BOYCEY
Striker
When Paolo di Canio got the job at Sunderland I said in this column that he wasn’t appointed for football reasons.
He was brought in to upset some egos and kick some backsides.
Which is also the reason he’s been sacked.
Believe me, footballers get very upset if a new manager changes their routine. They cry about it to their mates, and before you know it ‘the lads’ are in it together, playing in such a way that the manager’s dismissal becomes inevitable.
Down and out: Paolo Di Canio's methods were not popular with the players and he paid the price
I’ve seen it happen time and time again.
How about the international (not at Sunderland, I hasten to add) who hated new training schedules so much he told his new manager that he saw it as his job to get him the sack as soon as possible?
Or the well-respected player who told his new manager he wouldn’t adhere to the new defensive tactics because he preferred playing a different way? Both times – the manager was sacked after a matter of months.
I’ve read stories about players being upset about di Canio’s rules on chatting with club staff. Forget whether the Italian was right or wrong to impose a rule like that. Instead, ask yourself this: should that affect player performance on a Saturday afternoon? Really?
Sinking feeling: Sunderland players look dejected as former striker Stephane Sessegnon scored for West Brom
Do you honestly believe it’s logical that players perform worse if they’re not allowed to chat to the tea lady? How unprofessional is that? Are they all big babies or what?
And apparently there is outrage at a di Canio rule that youth team players couldn’t use the gym if a senior player was already in there. One of the biggest problems in English football is young players thinking they’ve ‘made it’ before they’ve achieved anything in the game. People long for the days of apprentices cleaning boots and showing respect to management and senior pros. Yet this rule brought in by di Canio to keep young players’ feet on the ground has been criticised.
Don’t feel sorry for the players at Sunderland. They’re well-paid, and they play football all day. Life wasn’t so unbearable for them.
They were given a manager who asked difficult questions of them. They couldn’t be bothered to work harder, so they contacted the board and got him the sack.
They preferred the old ways of no demands, no expectations, and no achievement. Remember this was a group of players who couldn’t be bothered to do their jobs properly for a man like Martin O’Neill.
The fans might get all excited if they beat League One Peterborough in the Cup tonight, but it’s a game that should be comfortable for any Premier League side. The fans deserve more than a routine cup win. Sunderland is a club that has been mediocre or worse for years and years.
Heading for the exit: Paolo Di Canio was sacked by Sunderland after just 13 games
The players have got their way, so they’d better start producing something decent. Until they do, the fans should treat the players with the contempt they deserve – they were unprofessional, they under-performed, lost games, and eventually forced the manager out.
Di Canio wasn’t perfect, and I can’t see him managing in the Premier League again. His strict disciplined regime didn’t go down well with players who prefer an easy life. Had they embraced his methods, Sunderland might have been successful – we will never know.
The sad state of the Premier League these days means managers have to be nice to players or you lose the dressing room and the players get you the sack.
Speaking to Swindon players about di Canio, they tell me they were so hungry for success they were ready to go along with what he wanted.
That tells you all you need to know about the hunger of the Sunderland players.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz2foKw2NHh
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Kevin Keegan - Rattling red and whiters since 1982!
He was brought in to upset some egos and kick some backsides.
Which is also the reason he’s been sacked.
Believe me, footballers get very upset if a new manager changes their routine. They cry about it to their mates, and before you know it ‘the lads’ are in it together, playing in such a way that the manager’s dismissal becomes inevitable.
Down and out: Paolo Di Canio's methods were not popular with the players and he paid the price
I’ve seen it happen time and time again.
How about the international (not at Sunderland, I hasten to add) who hated new training schedules so much he told his new manager that he saw it as his job to get him the sack as soon as possible?
Or the well-respected player who told his new manager he wouldn’t adhere to the new defensive tactics because he preferred playing a different way? Both times – the manager was sacked after a matter of months.
I’ve read stories about players being upset about di Canio’s rules on chatting with club staff. Forget whether the Italian was right or wrong to impose a rule like that. Instead, ask yourself this: should that affect player performance on a Saturday afternoon? Really?
Sinking feeling: Sunderland players look dejected as former striker Stephane Sessegnon scored for West Brom
Do you honestly believe it’s logical that players perform worse if they’re not allowed to chat to the tea lady? How unprofessional is that? Are they all big babies or what?
And apparently there is outrage at a di Canio rule that youth team players couldn’t use the gym if a senior player was already in there. One of the biggest problems in English football is young players thinking they’ve ‘made it’ before they’ve achieved anything in the game. People long for the days of apprentices cleaning boots and showing respect to management and senior pros. Yet this rule brought in by di Canio to keep young players’ feet on the ground has been criticised.
Don’t feel sorry for the players at Sunderland. They’re well-paid, and they play football all day. Life wasn’t so unbearable for them.
They were given a manager who asked difficult questions of them. They couldn’t be bothered to work harder, so they contacted the board and got him the sack.
They preferred the old ways of no demands, no expectations, and no achievement. Remember this was a group of players who couldn’t be bothered to do their jobs properly for a man like Martin O’Neill.
The fans might get all excited if they beat League One Peterborough in the Cup tonight, but it’s a game that should be comfortable for any Premier League side. The fans deserve more than a routine cup win. Sunderland is a club that has been mediocre or worse for years and years.
Heading for the exit: Paolo Di Canio was sacked by Sunderland after just 13 games
The players have got their way, so they’d better start producing something decent. Until they do, the fans should treat the players with the contempt they deserve – they were unprofessional, they under-performed, lost games, and eventually forced the manager out.
Di Canio wasn’t perfect, and I can’t see him managing in the Premier League again. His strict disciplined regime didn’t go down well with players who prefer an easy life. Had they embraced his methods, Sunderland might have been successful – we will never know.
The sad state of the Premier League these days means managers have to be nice to players or you lose the dressing room and the players get you the sack.
Speaking to Swindon players about di Canio, they tell me they were so hungry for success they were ready to go along with what he wanted.
That tells you all you need to know about the hunger of the Sunderland players.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz2foKw2NHh
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Kevin Keegan - Rattling red and whiters since 1982!