Now we are beginning to get a sense of Zola the boss, and the signs are encouraging. Great players rarely make great (even good) managers, but Zola is hoping to buck that trend.
The club welcomed him by packing a seasons worth of headlines into a three month period. The fact that most of these referred to the court room and not the football pitch did not deter the diminutive Italian who has kept his cool admirably amidst the soap opera of Upton Park.
Repeatedly restating Scott Duxbury's assurances that no first team players will be sold in the January transfer window amid a barrage of press scepticism, Zola appears to be having his wish granted.
The sale of Craig Bellamy will be viewed as no disaster given a) the inflated fee involved and b) the team's, and in particular Carlton Cole's, recent performances.
Demanding to leave a club that have stuck by you through one and a half injury ravaged seasons tells you all you need to know about Craig Bellamy.
Whilst Zola has been a revelation in his off-pitch capacity, West Ham fans will be even more encouraged by the promising signs on the pitch.
West Ham have a proud tradition, and as such the fans can seem demanding. In actual fact, this is far from the truth - they are not unreasonably demanding trophies, their cravings are more subtle than that, and relate to style.
Traditionally the trophy cabinet at Upton Park has never needed to be any more than a cupboard, but that is not to say that a visit to the ground on matchday is not worthwhile - far from it. The Upton Park turf has been graced by some of the all-time greats, and the locals have grown accustomed to generations of aesthetically pleasing teams. An achievement they have come to value dearly.
Interestingly, the last time that a West Ham team could truly claim a place within that famous and proud dynasty of exhilerating football, they were also led by a charismatic Italian.
Paulo Di Canio was the sort of footballer the West Ham crowd feed off. The passionate love of the supporters was reciprocated entirely on the part of the man himself, as he forged a talismanic role in Redknapp's side of the late nineties.
That side were able to impress over a prolonged and stable period of time, culminating in 5th place (West Ham's highest Premier League placing) and an Intertoto cup spot in 1999.
Of course, West Ham fans are not alone in cherishing such a reputation, but no team could possibly cherish it more than them. For West Ham fans, trophies are intermitant , but their style should not be. They may not always pull, but it's vital that they look good trying.
On paper Alan Curbishley's tenure at Upton Park was a notable success. Avoiding relegation with the pendulum veering dramatically from the realm of improbable to that of impossible and the stability of a second season top-half finish are a credit to him. Replacing notable with remarkable would have required the addition of style to that substance.
Gianfranco Zola may just be combining the two.
The foundations of West Ham's recent success (four wins in five) run through the English spine of their team. From Rob Green and Mathew Upson at the back, through to Carlton Cole up front, via Scott Parker and Mark Noble.
Interestingly, this group of players (with the exception of Cole on a good day) have mastered the safe rather than the spectacular. But their consistency has started to spread through the team resulting in committed performances all over the pitch.
Summer signings and findings such as Valon Behrami, Herita Ilunga and the outstanding Jack Collison have followed the lead of the more established players, and West Ham are beginning to look a team again.
No on-pitch orchestrator in the Di Canio mould as yet, but maybe this side's equivalent is to be found sat on the bench or patrolling the touchline issuing orders.
Too early yet to tell whether this side can prize it's way into the club's aesthetics Hall of Fame -but signs that Zola, like his fans, understands that as a mark of true success.
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