Zola backs West Ham to avoid drop
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Your support makes all the difference.Gianfranco Zola will continue to try to make his West Ham side play like Arsenal even if they find themselves bottom of the Premier League following the Sunday's London derby.
The West Ham boss, whose side have won just one league match this season, refuses to ditch his attacking principles and admits he has modelled his managerial style on Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
A defeat at home to the Gunners on Sunday could leave West Ham propping up the league and ratchet up the pressure on Zola after just 18 months in the job.
Zola said: "He (Wenger) is the manager I look up to very much. I like the style of football he plays and we want to get to the point when we play that kind of football.
"We want to follow the same policy. They work with young players and they make them better. That is our project and I admire him very much.
"He's got a lot of players and keeps them all motivated. I also like the strength of his character. He's been through difficult moments but he never changes his attitude towards the game.
"He always plays attacking football and never changes his mind."
Zola's side have not won a league game since the first match of the season.
In fact, they have played eight, won one, drawn two and lost five, an identical start to the 2002/03 season, when they were last relegated.
The coincidence is not lost on Zola.
He said: "I know it hasn't been a good start and I question myself all the time. I look at the group the way they train and if they keep doing so with the same attitude they will not have a problem.
"They will come out of this situation brilliantly. That's my thought and I hope I'm right.
"This game is about psychology. It is important we get some points. We are not far away from where we want but we need results.
"We need the comfort back of getting points. The table is very tight. If you end up winning two games you might find yourself in the middle of the table. Don't be surprised if things change quickly."
Zola admits he is a "worrier" and has lost the odd night's sleep at a club with financial problems which has seen them cash in on 10 senior players since June 2008.
"I don't like to let myself down," he said. "I have had downfalls in my career but I always knew I was going to bounce back. That is what is going to happen now.
"It is difficult because I care about these players and about this club. To see them in this situation hurts me."
Scott Parker is likely to return after serving a one-match suspension for picking up five yellow cards and Danny Gabbidon is pushing to start after recovering from a calf problem.
Meanwhile, midfielder Jack Collison insisted the dressing room was firmly behind Zola.
Collison said: "He's the same as always, enthusiastic, cheerful and hard-working. 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.
"He knows when he has to be hard on us when we haven't played well and he knows when he has to tell us how it is. There are other times when he is good at motivating us and making sure we keep our heads up. He hasn't let things get to him.
"He's very approachable, which is great to have, particularly in the situation we are in. He's very hands-on, which is what we need right now."
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