Source: SKY_Sports
Zola praises beaten Hammers
Gianfranco Zola says he is proud of his team after their five-match unbeaten run came to an end at White Hart Lane on Saturday.
The West Ham boss says he has no complaints with how his team played and he says his side had chances to take the lead before Spurs substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko scored the only goal of the game after 65 minutes.
Zola said: "You are never happy when you lose a game - I am disappointed with the result but pleased with the performance.
"The players gave everything and to be honest they played on the same level as Tottenham.
"I am very, very proud of them and pleased for them."
The Hammers manager never lost against Tottenham as a player and he says that while his team did not make the most of their opportunities, they were just as good as their hosts.
"I believe that [West Ham] did not deserve to get beaten but this is football. We will get on with this and we will try to make it better next week.
"I believe that if we had scored the game would have been ours. We didn't do it and they scored and they won but that doesn't take anything away from the performance.
"I am very pleased despite the result."
Zola has been forced to make several changes in recent weeks because of injuries, but he said his team has stuck together and played well as a unit.
"The organisation of the team right now is very good and you can see that whoever plays is doing a fantastic job for the team," Zola added.
"For a manager that is the best you can get."
The defeat keeps West Ham seven points adrift of Everton and eight behind Aston Villa, having played a game more than both clubs.
But despite a relatively successful campaign so far, Zola says there will be no complacency in the last few games of the season as they push for a European place.
"We have to fight very hard until the end and we believe and we have confidence in what we are doing.
"For me it is important for this team to get a reward for what it has done
throughout the year."
