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West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola: Alessandro Diamanti plays like I did
Hammers boss rates Italian highly…
22 Feb 2010 16:20:00
By Danny Hart
West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola believes striker Alessandro Diamanti’s style of play is similar to the way the Italian boss used to play.
The 26-year-old, who joined from Livorno in the summer, impressed at the weekend in the Hammers 3-0 win over Hull City and almost scored a goal from his own half.
Zola believes that while Diamanti’s unpredictability is a big asset for the team, his work rate also makes him a key Hammers player.
He told Sky Sports: "He is probably the only one crazy enough to try and score from his own half.
"Yes I think he has got something of me. Sometimes he does the unpredictable things. He also does unpredictable mistakes as I used to. That is the kind of player he is.
"But what is surprising me about him is that his work-rate is fantastic. He is also playing in a position where he has never played before. In Italy, he used to play second striker or maybe behind the two strikers in the hole.
"He didn't work very hard defensively, but now he works very hard for us and is massive for the team."
Diamanti has become a fans' favourite at Upton Park and has scored seven goals in 21 appearances since joining the club in August.
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The 26-year-old, who joined from Livorno in the summer, impressed at the weekend in the Hammers 3-0 win over Hull City and almost scored a goal from his own half.
Zola believes that while Diamanti’s unpredictability is a big asset for the team, his work rate also makes him a key Hammers player.
He told Sky Sports: "He is probably the only one crazy enough to try and score from his own half.
"Yes I think he has got something of me. Sometimes he does the unpredictable things. He also does unpredictable mistakes as I used to. That is the kind of player he is.
"But what is surprising me about him is that his work-rate is fantastic. He is also playing in a position where he has never played before. In Italy, he used to play second striker or maybe behind the two strikers in the hole.
"He didn't work very hard defensively, but now he works very hard for us and is massive for the team."
Diamanti has become a fans' favourite at Upton Park and has scored seven goals in 21 appearances since joining the club in August.
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
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