Tony: Paolo Can Inspire Us

Tony Gale is hoping Paolo Di Canio can produce another inspirational performance against Manchester United on Sunday to help the Hammers to the first home win of the season.

And he has sympathy for Paolo after a newspaper attack on him earlier in the week involving Julian Dicks.

Looking at Paolo's performance at the weekend, he says:

"His attitude was first class on Sunday and he wasn't having a bad game in the first half.

"In the second half he really picked the boys up, and I must admit he looked absolutely knackered in the end - I say that in a nice way because he gave his all.

"I purposely sat at home that day and had the day off but I watched the game - and Paolo ran his legs off.

"He was trying to get on the ball as much as possible, and it is very difficult when you are jinking, twisting, and turning defenders all the time.

"He had a hell of a lot of the ball in the second half and led from the front."

Of the newspaper article, he says:

"I think Julian might have been set up a little bit - he is never one to hold back and a couple of comments he has made have made a 'good' story.

"To be fair to the newspaper, they want to get stories like that, he has done it, and obviously Paolo has done his research in his comeback.

"I think he was just having a go at the general situation; he was flattered by Glenn saying he needs more of the Julian Dicks type of player and that is what the piece was saying as well.

"It is something that happens now and again, and whenever we ex-players are asked to comment it can be picked up in the wrong way and used against the players.

"All we want is for West Ham to get out of the plight we are in and no one is bigger than the club whether it is Julian, Alvin, Frank McAvennie, Geoff Hurst, or Martin Peters.

"We are all sad to see the position we are in."

Tony says that blaming individuals is not the way forward and adds:

"It is a collective thing and it is not right to point the finger at individuals; the side is not defending well nor creating as many chances as it should be as a team.

"But I have got every faith in Sarge and Glenn to get us out of trouble - but it is just sad that we are not really going to have the season that we thought we were going to have at the start, when we might have hoped to finish higher than last time.

"It goes without saying that the ability we have got in the side, and just look at other teams in and around where we are, we shouldn't be in this position."