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Post by Macmoish on Nov 23, 2010 13:59:58 GMT
Shades of the Sousa axing process?Goal.com West Ham sack assistant manager Zeljko Petrovic - report 23 Nov 2010 Players West Ham United have reacted to their shocking form so far this season by terminating the contract of Avram Grant's assistant manager Zeljko Petrovic, reports the Daily Mail.It has been widely spoken about that Grant himself is in the line of fire, and Petrovic may well feel he has been made a scapegoat for the situation the Hammers find themselves in. Former West Ham striker Paolo di Canio has been mentioned as a replacement, as exclusively revealed by Goal.com UK last week, possibly to boost fans' morale, with Wally Downes, the former Reading coach also being mooted. West Ham face Wigan on Saturday in a massive relegation clash, which if lost could see the end of Avram Grant in East London. www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/11/23/2227600/west-ham-sack-assistant-manager-zeljko-petrovic-report
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Post by Macmoish on Nov 24, 2010 7:35:29 GMT
INDEPENDENT
Petrovic pays the price for West Ham's terrible startBy Jack Pitt-Brooke West Ham United have parted company with assistant manager Zeljko Petrovic as they attempt to turn round their faltering season. Petrovic had only been at Upton Park for four months, having joined in late July as part of new manager Avram Grant's backroom staff. Yesterday a brief statement on the West Ham website read: "The club would like to wish Zeljko for his efforts during his four months and wish him well for the future." The former Yugoslavia midfielder joined West Ham having managed Boavista in Portugal and Dutch club RKC Waalwijk, as well as a spell assisting Martin Jol at Hamburg but he paid the price for the Hammers bad start to the season. They are currently bottom with just nine points from their first 14 games and have only won one PremierLeague game so far, the fewest in the division. Recent home draws with West Bromwich Albion and Blackpool have added to the discontent among supporters, and Saturday's game with fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic at Upton Park has been designated the "save our season game" by the West Ham board. Five thousand adult tickets have been reduced to £20, and a club statement has urged that "a full house of loyal vociferous supporters is needed to help the team as they go all-out for victory." Petrovic's departure is likely to lead to a restructuring of the West Ham coaching staff, with reports of the return of former players Paolo di Canio and Steve Lomas to help Grant. Di Canio enjoyed four and a half seasons at theclub and played 141 games, scoring 52 goals. Meanwhile, Newcastle's Mike Williamson has denied a Football Association charge of violent conduct against the Bolton Wanderers striker Johan Elmander. A regulatory commission will hear the case today with the 27-year-old facing a three-match ban if found guilty. Williamson was charged on Monday after referee Howard Webb, who did not see the incident during the Magpies' 5-1 Premier League defeat at Bolton, viewed video footage and decided he would have issued a red card had he done so. www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/petrovic-pays-the-price-for-west-hams-terrible-start-2141957.htmlMirror
Knives are out for Grant as Hammers No.2 gets the bullet 23/11/10 By Alan Nixon Avram Grant is fighting to save his job at West Ham - with his number two Zeljko Petrovic leaving the troubled club last night. Grant brought in the Serbian coach through his contacts but the move has not worked out and the Hammers assistant has been axed in the build-up to the crunch game with Wigan. Petrovic, who worked with Ruud Gullit and Martin Jol in his time in Europe, is regarded as Grant’s right-hand man and his exit damages the Israeli at a time when he was supposed to have backing. The Hammers heirarchy have been working on bringing in a new coach to help Grant - with former skipper Steve Lomas lobbied for within the club - but instead the Petrovic departure has pushed the manager closer to the edge. www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/West-Ham-manager-Avram-Grant-faces-the-sack-after-his-No-2-Zeljko-Petrovic-was-axed-article635143.html#ixzz16BPLtFFu
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Post by Macmoish on Nov 25, 2010 9:06:19 GMT
Linked to QPR in the pastBBC - Wally Downes appointed West Ham defensive coach Former Brentford manager Wally Downes has taken up a position as West Ham's defensive coach.The 49-year-old's appointment comes a day after assistant manager Zeljko Petrovic left his role with the Premier League's bottom club. Downes told the Evening Standard: "It is an honour to be asked to help such a good club. I will do my best to help lift them out of the relegation area." Downes also worked under Steve Coppell during a successful spell at Reading. After leaving the Royals in the summer of 2009, he had a brief stint as coach at Southampton with ex-Irons boss Alan Pardew before the coaching staff departed St Mary's in August. 606: DEBATE He is a fiery character, so at the very least he will inject a bit of passion in the set up D I CANdId O He also previously worked with Coppell at Palace before following him to Brentford in 2000. When Coppell left Brentford in June 2002, Downes took over the managerial reigns at Griffin Park, leading the club to 16th in what is now League One before being sacked in March the following season with the club near the bottom of the table. West Ham have nine points from 14 league games this season, and are five points adrift from safety. Vice-Chairman Karren Brady told BBC Sport last week that manager Avram Grant was likely to be manager at the end of the season. However, 45-year-old Montenegrin Petrovic departed after less than four months with the club and the Upton Park board have billed the home match with Wigan on Saturday as a 'save our season game'. In addition, former West Ham striker and fans' favourite Paolo Di Canio has been linked with a return to his old club in a coaching role newsvote.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/9225791.stm
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