Former Hammer Steve Lomas told Goals on Sunday his old mate Paolo di Canio should NOT manage the club.
Di Canio 'too volatile' says former team-mate Lomas
Former West Ham skipper Steve Lomas says his old mate Paolo di Canio is not the right man to manage the club.
The Italian is among the favourites to replace Alan Curbishley's resignation just three games into the new season.
Lomas, who played alongside di Canio at Upton Park during his eight-year stay in the East End, fears his fiery temperament means he is not right for the management game.
"I don't think he should get it, although he'll be one of the favourites," he told
Goals On Sunday. "I think he's interested from what everybody's been saying.
"He was a fantastic player and a fantastic talent, but he's volatile so I don't know how he would cope with it. When he was high he was very high and when he was low, he'd be lower than a snake's belly - and I think as a manager, you need to be on an even keel.
"The thing about Paolo was he always worked hard. He always stayed behind in training and he wanted it done properly - he'd be the first one to moan if the lads weren't doing it properly.
"So from that point of view he'd be a good example, there's no doubt about that.
"But I just think the pressure of being a manager in the Premier League, he'd find that bit hard, keeping an even keel because he is a volatile Italian - as we've said on numerous occasions!"
Lomas had some sympathy for Curbishley who quit his post following the sale of Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney in deadline day deals.
And although Kevin Keegan may have stolen his thunder somewhat with his own resignation, Lomas believes the two decisions are very real evidence of the changing face of football management.
"He (Curbishley) has got six points from three games, so it's amazing," he said.
"I do think there's a deep-lying problem there where he feels he hasn't been able to recruit his own people.
"I think it's a similar problem with Kevin Keegan at Newcastle. Publicly he backed them when they sold James Milner to Villa but in turn he probably wanted money for new signings.
"I think it's a bit unfair. They've had a turnover of the board with Eggert (Magnusson) coming in and its changing again, so they have had a little bit of upheaval.
"Alan and Kevin Keegan would be classed as a bit of the old school where they want to do everything, they want to manage from the top down, decide who comes and goes, but that's all changing."
