Is Gianfranco Zola Leading the Way for Manager of the Year Honors?

There might still be seven games to go until the end of the league season, but as the recently announced PFA Player of the Year shortlist demonstrates, it is never too early to begin talking about awards.

While nominations for the various players’ awards might well garner a lot of controversy and criticism from fans (especially when voting takes place in February), with less than 20 per cent of the season left, it is perhaps slightly easier to ascertain which Premiership managers have overseen the most impressive campaign for their respective clubs.

For many, Roy Hodgson has opened up a healthy gap on any of his rivals for manager of the year. Having seen his Fulham side avoid the drop on the last day of last season (an escape that in itself was an epic achievement), this term, Hodgson has made a few key additions to his squad (Zamora, Johnson, Schwarzer), overcome the loss of an integral member of the team (Bullard), and overseen the progression of a few inspired signings from last season (Hangeland) to steer his side to a comfortable mid-table position (they currently lie eighth).

In the process, the Craven Cottage outfit have leapfrogged many teams that not only finished well ahead of them last term, but also spent far heavier in the transfer windows this season.

While Hodgson has not quite had to work on a shoestring budget (after all, he spent around £10.5m on Andy Johnson alone), he has still had to be far more prudent than many of his rivals.

Nevertheless, he has managed to show what many on the continent already knew, but few domestically were aware of—that he is an astute evaluator of player talent, with the tactical nous to get the best out of those at his disposal.

Depending on the destination of the FA Cup, Fulham and Hodgson could yet find themselves in possession of a Europa League spot.

Quite simply, that would be an incredible achievement.

This season, pundits have often been very critical of Arsene Wenger—the Frenchman even admitted this week that he has made some mistakes—but with the advantage of hindsight, it is hard not to give him immense credit for the job he has done.

How many other clubs could have soldiered on as admirably as the Gunners if they had lost as many star players as the North London outfit have this season?

At different stages Wenger has been without Fabregas, Gallas, Adebayor, Van Persie, and Walcott for prolonged periods—not to mention the long-term absences of Tomas Rosicky and Eduardo.

Much is always made any time there is a United side without Ronaldo, a Liverpool side without Gerrard, or a Chelsea side without John Terry. But the fact of the matter is Arsenal have lost squad members of equal importance (if not equal quality) on a far more regular basis.

It must have been a source of great frustration for Wenger, unable to see his first choice 11 take the field on a regular basis. Even now there is no respite—as Almunia, Gallas, and Clichy look set to miss the remainder of the campaign.

Yet despite all the setbacks, the club are in the semifinals of two cup competitions and—especially if they beat both Liverpool and Manchester United in the league—look like they will still finish within 10 points of the eventual champions.

While perhaps not exactly what the fans were looking for this year, bearing in mind the club’s various difficulties, it is still a season to be proud of. Even at this early stage, there is evidence to suggest the Gunners will be back as strong contenders for the league title next year.

Above Arsenal in the table, the likes of Rafa Benitez and Alex Ferguson will no doubt feel they should be in line for the award (especially if the former leads Liverpool to the title), but it was always likely that both men would find themselves near the top of the league, and as a result what they have achieved is perhaps unremarkable.

It’s the curse of working at the top end of the industry—it’s far harder to impress people with your success when they almost expect it of you. Fortunately for both men, they can be safe in the knowledge that if they bring the title home, they will be suitably lauded by their own fans.

Another manager who might feel he has a case for more widespread recognition, except this time based on exceeding expectations, is Stoke manager Tony Pulis. While proving this season that he is one of football’s good guys—the 51-year-old running the London Marathon to raise money for the Donna Louise Trust, despite having a relegation battle to worry about—his team have played ugly, if highly effective football that has put them within a few points of safety.

Creating a fortress at home, Pulis has worked wonders in ensuring his side are up to the rigours of top-flight football. The additions of Matthew Etherington and James Beattie in the January transfer window look to have been exactly what the side needed, and could prove the difference come the final standings.

Pulis has certainly done an outstanding job this term, but perhaps the memories of Rory Delap’s throw-ins as a tactical device earlier in the season and the unfortunate stigma of unattractive football that is—rightly or wrongly—attached to it will prevent the former Gillingham boss getting the level of credit he truly deserves.

Currently in the driving seat to profit from the further European qualification spot allocated to the league is the club one place above Fulham—West Ham. Looking back on the season, it is arguable that Hammers’ manager Gianfranco Zola is the real candidate for manager of the year.

Yes, West Ham finished 10th last year, but Zola has arguably faced greater obstructions than anyone else during the course of this campaign.

Hodgson may be able to point to a huge improvement in league position year-on-year, but he also had the whole summer to mold the squad in the image he desired. Zola, on the other hand, walked into a team low on confidence after Alan Curbishley’s departure in early September.

Curbishley, remember, left in acrimonious circumstances after accusations that the board were selling players without his consent—the moves of Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney to Sunderland being the examples cited.

Ultimately, under incredibly difficult circumstances Zola has managed to merge the club’s plethora of young talent (Tompkins, Collison, Stanislas, Sears) with the existing first-teamers (Upson, Parker, Noble) to create a team that has proven itself extremely difficult to beat.

Despite losing some good players in the summer, the club looks set to improve on last year’s 10th place finish. That is a very respectable achievement, even before the club’s economic turmoil is factored in.

Throughout the campaign, Zola and his charges have had to go about their business knowing that the club's Icelandic owners were effectively penniless—only staving off bankruptcy because West Ham was their only saleable asset. 

Not only that, but Sheffield United’s £30m compensation claim—a result of the Tevez ownership debacle—continued to create headlines while the team was just trying to win games.

Uncertainty, particularly economic uncertainty, rarely has anything other than a negative effect on a football team. Just look at the situation at Valencia—for months the Spanish side were near the top of the La Liga, and then they failed to win in eight games once players stopped being paid.

While the situation was never as bad at Upton Park as it is at the Mestalla, at one stage it certainly threatened to be.

Fortunately Zola—a highly intelligent player in his day—was astute enough to realize that economic concerns were something beyond his control, and he seems to have been able to spread that sentiment to his players.

Add to that a few examples to suggest that the rookie manager, along with his able assistant Steve Clarke and general manager Gianluigi Nani, has good nous in the transfer market (Di Michele, Savio, Ilunga), and it is hard not to believe that the Italian has got as big a future as a manager as he had as a player.

Few pundits would have been surprised if the Hammers had got themselves embroiled in a relegation battle this season, considering all the external pressures on the club and the limited talent of much of the playing personnel.

Yet the club enter the final part of the season knowing that European qualification is within their grasp—something that Zola should rightly get much of the credit for.

This summer might be too soon for the Chelsea job—but if the little Italian can continue such impressive work (easier said than done) for a few seasons, well, who knows?