HAMMERS midfielder Scott Parker insists the team are playing without fear under new boss Gianfranco Zola.

Amidst all the murmurs of takeover talks and financial instability, it appears West Ham have got something right, with the Italian quickly earning the respect of the players and getting them to play high-tempo, attacking football which has seen them climb to sixth in the table.

Parker perhaps needed more convincing than most about the new manager's appointment, as he was brought through the ranks at Charlton under Zola's predecessor Alan Curbishley, while the former Irons boss also bought him from Newcastle last year for £7million.

However, the 28-year-old, like the rest of the West Ham squad, has taken to the former Chelsea forward quickly, and is enjoying learning from one of the best imports the Premier League has seen, admitting the transition between managers has been seemless.

"He (Zola) was a fantastic player and that helped massively," said Parker. "We've got quite a young squad here and it helps that such a great player has come in and is well respected because of that.

"The squad have had to adapt to the change, because obviously the new manager does things differently to how Curbishley would do things.

"But as a player you have to keep an open mind and be ready to change for new ideas."

Zola has brought with him a refreshing attack-minded philosphy, which has expressed itself in the form of an exciting new 4-3-2-1 formation, and Parker revealed the manager has actively encouraged them to be more adventurous on the pitch.

"We try to play in the right way and there have been times when we've played some very nice stuff," he continued. "It's a big factor to have somebody who wants to play the right way. It gives us confidence to try different stuff and make things happen.

"There's a fine line between making mistakes and not but that's what we need, to not worry about making those mistakes and that's what he (Zola) has told us."