The FAc up

As I watched the Bolton/Spurs Cup game this weekend I couldn’t help but notice all the empty seats, crowds for the FA cup matches have been sorrowful this weekend by all accounts. As much as I hate to say it, and I know that if you had asked all the managers involved they probably would all have said “yeah of course we respect this competition, best football trophy contest in the world” - or words to that effect - but sadly this weekend’s vacant seats are just another indication that the world’s oldest & most favourite competition is dying a slow death.
Someone at the FA needs to open theirs eyes as to what’s going on and do something about this otherwise – if there is no shake-up – cup football in this country will become as dead as the Dodo.
Is it Champions League football that is doing it? Is there too much money in the game now? Can the cup competitions (or at least the FA cup, because there is a school of thought that the Carling cup should be dropped) in England be revived or is it already too late?
Stan Collymore says in today’s Mirror
“I would get rid of the Carling Cup, introduce Premier League teams at round two in the FA Cup when they would also have to play away until the fifth round.
The prize money should also be greater and away allocations should be 25% of the capacity of any ground, with no FA Cup ticket costing more than £15 up to the quarter-finals.
Then we would see bigger crowds, great away followings, more upsets and affordable football for families - so let’s take the Cup back to the fans”

In my humble opinion he has got some very good points/ideas but is he right?

Sunny Spain - but it is lovely though

Needs Must When the Devil Drives

In reading around the blogs today and through the online paper’s match previews, coupled with my very own feel for things, I fear for us tonight. The three goals we conceded in quick succession against Burnley at home showed me that it would not be difficult - if conditions were right (or wrong as the case could be) - for us Hammers to get a real thumping, as much as I hate to say it, I get the feeling that tonight could be that night, by thumping I mean 3 nil reverse or worse.

This team is not good enough; the Blackburn game must surely have proven that to everyone. If you compare the like for like stats it does not bode well for the Hammers at home tonight. Birmingham is a well disciplined side under Alex McLeish, structured and hard to break down. To say that we are under the lights and use sentimentality will not do it for us, it will have to be a performance of sheer grit and determination a fighting spirit that we haven’t seen the like of this season from this side fixed with the realisation that we are in the roughest of rough dog-fights and this game is massive.

All of Birmingham's last three league goals have been scored in the final 10 minutes and that is the time when Parker has no steam left and we are at our most vulnerable. I am hoping that the recent signings and the comments by Sullivan about pay-cuts really does do something special for us this evening because I think we are going to need it.

I think also that it might be time for Zola to revert to his 4-3-3 formation now that we have the playing staff who could cope with it better, either that or go 3-5-2-throw caution to the wind in both cases and really take the game to them. We have nothing to lose in the respect that if GFZ starts all cautious we go behind and take half an hour to get going and lose anyway like we did against Burnley, he is only asking for more of the same if he doesn’t treat this like a home game we can win

A Message From GFZ

We are back at home this Wednesday [and back in the bottom three I might add too Gianfranco] (Wednesday 10 Feburary 7.45pm) for a big game against Birmingham City and once again we will be counting on you to get behind us – although we know it is up to us to give you something to shout about.

Birmingham are having a great season but we will go into the match confident that we can take all three points. I have faith in my players and there is also a special atmosphere whenever we play at home under the lights. I am delighted that the club have made it a Kids for a Quid match – all under-16s can get in for just £1.

It is fantastic that the club is doing something for the younger supporters. They are our future and I hope they and everyone who comes along will enjoy the match. I can promise that we will give everything for the victory. We will be up for it, there is no doubt about that, and let’s hope we are all celebrating together at the final whistle.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday.

Gianfranco Zola

------- ~ -------

"Gianfranco Zola, in his first job as a manager, was employed on a three-year deal worth £1.9million a year. His assistant manager Steve Clarke, lured from Chelsea to offer experience, earns £1.2m a year, more than double that of his equivalent
at Manchester United." Excerpt courtesy of The Mail Online

With that hang dog expression of his and the look of (forgive me for this) a street drunk about Clarkie and a little peep at our league position (bearing in mind who our manager is) are 'we' getting value for money?

If you try to analyze our next 8 games our immediate future looks daunting to say the least – Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal – all away from home – are in there

GFZ’s Balancing Conundrum

After struggling for most of the season to find a proper fit striker, Zola now faces a manager’s quandary ahead of today's trip to Burnley.

Carlton Cole, Mido and Benni McCarthy are all fit, the later two having both signed last day of the window and are now competing for a starting berth with Carlton the-back-pass Cole.

Zola said “We know Benni and Mido have been a surprise for us but Carlton is working very hard and he wants to prove himself, he has started with a perfect attitude which is very important. He knows that everything he desires he will have to work hard for.”

GFZ went on to say – and quite remarkably is now talking about balance, yeah NOW he talks about BALANCE…
“We want to score more goals but at the same time I want to keep a balance. I would like be a bit more prolific in front of goal and since Chelsea we have been very difficult to score against.

Let’s hope at Turf Moor today we are able to score a couple whilst keeping a clean sheet - COYI

The Manager on Monday

I hope Zola and all players concerned - inc' McCarthy - understand the importance of this game, and Burnley will be no push over at Turf Moor that is a mini fortress up there - GFZ is being quoted today as saying:

"With the trip to Turf Moor coming up this weekend before Birmingham City arrive on Wednesday week, Zola knows there is potential for the team to put some real breathing space between themselves and the bottom three. "We are looking for a run of two or three games where we can push out of this situation," he said.

He claimed there would not be a repeat of the nervousness that appeared to affect Saturday's showing. "It won't happen again," he said, suggesting that encouraging the players to express themselves "with freedom" would be a major focus of the next few days.

The transfer window closing will allow him to do just that, adding to the considerable bonus of the ownership situation being resolved. Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold are fully settled in and working hard in the transfer market. "It has been a busy month for me but we will see what we can do," concluded Zola.

Birmingham will now have something to prove against us the whole team will be like a returning 'old boy' desperate to do well against us. Two high pressure games we really can't afford to lose