Collison insists Hammers still have faith in beleaguered boss Zola

23 October 2009 14:20
West Ham midfielder Jack Collison has insisted the players still have every faith in manager Gianfranco Zola despite a difficult start to the season. Defeat at Stoke last weekend left the Hammers in second bottom position, but Collison says this hasn't affected player relationship with Zola. He said: 'It helps that he was as good a player as he was - all the lads respect him so much, we have to take on board what he is saying. 'I watched him a few times at Stamford Bridge as a lot of my family are Chelsea fans. It was a privilege to see somebody who was such a genius. I idolised him so to have the opportunity to work with him now is a bit of a dream. 'I remember when he first walked in as manager, I was completely in awe of him - I didn't know what to say. I just wanted to work that bit harder because I wanted to impress him. 'He's very approachable, which is great to have, particularly in the situation we're in. He's very hands-on which is what we need right now.' Collison also insists that Zola is maintaining a positive attitude despite West Ham's first run of poor form since he joined as manager last October. 'He's the same as always - enthusiastic, cheerful, hard-working,' Collison said. 'He comes in every day with a smile on his face and he gets a kick out of trying to improve us as a team. That's all you can ask for as a manager, really. 'He knows when he has to be hard on us, when we haven't played well or whatever, and he knows when he has to tell it how it is. There are other times when he's good at motivating us and making sure we keep our heads up. He hasn't let things get to him.' West Ham face the toughest of tests on Sunday afternoon when they face Arsenal at Upton Park.

Source: Daily_Mail