West Ham striker Mido played down the criticism he was subjected to by the English and Egyptian media this season, saying he only cares about Gianfranco Zola's opinion. The 27-year-old was slated during the first half of the season for a string of poor performances with Cairo side Zamalek, where he plied his trade for six months on a loan basis. He sealed a move to West Ham United in the winter but the English tabloids didn't give him a break. Mido has been frequently panned by British pundits over the past months for his chronic goal drought at Upton Park. But the misfiring striker assured that he 'couldn't care less' about what the critics and fans think of him. "Some people say my form has plummeted while others claim that I'm fat and unable to convert clear-cut opportunities, but that doesn't concern my at all," he told FilGoal.com. "Actually, I couldn't care less about what pundits, supporters or even West Ham owners think. I never pay attention to what they say. "The only person whom I care about his opinion is my Italian coach Gianfranco Zola, because he's the only one who reasonably assesses my performances." Zola lauded Mido's attitude more than once, although the former Egypt man couldn't open his account with the Hammers.
Zola "Zola has great faith in me. He fielded me in most of the games," Mido added. Role "Those who criticize me don't really know my role on the pitch. "In the majority of the games that I have played with West Ham, I was deployed as a forward not a striker. "My position is behind striker Carlton Cole, whose job is to score. "My job, on the other hand, is to move across the pitch back and forth in order to exhaust the opposition defenders and give Cole and the midfielders the chance to score. "I also help the backline when there is a set piece. In most of the games I fulfilled all my duties." When asked about his wastefulness, Mido said: "I didn't get many chances. I could have scored against Stoke City when the goal was at my mercy but I wasn't lucky. "I also squandered a penalty kick but that's normal. The most high-profile players in the world do."
