Post by beacon on Nov 16, 2010 17:47:46 GMT 1
Paolo Di Canio is ready to talk to West Ham about helping Avram Grant get the team up the Premier League.
Co-owner David Sullivan said earlier this month he would consider bringing back the popular Italian if the Hammers did not take seven points from four games.
But the home draw with Blackpool means that target cannot be reached with a daunting visit to Anfield to come for the top flight's bottom club.
Di Canio, 42, became a West Ham legend by scoring 48 goals in 118 appearances between 1999 and 2003.
He has now taken his UEFA Pro Licence - studying for part of the course under Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan - and works as a pundit on Italian TV.
But friends of Di Canio have insisted the former Milan and Juventus forward would only come to Upton Park with the agreement of Grant.
"Paolo has always said he would love to be involved at West Ham again and that remains the case," a source in Italy said. "It is no secret his enduring passion for the club.
"If he were approached by West Ham, he would sit and listen. But he would not do anything to undermine the present manager and his staff at the club. If Avram Grant and his staff saw a role for Paolo at the club and thought he could help, he would definitely consider it."
Grant admitted after the goalless draw with Blackpool that it will get "harder and harder" to end the club's winless streak of seven matches the longer it continues.
"Of course it's also a psychological thing but when you have big psychological problems you can't perform like we did against Blackpool," he insisted.
"We need to improve but we did good things. We will win games."
