Maverick Zola enters Upton Park but Laudrup offered a better bet

Was Michael Laudrup the man for West Ham?

It seems certain an Italian will be ruling the West Ham roost this season but the club’s best bet might come in the form of the former Danish international.

Currently without a club after leaving Getafe, the Dane made a fantastic impression in his only year at the Spanish club having also successfully coached Brøndby for four years.

Getafe, a small suburban club on the outskirts of Madrid, are unfashionable and constantly lie in the shadow of their illustrious superiors Real. Yet last year they reached the Spanish Cup final (the second time in as many years) before losing to Valencia but shone most of all in the Uefa Cup.

Despite it being their first year ever in European competition, Getafe reached the quarter-finals before losing to Bayern Munich in the most unfortunate of circumstances. Laudrup was deemed a hero, playing winning football with an exciting style, but decided to leave in order to pursue a more high-profile job – and could have been the perfect fit for West Ham. Certainly, he seems far more qualified than either Gianfranco Zola or Roberto Donadoni, with the former all-but certain to take charge of the troubled London club.

Laudrup, instead, has agreed to become coach of Russian outfit Spartak Moscow on an 18-month contract as the side aim to emerge from underneath the shadow of Zenit St Petersburg, currently the country’s best club side having won both the Uefa and Super Cups this year.

Zola, who is assistant coach of the Italy Under-21s, speaks good English having become a legend at Chelsea but offers little in terms of experience.

Yet he might be the kind of maverick West Ham need in order to emerge from the dark times of Alan Pardew and Alan Curbishley’s management, both of whom offered the supporters little in terms of excitement or enterprise during their respective terms in charge.

The loyal fans want to again be able to enjoy watching West Ham, and if Zola the manager can have the same affect on the supporters as he did when a player, Upton Park will soon be rocking once more.