Source: Telegraph
West Ham captain Matthew Upson says latest comments from David Sullivan are irrelevant
With concerted attempts being made to force manager Gianfranco Zola to quit now, rather than in the summer, when he wants to go, Upson said that the players listened to the "coaches and manager" rather than the owners. [LNB]"If David Sullivan wants to air his views on the club's website or in public then he does so, he's the chairman," Upson said. "I wouldn't say, from a player's point of view, that it helps. [LNB] Related ArticlesWest Ham United v Stoke City: match previewSullivan sorry for 'pathetic' West Ham'Shell-shocked' Sullivan backs ZolaMatthew Upson issues West Ham rallying cryPremier League relegationSport on television"But we only concentrate on what we feel is wrong and how the coaches and manager assess the game, what they want us to do. And that's what we'll do, because they're in charge of the situation. They're the people we want to listen to."[LNB]Upson, who has one year left on his contract, is one of the West Ham players, along with Robert Green, Alessandro Diamanti, Valon Behrami and Guillermo Franco, expected to leave at the end of this season whether or not the club are relegated. [LNB]The England international played under Sullivan at Birmingham City but left under acrimonious circumstances for West Ham. Sullivan recently said he felt Upson "owed" him and should stay at Upton Park, on reduced terms, but his comments would appear to put the defender's future at the club in doubt. [LNB]Sullivan was at West Ham's training ground on Thursday. He is understood to have also asked Zola directly to make changes to the side who lost so pitifully at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday, plunging them into a three-way relegation battle. Sullivan has asked Zola to explain his tactics and training methods. [LNB]He has also written an open letter to supporters in which he questioned the team and Zola. "No one should delude ourselves that we are a good team," he wrote. "I was as angry and upset as every supporter in the stadium at the disorganised way we played, allowing Wolves too much space so that they looked more like Manchester United. This was the culmination of five defeats in a row, including an appalling performance against Bolton. [LNB]"We have a few very talented players in our team, but it is a very unbalanced squad. Individually we have some very good players, but this is not being converted into good team performances."[LNB]Zola is understood to be at the end of his tether but is determined, right now, to fight on and try to keep West Ham in the Premier League, believing he has a duty to the supporters and players. Once the club are safe if that happens he is expected to walk away. That will please Sullivan because he will not have to pay up his contract. Sullivan had considered an approach for former Manchester City manager Mark Hughes prior to the takeover of the club in January. Hughes is not interested. [LNB]Meanwhile the Malaysian entrepreneur Tony Fernandes, who failed in his attempt to buy West Ham because he could not reach an agreement on complete ownership, has attacked Sullivan and co-owner David Gold, on his Twitter site. "Don't understand the new owners of West Ham," he wrote. "Saw a letter they sent the fans. They should stay out and let the manager manage." [LNB]
