 After a row with the board over the sale of defenders Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney to Sunderland , manager Alan Curbishley resigned on 3 September 2008 . His successor was former Chelsea striker Gianfranco Zola , who took over on 11 September 2008 to become the club 's first non @-@ British manager . In the 2008 – 09 season , West Ham finished ninth , a single place improvement . 
