Tonight:
4°c
It is highly unlikely that any self-respecting West Ham fan has spent any time watching Chelsea's European Cup Winners' Cup triumph in 1998.
The sight of their west London rivals winning silverware is usually something to abhor rather than take comfort from, but Chelsea's 1-0 victory over Stuttgart that night offers hope to the Hammers, according to Gus Poyet.
The mood at Upton Park has been bleak having not won in the League since the opening day of the season; with a lack of funds leaving question marks over the strength of the squad and now four charges from the Football Association relating to the disgraceful scenes when the club's fans clashed with Millwall's last month.
They are now sitting uncomfortably in the bottom three, yet Poyet is adamant Gianfranco Zola will get them out of trouble because the Italian proved regularly during his playing career that he can recover from adversity.
The West Ham boss is a Chelsea legend but his seven years at Stamford Bridge didn't always run smoothly and there were several occasions where he lost favour with his managers and was left out of the side.
Poyet remains one of his closest friends in football from their time spent playing together in blue, and believes West Ham fans should take encouragement from the time when Zola's work ethic ensured Chelsea won their first European trophy in 27 years against Stuttgart in Stockholm.
He explained: "Everyone at Chelsea remembers what a great player Franco was, but they forget how much of a fighter he is and the character he's got. Not everything went his way at Chelsea.
"He was left out sometimes, but would always come back.
"I remember when we won the European Cup Winners' Cup Final in 1998. He had picked up a groin injury a few weeks before and for anyone else that would have been it, enjoy the final from the stands. But he couldn't accept it.
"He knew he could at least try something to be there, to fight until the end. He made it, but manager Gianluca Vialli still didn't pick him to start the game.
"But with his first touch as a substitute he scored the winning goal for Chelsea. That shows the way he achieved things as a player and will do so as a manager.
"When he is convinced that things can be done, he will do it, no matter what is against him. I'm sure he will turnaround West Ham's form too."
The duo have remained in regular contact and Poyet, who is studying for his UEFA Pro Licence to help his bid to get back into management after spells as an assistant at Swindon, Leeds and Tottenham, went to study Zola's training methods for himself last week.
There was no sign of a despondent set of players or a downbeat Zola, instead just more evidence that the current slump will soon come to an end.
Poyet added: "They won't have any relegation worries this season. If I had any doubts, Franco took that away the other day when I saw him.
"You can see the players are working fantastically well and are sharing in his optimism. He is a perfectionist.
"He will make sure everything is done right for the players. He will turn it around because of his training methods and also the way he treats people and talks to them.
"I'm sure he will repeat what he did last year. He got off to a slow start when he took over West Ham last season but by the end they were in the top half of the table and challenging for Europe.
"He sounds very positive when I talk to him and is not the kind of person who will just say things without meaning it. People are coming to him to ask what's going on, but he doesn't panic."
It will be some achievement if they begin away at Manchester City tonight for Mark Hughes's side are looking a genuine threat to the top four after spending over £100million on new players this summer.
Zola knows that there is pressure on both managers but for different reasons.
He said: "Mark knows that with the budget he has got, with the players he has got, he has to perform and he has to produce results.
"I have to think all the time and find solutions to many problems, so that can be a pressure.
"I'm coping with the job to be honest. This position is making me more creative, more responsible for what we are doing and it's a good challenge."
