Paolo Di Canio at Swindon

[swindon_alan]

A ticket availability update for anyone in two minds about the Paint Pot on Sunday.

TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE FROM 10:00hrs ON MATCH DAY SUNDAY 25TH MARCH FROM THE WEST TICKET OFFICE AT WEMBLEY STADIUM

Kick off 2pm (don't forget to put your clocks back!)

Hopefully see some of you there.

Cheers

[BMU.WIC]

Clocks back? You'll miss the entire game with advice like that... Forwards gentlemen, like we wished we had (or rather tactics adapted to them) at West Ham.

[swindon_alan]

Doh! Clocks forward!

Thanks for the correction

[vikingred]

Di Canio giving his most smug interview yet....lol
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17663424#asset

[Korea Hammer]

Whatever anyone thinks of him as a person, it's a remarkable job for a first season in management. Like us, they finished rock bottom of their league last year, and Di Canio has dragged them up that league seemingly by sheer force of will, winning 60% of his games.

I think he's probably been super-professional in his preparation and research of opponents as well, and that his fear of failure drives him on. His achilles heel, of course, is his explosive temperament, and although he seems to have got away with losing it a few times while managing a League Two that are club riding high, it's easy to imagine how it could all go wrong for him when if he behaved like that when struggling, especially at a higher profile club.

That said and done, it really is a very impressive start to a managerial career.

[Denzil]

Very well said. His biggest test is next season. Keeping Swindon in League 1 will be the main aim and at best he'd hope for mid-table. A great season would see them in the play-offs.

[Korea Hammer]

The worry I would have, if I were a Swindon fan, is that he doesn't seem built to handle failure at all well. He demands victory, and gets all kinds of ratty when he doesn't get it, slagging off the press, the board and his own players in the process. That's just about okay if you're in charge of Real Madrid or Man Utd and you have the resources to demand those standards from your players, but as denzil says, once he's operating at the other end of a league, how's he personally going to cope with lowering them? At best, I can see him losing interest, at worst, a total implosion.

On the other hand, if he gets angry enough with them, they might win that league as well.

[bristolhammerfc]

Dean Holdsworth is a better manager than Di Canio. If we are going for a lower league manager way down the road then I would prefer him.

We should stick with Sam and give him time.

[Korea Hammer]

Dean Holdsworth is a better manager than Di Canio. If we are going for a lower league manager way down the road then I would prefer him.

Well, you're entitled to your opinion, but on paper he hasn't come close to having Di Canio's impact. Finished 14th last season, and sitting 11th this. Different clubs, different situations naturally, but even so, on paper Di Canio's record is far more impressive.

[QuintonNimoy]

On the other hand, if he gets angry enough with them, they might win that league as well.

It's all down to shouting.

He's clearly done well at that level but there's a world of difference between that and the leagues above and the managers he will face will progressively become cannier at exploiting his temper. Still it's all about facing new challenges and he may do well, very early in his career though.

[bristolhammerfc]

But its not is it. Di Canio has taken one of the best financed clubs in the division and got them where they should be. The finances are so much better than anyone else.

Holdsworth won the conference with Newport County, so one trophy in the bag, took over Aldershot, beat us in the cup, has achieved a stable position with a team with no money consistently.

How is Di Canio's record better as a manager?

[Matt of iron]

But its not is it. Di Canio has taken one of the best financed clubs in the division and got them where they should be. There finances are so much better than anyone else.

Holdsworth won the conference with Newport County, so one trophy in the bag, took over Aldershot, beat us in the cup, has achieved a stable position with a team with no money consistently.

How is Di Canio's record better as a manager?

You are a fan of the club with the biggest financial resources in the Championship, who are not sitting top by a considable distance and your asking that question?

Swindon were a mess when he went in there and in his first year done a fantastic achievement.

[QuintonNimoy]

Di Canio has taken one of the best financed clubs in the division and got them where they should be.

Some might say that in itself is a managerial achievement of note .

Even though it's far too early for him to come to West Ham really without proving himself further, don't you think it would be nice to have an old boy back at the helm? A bit of a throw back to the older way of doing things. Like him or loathe him there would be a bit more of the West Ham feel about the place I think - although maybe for the wrong reasons!

[bristolhammerfc]

Quinton,

My feelings about Sam are well known. I loved, absolutley loved Di Canio as a player and he will be one of my all time favourites.

Its the reason I couldn't stand to see him as manager. I think this club would go into melt down and I would end up hating him.

I wanted to point out that he hasn't achieved anything of note.......................so far.

(waits for Madge to kick off)

[Korea Hammer]

But its not is it. Di Canio has taken one of the best financed clubs in the division and got them where they should be. The finances are so much better than anyone else.

Holdsworth won the conference with Newport County, so one trophy in the bag, took over Aldershot, beat us in the cup, has achieved a stable position with a team with no money consistently.

How is Di Canio's record better as a manager?

Well, he won the Conference South, which is a different thing. A trophy, I suppose, but hardly a staggering achievement.

I agree that the clubs have different resources, but there's no rational way to argue that finishing 14th and 11th in your first two seasons trumps getting a team up as Champions (and reaching a cup final) in your first. It's just nonsense.

[Denbighammer]

Lets see how he gets on next year when opponents have more resources and teams will be more canny and better prepared.

As for managing us, doing your nut and playing the billy-big-balls is all well and good in Division 4, but yelling and flapping at experienced Internationals is less likely to achieve results IMO.

[Cave Canem]

Who would manage the team when we played away in the north during winter though? Surely that's got to be a problem.

[stu1]

But its not is it. Di Canio has taken one of the best financed clubs in the division and got them where they should be. The finances are so much better than anyone else.

Rebuilding a club in a season and winning the league at ease is clearly not that easy, even with better finances than your competitors........just ask Allardyce.

[RichieRiv]

PDC could achieve b2b promotions and some on here would still find an excuse to criticise. Just don't understand why some people don't have the grace to say "he's done well".

[miles]

He's done well in his first year. So did Roy Keane and Bryan Robson.