Hammers clarity crucial - Brooking

Gianfranco Zola was axed from the Upton Park hotseat on Tuesday after 18 months in charge, following a turbulent season which saw the club narrowly avoid relegation and the Italian repeatedly at odds with the owners. Zola claimed he was in the dark over a bid for West Brom's Graham Dorrans and was unhappy at co-owner Sullivan branding one performance "shambolic" and "pathetic" and telling a newspaper every player was up for sale except for Scott Parker. Some big names have been linked with the vacancy but the likes of Avram Grant, Mark Hughes and Martin Jol are unlikely to take kindly to such a perceived lack of support from above. "Every club is different and every owner is different," Brooking said. "We'll have to see what happens over the summer. I'm sure there will be discussions about how it's going to operate. That's for the new person to try to get some clarity before they come in." Zola guided the Hammers to a creditable ninth-placed finish last season, but the financial crisis at Upton Park meant no chance of a repeat this time around. "It's a shame he's gone, he tried hard at the club and did well in the first season, probably over-performed," added Brooking. "But then we had the financial issues and players were sold. James Collins to Aston Villa in August was a big loss - we had quite a few clean sheets the season before and not too many this time. "Everyone was disappointed to see Gianfranco go. The top priority was to stay up. West Ham fans are used to rollercoasters but it's going to be a challenge to whoever comes in."