Former Hammer tales of Zola and Savio

Former Hammer Carlton Cole has spoken about the impact of playing under managers who have more skill than their players.

Cole told Joe.co.uk cameras “I had Zola, I think it was Craig Bellemy who had to go into his office to say ‘Look listen Gaffer, you can’t train with us, because of the morale of the team’

Cole said: ‘I am there and thinking I should be able to do that, I am a striker and I can’t do that, you’ve got James Collins being put on his arse.  And I am thinking, you know what ‘Why are you doing this to us?’  So (Craig) had to go to (Zola) and say you can’t train with us anymore because it’s getting to the point when the team morale is getting low, so we need you to manage and just do it that way.

Cole recalled another story about Zola and new signing Savio.

“We had a record signing Savio, that he’d signed. I think it was for £9m or whatever at the time, we were doing a crossing and finishing session, Obviously, I am in the box . So he’s telling Savio ‘This is what I want from you, I want you to come from this side and then go outside and then whip it into Coley’s head’  

“So (Savio) was trying it, this is our record signing, he is supposed to be the best player at the club. So he’s trying it and the balls were going way over my head. So obviously the manager’s getting frustrated, Gianfranco said “this is how I want it!”

“So he goes and demos it and it is bang on my head and I scored some worldies, I scored from the edge of the box, bosh!  Straight on my head because he knows what he is doing”.

“Our record signing morale is now super low now because he can’t do what the gaffer can do”