared, and he was rewarded today with his first Premier League goal in Hull City’s 2-1 upset of Manchester City.

Altidore opened his league account in the 31st minute, thanks in part to some fantastic hold-up play by Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who collected the ball in the box with his back to the goal and set up the young American’s brilliant strike. It was Altidore’s second goal for Hull and his first since August 25, when he scored in a Carling Cup match against Southend United.

Altidore’s strike, however, was not the most brilliant of the day.

In the 54th minute, George Boateng scored his first goal for the Tigers with a spectacular volley that found its way through a crowd and into the top right-hand corner of the goal. Man City was able to pull one back five minutes later when Emmanuel Adebayor scored a mad scramble in front of Boaz Myhill’s goal, but that was all they could muster, as Hull City stayed on the front foot for most of the day and held Roberto Mancini’s side off at the end.

It was the second massive result of the week for Hull, who earned a 1-1 draw at home against league-leading Chelsea on Tuesday. Altidore and Vennegoor of Hesselink have started up front for Phil Brown for the last three games. The Tigers are unbeaten in those three and have lifted themselves 3 points clear of the relegation zone. Altidore won a penalty for Hull against Wolverhampton a week ago, which Stephen Hunt converted.

Will this forward tandem, combined with some excellent midfield play from Hunt, be enough to to keep Hull in the Premier League for another year? Time will tell, but for now, supporters of both the Tigers and the U.S. National Team will be wishing for Altidore to have many more days like today.

Egyptian international striker Amr Zaki has officially signed on a loan deal to Hull City from Egyptian side El Zamelek. The deal, which holds until the end of the season, looks like a shrewd signing for the Tigers.  At just a measly 20 league goals, Hull city are the fourth lowest scoring team in the premiership, narrowly edging out Stoke City, Portsmouth and Wolves. Their league position reflects their inability to score, as they sit in the 18th spot, entrenched in what appears to be a long, arduous relegation battle.

Zaki is a proven goal scorer, netting 10 in 29 league appearances for Wigan in the 2008-09 season, and this could be exactly what Phil Brown needs to get his team out of drop zone and save his managerial position. Additionally, Hull City could be losing some of their strikers this January window, as chairman of the club Adam Pearson has asked Brown to shed nine million pounds from the wage bill. Brown has admitted this likely means allowing strikers Caleb Folan and Daniel Cousin to leave.

However, all this ignores his myriad of disgusting off the field issues. Zaki has proved from his spell at Wigan he has no commitment to the team. On four separate occasions, he failed to return to Wigan by the scheduled deadline after an international break , infuriating then Wigan boss Steve Bruce. Not only does this violate team rules, but, as Zaki had no connection with the club, he violated the FA’s doping policy that requires players to state their whereabouts one hour each day. Moreover, international and club teammate Mido returned to England in time for the deadline.

Zaki then complained that he was getting treatment for a hamstring injury. When asked to provide a note from Egyptian team doctors, he refused. When asked to show up to the club’s doctors for a scan and assessment, he refused again.

All this prompted Bruce is to say, “I really am at the end of my tether with him. Before this latest incident, Zaki had already been fined considerably more than the average person in Britain earns in a year and he will now face another heavy fine.” He continues, “I just feel it’s time that we went public on just what a nightmare he has been to deal with because I can honestly say that in all my time in football I have never worked with someone as unprofessional.”

Unfortunately, this is the least worrisome of his issues.

After Bruce understandably ruled out extending the deal, Zaki turned elsewhere for loans. Portsmouth was the first and most appealing option to reveal interest over the summer. Much like the Hull, Pompey struggles to find the back of the net and, on paper, a deal made sense. After a brief courtship, the player refused a transfer on the sickening grounds that he could not play with Pompey’s Jewish and Algerian players, Tal Ben Haim and Nadir Belhadj.

He is quoted as saying, “I refused their offer before, but now joining Portsmouth is no longer an option for me. After Portsmouth signed an Israeli player and also hired an Israeli football director [Avram Grant], a possible move was ruled out.  On top of that, no way could I play at Portsmouth with an Algerian within their ranks.” Since the quote, Portsmouth have added another Algerian, Hassan Yebda, and promoted Avram Grant to gaffer, so one can only imagine what Zaki has to say about it now.

The most disappointing aspect of this whole thing, beyond the discouraging realization that prejudice, discrimination, and antisemitism are still so prevalent in society today, is that it completely undermines FIFA and the FA’s Football Against Racism in Europe campaign, launched back in Vienna in 1999. Plastered around the premiership grounds are billboards bearing FIFA’s slogan of  ”Say no to Racism.” It is such a cornerstone of FIFA policy that the EA Sports crew have even included it in their FIFA video games.

This is the same slogan that Zaki himself held up before every single international match with his Egyptian side. What kind of message does that send? How can anyone watching a Hull City game take that billboard seriously when they see as bigoted a human being as Amr Zaki playing on the pitch in front of the slogan? How can anyone take it seriously when one of the top flight teams in England vigorously pursues this player, knowing full well his prejudiced views? How are we supposed to look at the FA’s attempts to quell racism with supporters when they turn a blind eye towards racism in players?

It’s a depressing situation and one that hopefully the FA addresses head on one way or another, rather than beating around the bush. While it may be unfair to root against Hull, I’ll certainly be rooting against Amr Zaki.

In a refreshing change of events, former Birmingham City owners, David Gold and David Sullivan took control of the Hammers and admitted straightaway the mess that West Ham United have been battling with. Since the crashing collapse of the Icelandic banking system, West Ham had been financially stricken and the true extent of the footballing debt is now apparent. The Hammers owe £110 million out. One Hundred and Ten Million pounds.

Only in November did C.B. Holdings claim that the Hammers were in debt to the tune of £38 million, misleading the fans in to thinking that the situation was nowhere near as bad as some in the media had reported. In fact it was almost 3 times as bad as they made out and the new owners/controllers made clear exactly where they debts lay. They also confirmed that the club were going to have to sell players in this transfer window, contrary to the clubs previous stance. An immediate cash injection of £8 million was needed to keep the club going.

The list reads like a what not to do in football, or to put it another way, how to run a club like Leeds United. It’s as if someone wrote a business plan based on what went wrong at Elland Road and it was mistranslated into Icelandic to make it seem positive. It’s madness to see the debt and borrowing going on at West Ham over the last 3 years.

• £50 million owed to banks.
• £40 million owed to other clubs for transfers.
• The £40 million owed to other clubs, includes £20 million compensation to Sheffield United.
• Alan Curbishley is still owed his severance deal after winning his case for constructive dismissal
• No-one owes West Ham any money, all player transfer fees that were received paid the bank debt immediately
• C.B. Holdings had borrowed money against the next two seasons season ticket revenue
• There is no money for strengthening the squad.

Now this paints a completely different figure to what the West Ham fans believed, rightly or wrongly what the were being told. The previous regime were filling there heads with nonsense. It is a very real prospect that relegation would have seen West Ham implode financially. No ifs, no buts, they were immediately into administration. After all the information about Leeds United, C.B. Holdings were following exactly the same route.

It seems like absolute madness that not one lesson from the Yorkshire clubs demise has served to teach anyone anything it seems, as we see with the issues at Manchester United, Portsmouth and Liverpool in the last week. Regardless of the riches awash for the Premiership clubs, you still have to cut your cloth accordingly. Someone sooner or later is going to fall over the edge, which is a subject I’m going to be looking at in more depth for EPLtalk.com next week.

Gold and Sullivan have acted quickly in bringing in their trusted lieutenant, Karen Brady as vice chairman and she’ll be quick to install some much needed pragmatism at Upton Park. They are now going to talk to Newham council about moving to the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Olympics. That could be  a challenge as Tottenham enquired about taking it over and were plainly told it was not available. The Olympic stadium is set to be reduced from its 80,000 capacity down to a pointless 30,000, for which there is neither the use nor the need.

The NFL could still play a part in the stadium’s future use that could play into West Ham’s hands. The NFL have earmarked that the often mooted London franchise’s potential base could be there. It would certainly make more sense to use it as a dual sport stadium than a white elephant for athletics, which is the current plan. There is neither the inclination or support for that size of athletics venue in London, they should sell it and use the money to redevelop Crystal Palace Athletic Stadium.

So now, West Ham have to focus on the future and the fans will be thankful that regardless of the criticisms that could be placed at Gold and Sullivan’s door during their tenure at Birmingham City, they still have a club to support. The work is now on to bring in fresh investment to try and work off the remaining debt and crucial to that is the fact that West Ham United need to stay up.

Gianfranco Zola has been nothing but a gentlemen throughout this difficult period for him and he needs to make sure that he can keep his side together for one almighty relegation scrap. For a first job, he has certainly been earning his money, of that there is no doubt. In the next six games, West Ham face Portsmouth, Blackburn Rovers, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burnley, Birmingham City and Hull City. Come the end of February, Gold, Sullivan and Zola will know exactly the size of the task to keep West Ham United in the Premier League.