West Ham United manager, Gianfranco Zola, and assistant manager, Steve Clarke, have both signed contract extensions to stay at Upton Park, which could result in a number of benefits for the club.

The pair have quietly helped West Ham reach 8th place in the Premier League table and the guarantee that they will both be in place at the start of next season is massive news for Hammers fans all over the country.

Both have signed four-year contracts and will be looking to develop the grains of success that they have sewn this season. Zola has shown all of the passion and energy that we loved him for in his time at Chelsea and Clarke arrived in East London hot off the Chelsea press and rated as one of the best coaches in the country.

Their new contracts are the clearest sign yet that the new men in charge are looking to propel West Ham to silverware next season and their innovative ideas and coaching could be just the methods needed to achieve this.

The pair have blooded some of the most talented youth players this season that the league has seen in recent times. James Tomkins and Freddy Sears are just two of the names on everyone’s lips but it proves that the management at West Ham must be doing something right to produce such gifted players.

Clarke spoke openly in the media after signing his contract saying: “I have had a great time since I came here. We have done OK. There is a lot more still to be done and the contract reflects that. It is a long-term contract and what Gianfranco and myself and the rest of the coaching staff look forward to is improving things and working hard every year to make things better and better at this football club.”

“The manager and his staff have to be close and they have to believe in the same things. That is what we do and we try and give that message to the players and so far it has been OK.”

The reason this is such significant news for West Ham is quite simple. It virtually eradicates the days of a power struggle between the club’s owner and then manager, Alan Curbishley that saw the latter leave of an argument about transfers.

When that squabble was going on the team were not performing because the focus of the management and staff was elsewhere. This will not breed success and Zola and Clarke can now funnel every single bit of enthusiasm they both have into making their side better than they currently are.

Centralisation is everything in a football club and it allows success to grow. If each member of the management knows their individual roles then there are no undisputed areas and the team can focus on performing to the best of their capabilities.

Keep an eye on West Ham, they could well break into the top 6 next season and I don’t think many open-minded football fans will be too surprised.