To a large majority of West Ham fans.

Do you remember that time when you wanted Paolo Di Canio to take charge at Upton Park?

Just imagine what life under the Italian would have been like.

First of all, Andy Carroll would never have been brought in, even on loan. Every manager has their preferred type of player and the robust nature of Carroll hardly fits the bill for Di Canio's liking of clever, technical players.

Anyway, if Carroll had arrived, a photo of him on a night out that emerged last December would have curtailed his West Ham career for certain.

Next, think what Di Canio would have said to the media after you were emphatically beaten 5-1 by Arsenal in January.

Sam Allardyce reportedly gave the squad a severe dressing down and told them to get to training before dawn the following day.

If Allardyce was that angry, can you imagine what Di Canio would have come out with in his post-match interviews?

And how about when James Collins went through that particularly rough patch last season.

Di Canio has proved he is not in the slightest bit scared of singling out players for their mistakes, on or off the pitch, as Phil Bardsley and John O'Shea would tell you.

All these antics and outbursts would have inevitably lead to fisticuffs with Kevin Nolan and one or two others at some point.

Nolan is an experienced pro who puts everything on the line for his team, so he would hardly have been one to stand around and watch Di Canio on his devastating path of destruction.

That would probably have lead to him being frozen out the team as well.

Surely now then Hammers fans, despite how undoubtedly good he was for you as a player, you feel blessed that David Gold and David Sullivan did not relent to your pleas?

Tell us your views by commenting below. Do you think Di Canio would have done a better job at West Ham than he did at Sunderland? And would you, now, ever have Di Canio in the hot seat at West Ham?