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West Ham will wait until after Saturday's FA Cup Final before continuing their search for a new manager.
Owners David Gold and David Sullivan axed Gianfranco Zola yesterday and have drawn up a five-man shortlist to fill the vacancy.
Portsmouth boss Avram Grant was immediately installed as favourite to replace the Italian.
He will lead out Portsmouth against Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday but is then expected to leave the relegated club.
Grant managed Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League final against Manchester United in Moscow but it is understood that the Hammers owners have been impressed by the job he has done in exceptionally difficult circumstances at Fratton Park.
He has also worked closely with Steve Clarke, who was Zola's assistant and who has been asked to stay on. Other names linked with the job include former England manager Glenn Hoddle, Croatia coach and former West Ham star Slaven Bilic plus Championship managers Dave Jones (Cardiff), Ian Holloway (Blackpool), Nigel Pearson (Leicester)and Paulo Sousa (Swansea).
Alan Pardew, who took West Ham back up to the Premier League via the play-offs in 2005, is another possibility.
West Ham are also looking for an early financial settlement with Zola, after the former Chelsea star announced his intention to fight his dismissal for an alleged breach of contract.
The Italian, whose deal included a severance clause entitling him to a £1.9 million pay-out if he was sacked by the Upton Park club, was told that he had broken the terms of his contract because he had publicly criticised his employers.
Zola, who will fight the claim, has enlisted the support of the League Managers' Association.
Reader views (5)
Well said all-but-Ken.
Makes me laugh how Ken thinks Zola should not have been given the job in the first place. So either, a) he should have turned it down (or was he just being polite, Ken?), or b) "fledgling" managers should only be given jobs at big clubs with lots of money.
No, hang on, that won't work.
Lower league clubs, maybe.
No, they're usually worse off than Premier clubs.
I'm lost, Ken - your "point" seems to be simply the slating of West Ham and everyone connected - the last three words of your post aptly sum up the preceding nonsense.
- Stu, Homeless, 13/05/2010 08:12
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Surely they will appoint Lord/Sir/God Alan Sugar as the new manager. After all, the man is a GENIOUS. Simon Cowell as his number two.
- Nod, leytonstone/london, 12/05/2010 19:32
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Thanks Ken.
May want to look at the fact that we were guided to near relegation with a lowly points total.
The only reason we really stayed up is due to Portsmouth's issues and the fact that there were somehow worse teams in the league this season.
Zola proved he did not have the tactical knowledge or the back bone to deal with the life of a Premier League manager.
Being a gentleman does not always bring what is needed to the table. As you would know yourself by calling a whole football club, which includes the fans, nasty and little, not very gentlemen like in my opinion.
- Mark Hewes, Raleigh NC US, 12/05/2010 17:58
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I think you'll find they had that attitude to business before they came. It's not something they've acquired from spending a few months at West Ham. But don't let the facts get in the way of your little rant.
- East, London, 12/05/2010 16:00
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What a nasty little club West ham are - Gold,Sullivan and Brady have found their true home. A fledgling manager like Zola shouldn't have been appointed in he first place given the club's predicament but to dismiss one of the games's few gentleman on a trumped-up charge of gross misconduct to avoid paying compensation is derisory and pathetic.
- Ken Bethell, Mazarron, Spain, 12/05/2010 15:31
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