West Ham's woes will turn Gianfranco Zola into Mr Nasty, says Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger has warned West Ham’s problems will turn Gianfranco Zola into Mr Nasty.

Under-pressure Hammers boss Zola is regarded as one of football’s nice guys but is facing a crisis at Upton Park with his team second from bottom and the club in financial meltdown.

Gunners boss Wenger fears the pressures of management will soon get to Zola as he recalled his own difficult beginning to his career in his first job at Nancy.

Wenger, who celebrated his 60th birthday on Thursday, recalled yesterday how he was regularly physically sick after suffering defeats and says there is no room for pleasantries in the hard school of football management.

Frenchman Wenger said: “He will toughen up, don’t worry. I was quite tough when I was younger.

“It is tough when you’re losing games but, despite all that, I believe that when you love the game you stay in it and you suffer.

“I have a big deal of sympathy for Zola - until Sunday. I believe he is doing well but of course he had a lot of players, and like a lot of teams they have had to cut their expenses. From then on it becomes more difficult.

“I had similar circumstances at Nancy, we always had to sell players. As soon as we had good players, it was bye-bye.

“It is a challenge for Zola and it was a challenge for me. I believe that luckily, West Ham have always had young players. When you look at today, a lot of players who had won the title have come out of West Ham.”

West Ham have as near as damn it sold the family silver down the years, off-loading Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand who have all gone on to win Premier League medals.

Struggling West Ham are faced with similar financial problems again and Zola is expected not only to keep the team up but also cope with a potential fire sale in January.

One of the possible departures in January is Matt Upson, and Wenger yesterday did not so much admit regret selling him in 2003 but confessed to thinking about re-signing the England defender.

Wenger said: “I knew when he left that he would make a big career. But at that moment when Matthew was here, he was impatient.

“I could understand that because I bought him at Luton and after a few years he didn’t play here.

“I didn’t stop him going because I knew he had qualities to play in the Premier League but he had players in front of him that stopped him.

“I knew he would make it. He had Premier League quality and had the potential to be international quality.

“He is there now because he is at the right age for a central defender and for a few years now he has not been stopped by injury which was his problem for a while.

“He has been in my mind. He has good quality, good attitude, good spirit but of course this is not the best moment to talk about that. He is a player at West Ham.

“Three, four, five years ago yes I thought about re-signing him, but now he is settled and has a good career where he is.”

Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky has been ruled out of tomorrow’s derby after suffering another flare-up of his knee injury. Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner will have a late test after a groin injury but Eduardo is fit to return again.

Meanwhile, Claudio Ranieri has urged Zola to use his "Sardinian" strength to come through a torrid start to the season at West Ham.

Ranieri, in London this week with his Roma team, coached Zola at Stamford Bridge when the playmaker was voted the greatest Chelsea player of all time.

Like the Tinkerman, the West Ham boss has been accused of being too nice to be a top-class manager.

But after witnessing at first-hand Zola's determination to reach the top as a player, Ranieri insisted he will bring the same drive to management as the Hammers face a relegation battle this season.

"He has to be strong," said the 58-year-old. "He is a Sardinian man and Sardinian men are very, very strong.

"The experience will make him a better man and a better manager. Now is a bad moment but they have to continue to work hard and then finally I am sure he will win.

"Last season his team played some very good football and did very well. I hope for him this year he can do this again. I wish him luck."

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