The Irons failed to make the most of their numerical advantage when beaten by 10-man Arsenal on Saturday, the Gunners having played the second-half without defender Thomas Vermaelen.

Zola was more irked by his players' lack of composure against the Gunners rather than the penalty miss from Alessandro Diamanti, which could have levelled the match heading into the break.

West Ham have now lost four games in a row, although three of them have been against the title challengers.

Zola knows another defeat against Wolves - a point and a place above the Irons - would heap more pressure on his shoulders, as co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan become increasingly concerned by the position of the east London club, just above the relegation zone.

"The Wolves game will be massive, a six-pointer," the Italian declared.

"We have to face the match with focus and concentration, but without doing silly things."

Zola continued: "I would have been enjoying it a bit more if we were in a different position, but that is football.

"You still like the competitive side of it.

"The team is not in a very good position, but I am enjoying finding ways to get the best of my players in difficult conditions."

West Ham now have two home games which could well see them pull clear of danger, with Stoke coming to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday.

However, with difficult away trips to both Everton and Liverpool coming up next month, sandwiched in between the visit of Sunderland and Wigan, Zola knows there is little margin for error.

The West Ham manager, though, accepts you can drive yourself mad by trying to predict just which other teams will pick up or drop points where in what has been a campaign full of inconsistencies at both ends of the table.

"You do look at the fixture list of all the teams around you, but you cannot really work that way because you never know what will happen," Zola said.

"On Saturday, I am sure there were not many people expecting Portsmouth to beat Hull or for Wolves to get a point at Aston Villa.

"You have to work out how to get your own points first, and then maybe look at the others."

West Ham hope to have captain Scott Parker back from a leg injury, while strikers Carlton Cole and Benni McCarthy are both pressing for a place in the starting XI.

Zola certainly has plenty of firepower at his disposal, having also brought in Egypt forward Mido and Brazilian Ilan during the January transfer window.

However, the Irons boss maintains the dynamic of the team must be kept in check.

"Even if you are trying to score all the time, you have to keep the balance," Zola reflected.

"You cannot think just about going forwards and not keeping a balance behind."

Zola added: "Wolves are very dangerous. I watched the Villa game and they looked quite strong.

"They can defend very well and in Kevin Doyle, they have a very dangerous player on the counter attack.

"So, yes we will play an attacking game on Tuesday, but we will keep an eye at the back as well."

Mido, meanwhile, believes the Hammers will soon see the best of him.

The 27-year-old former Tottenham and Middlesbrough striker, who had a spell at Egyptian club El Zamalek before heading to Upton Park, said: "I have been working hard to get fit and I feel much better than when I first came.

"For strikers sometimes you just need a goal to get more confidence. That is what I need now."

Mido told WHUTV: "We are just looking forward to the next couple of games.

"We know it is crucial for us, crucial for the club and crucial for the fans - we just want to win."