Town gear up for Weston test (From Swindon Advertiser)
Get involved! Send photos, video, news & views. Text SWINDON NEWS to 80360 or email us
SWINDON TOWN: Town gear up for Weston test
6:00am Wednesday 18th July 2012 in Sport By Andy Warren
Paolo Di Canio
TOWN boss Paolo Di Canio is hoping his side’s hastily arranged friendly at Weston-super-Mare will give his players the chance to quickly re-acclimatise to English conditions.
The Swindon squad have spent the last two weeks on the club’s pre-season tour of Italy playing in intense heat, but will be more at home when they travel to the Woodspring Stadium for a game added to Town’s fixture list little over two weeks ago.
The Italian learnt a lot about his squad during the fortnight in his homeland, but is looking forward to seeing his players perform in more familiar condition. “I asked Nick (Watkins) if we had a chance to arrange a friendly game straight after we were back in England,” he said.
“Obviously I didn’t want to have a tough, tough one because, even if we had played against Bayern Munich at altitude, I wanted to see my players play.
“I want them to handle the situation in new weather after the previous two weeks under 35 or 34 degrees. I want to see them play in more comfortable conditions.
“The pitch is very good, the side is a competitive side so this is why we asked to play against them.
“It’s obvious that in the last two games I saw we had to work, and they were important tests because I saw my players under stress in terms of fatigue.
“They confirmed to me that I signed the players I wanted so for this I was happy, and every game, especially at the beginning of the season when you sign some new players, gives you information about how to work with them individually and collectively to improve them, and to impove the way they have to play with the rest of their teammates.
Di Canio has a full squad available for tonight’s game, but is set to resist the temptation to change his entire team at half-time as he did during Town’s two games on their tour of Italy.
“Last time I was a liar because I said we’ll give to some players 60 or 65 minutes, but once I saw them play in the first half there wasn’t a reason to keep going - they were very tired,” he said.
“You learn as a manager that sometimes you make a plan and then you have to be ready to change because things maybe don’t go in the way you want.
“So I was a bit of a liar, not because I decided to be a liar but because once I discovered it was going to be very difficult for them I decided to play each one for 45 minutes.
“This time I don’t want to say for sure but 90 per cent I will give some players 60 minutes. Obviously it’s different weather, they have a few more days in their legs, more resistance and they can play a bit more.
“I will decide during the first half which players will play a bit more in the second half.
“Everybody is available, we don’t have problems. It is natural to have some problems during pre-season, especially under us but at the moment we have only normal situations.”
Work is continuing to help the likes of Alan Connell, Lee Cox and Jonathan Smith seal moves away from the County Ground , but Di Canio did not give much away about any potential deals.
“I don’t want to talk about them, it’s not fair. They’re training with us now. I don’t want to lose my energy,” he said. “They’re here, they work with us - it’s obvious that in a tactical moment I made a decision because I want to look after my team and the future of the squad. “They train with the rest of the group and once they decide and accept some other situation we will shake hands with each other. Otherwise they train with us.”
Di Canio is also still receiving calls from players and agents wanting to be a part of Swindon’s promotion push, but the Italian is not feeling under pressure to add to his squad.
“There are many that want to come but it is not the moment. I told the chairman that I want to wait a bit more because I want to be sure,” he said.
“It is obvious that I am sure of the players I brought in, about their quality, but I want to be sure of the positions. “It’s obvious that Swindon is a club that a lot of players would come to straight away, I have received many text messages - some players, good players but they are not on our list now because I want to wait a bit more and then decide. “Last year I was under pressure, this year I am not because I am sure that once I decide to bring a player in - like it was with the players I have already brought in - it will be easy.”
Comments(25)
ecklington
says...
8:35am Wed 18 Jul 12
Rhs Boydy wrote:Well said, Rhys, exactly what I've been thinking. With a few exceptions, most of the moaners moan for the sake of moaning, they can't help themselves, never anything constructive to say.
What a difference a year makes. From us constantly bickering and complaining about the nobodies we'd signed from abroad. The negative "fans" that suddenly appeared to tell us all that Paolo was Osama Bin Laden, Hitler, Stalin and Lucifer rolled into one and they'd never come back to the CG as long as he was here and we were an absolute disgrace of a club for hiring him. The rumours and confirmed stories of good players turning us down flat because of us not only being in div 4 but the way we'd ended up there the season before.
To now where we still bicker on here, as that'll never change, but players from all over are asking to come to us, rumours abound about the likes of Harry Kewell & Ricardo Fuller joining us and the only negative press we've had recently was fabricated by a red top that I won't deign to mention. But above all else every single town fan feels a part of this club again and we really do hope & expect to be pushing for promotion again.
SAPFanSTFC
says...
9:12am Wed 18 Jul 12
ecklington wrote:Bloomin weather!
Rhs Boydy wrote:Well said, Rhys, exactly what I've been thinking. With a few exceptions, most of the moaners moan for the sake of moaning, they can't help themselves, never anything constructive to say.
What a difference a year makes. From us constantly bickering and complaining about the nobodies we'd signed from abroad. The negative "fans" that suddenly appeared to tell us all that Paolo was Osama Bin Laden, Hitler, Stalin and Lucifer rolled into one and they'd never come back to the CG as long as he was here and we were an absolute disgrace of a club for hiring him. The rumours and confirmed stories of good players turning us down flat because of us not only being in div 4 but the way we'd ended up there the season before.
To now where we still bicker on here, as that'll never change, but players from all over are asking to come to us, rumours abound about the likes of Harry Kewell & Ricardo Fuller joining us and the only negative press we've had recently was fabricated by a red top that I won't deign to mention. But above all else every single town fan feels a part of this club again and we really do hope & expect to be pushing for promotion again.
Still no football!
Turning down £900,000!
We're in the relegation zone ALREADY!
Not scored a league goal yet!
Paolo can't make his mind up on how long to play players for!
No new stadium!
No chance of winning the Premier league!
Not in Europe!
...
etc. etc. etc.
:-)
HAPPY DAYS!....and good post Rhys!
fatman
says...
9:14am Wed 18 Jul 12
Oi Den!
says...
9:58am Wed 18 Jul 12
.
There is nothing wrong with optimism. However, I feel uneasy when even the Adver is taking a promotion challenge for granted. Remember two years ago when we were one of the favourites for promotion?
the don69
says...
10:13am Wed 18 Jul 12
Oi Den! wrote:Come on Den!with our budget and squad,the pressure is on Paolo and our team for a play-off push,anything less for me will be failure,the top two might be beyond us!but the play-off's is there for the taking!winning them is another matter,cause has we know it's a lottery and we will need some LUCK!!!!!!!!
I know people will say I'm a pessimist but I wish we didn't have this constant talk of a promotion push, as if it's guaranteed to happen. If football was that predictable, we'd all be putting our houses on winning promotion.
.
There is nothing wrong with optimism. However, I feel uneasy when even the Adver is taking a promotion challenge for granted. Remember two years ago when we were one of the favourites for promotion?
Oi Den!
says...
10:51am Wed 18 Jul 12
.
The play-offs should be scrapped. They are a back door route to promotion for clubs that very often don't deserve it. (At least Millwall did deserve their promotion when they beat us - they deserved it over the season and on the day.) Let's have four up and four down - automatic. It would take away the lottery element. The best 4 teams would go up. Much fairer. Another benefit would be that it would reduce the number of meaningless matches towards the end of the season at the bottom end of the higher division.
Psychedelic Syd
says...
10:52am Wed 18 Jul 12
Oi Den!
says...
10:56am Wed 18 Jul 12
Psychedelic Syd wrote:Yes - but it looks as if he's just picked the ball out of the net...
Once I saw the photo with this article I realised why we haven't bothered to get another goalie in to cover Wes .......
Psychedelic Syd
says...
11:03am Wed 18 Jul 12
the don69
says...
11:53am Wed 18 Jul 12
Oi Den! wrote:I agree Den,the play-off's are sh1t and totally unfair!it's money again that's at the bottom of it!but that's the rules,so be it,of coarse we would like auto and we have to try for that,but after coming up from div2,top six would be very good!if I had my way I'd scrap the play-off's and go back to three up,the proper way of running the league.the three best sides over the season go up!!!!!!!!!!!
Don, I hate the bloody play-offs! I think they are a monster that's grown out of control. The winners even get a trophy, which you don't get for winning automatic promotion unless you win the title! I agree with you that the pressure is on PDC to deliver again this season. The target must be automatic promotion. If we can aim for the top 6, we can aim for the top 2. But there are targets and there are expectations - and I'm not taking anything for granted. That's why it makes me uneasy when I hear people assuming a promotion push is going to happen.
.
The play-offs should be scrapped. They are a back door route to promotion for clubs that very often don't deserve it. (At least Millwall did deserve their promotion when they beat us - they deserved it over the season and on the day.) Let's have four up and four down - automatic. It would take away the lottery element. The best 4 teams would go up. Much fairer. Another benefit would be that it would reduce the number of meaningless matches towards the end of the season at the bottom end of the higher division.
newburymike
says...
12:44pm Wed 18 Jul 12
Swindon1984
says...
1:26pm Wed 18 Jul 12
the don69 wrote:Even though we've benefitted from it before, I'm dead against them also - it was summed up for me when Huddersfield, better than the Posh all season and finishing some ten points higher than them (from memory, correct me if I'm wrong) were beaten by them in the PO final - I know that's the system and the best team one on the day, but distilling a season into 90 minutes is totally unfair. No chance of them being scrapped though, it's a money spinner both for Sky covering them on tv, and the Wembley custodians trying to desperately claw back some cash for the initial construction costs. I know this isn't why we have them in the first place but definitely a reason why they're here to stay.
Oi Den! wrote: Don, I hate the bloody play-offs! I think they are a monster that's grown out of control. The winners even get a trophy, which you don't get for winning automatic promotion unless you win the title! I agree with you that the pressure is on PDC to deliver again this season. The target must be automatic promotion. If we can aim for the top 6, we can aim for the top 2. But there are targets and there are expectations - and I'm not taking anything for granted. That's why it makes me uneasy when I hear people assuming a promotion push is going to happen. . The play-offs should be scrapped. They are a back door route to promotion for clubs that very often don't deserve it. (At least Millwall did deserve their promotion when they beat us - they deserved it over the season and on the day.) Let's have four up and four down - automatic. It would take away the lottery element. The best 4 teams would go up. Much fairer. Another benefit would be that it would reduce the number of meaningless matches towards the end of the season at the bottom end of the higher division.I agree Den,the play-off's are sh1t and totally unfair!it's money again that's at the bottom of it!but that's the rules,so be it,of coarse we would like auto and we have to try for that,but after coming up from div2,top six would be very good!if I had my way I'd scrap the play-off's and go back to three up,the proper way of running the league.the three best sides over the season go up!!!!!!!!!!!
London Red
says...
1:41pm Wed 18 Jul 12
.
They are also aimed at keeping the season more competitive for longer - if you have a run away pack the rest of the league could technically "give up" with 6,7 even 10 games to go
.
The chance of getting into the POs can therefore keep a lot more of the division "interested" for longer
.
Rather than the end of season reserve/youth run out affairs we have all seen!
.
Crewe this year we probably the 2nd best team in L2 during 2012 (behind us) - and because of that came from mid table to gain promotion
.
Had they only had us and Shrewsbury to aim for that would have never been realistic and would they have managed to repeat that run?
.
That run included games against others in the mix like Torquay and Crawley to keep it "interesting" for all
.
Also technically the season always comes down to 90 minutes - on the final day often that one result can deterime if you go up, dow or stay where you are - but like the PO final (bar the down bit)
.
Yes there were 45 game before to get you to that point - but you could say the same withthe POs and just say 48 games before got you to that point
.
Agreed though our aim should be top 2 but top 6 should still be seen as a sucess - whether we win the POs or not
Oi Den!
says...
2:07pm Wed 18 Jul 12
.
I have to say that your point about the League always coming down to 90 minutes is complete nonsense! The last game of the season is of no more importance than the first. OK - it might seem that way at the time if you need three points to stay up, but if you had picked up those three points earlier in the season you wouldn't have needed them on the last day anyway. A season of 46 games should be all we need to decide which division we play in next time around.
the wizard
says...
2:08pm Wed 18 Jul 12
.
As goes STFC for this coming season, only promotion will do, and I can't hear Wray saying it was successful if we don't go up. He has made his play and told diCanio as much, which is why the necessary funds have been made available.
The mission for this season is clearly promotion and both Wray and diCanio have said as much. A harder 46 league games for sure, so I can't see us putting as much onus on Cup runs this season. The new Wembley holds no fortune for us so far and this season will be all about Championship football at CG next season. That then gives diCanio a further year on his contract to consolidate the club in that position. After that, we shall see what happens.
Oi Den!
says...
2:11pm Wed 18 Jul 12
the don69
says...
3:02pm Wed 18 Jul 12
Oi Den! wrote:All very Monty Python Den!if LR had his way Den,it would be play-off's for the whole season!LOL!!!!!!
Maybe the League should go the whole hog and have play-offs for 2 of the play-off places and also play-offs to decide who gets into the play-offs for the play-offs and...
Even Angrier Monkey
says...
3:22pm Wed 18 Jul 12
.
End of season games between teams with nothing to play for are duller then friendlies. At least with pre- season friendlies their is the exitement and optimism of a new season, new players, random foreign trialists etc.
.
The last thing I'd want to see is the teams in 6th / 7th place being invloved in meaningless games with 3 games left becasue they cant catch 3rd/4th. Its dull dull dull
Oi Den!
says...
4:36pm Wed 18 Jul 12
And it just seems grossly unfair to me to suggest that it's a team's own fault for having one off day at the end of a whole season in which they have been superior.
Wilesy
says...
5:59pm Wed 18 Jul 12
I'm sure if you took a poll of clubs, the majority would prefer to keep the option of possibly going up in 6th, to the gamble of missing out in 4th.
Big money advantage for the lower leagues as well, plus a possible trip to Wembley, got to be a good thing.
On the other hand I disagree with 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the Premier League qualifying for the Champions League, although if Swindon were in contention I would relax my view I'm sure.
DarrenSTFCRomain
says...
6:00pm Wed 18 Jul 12
.
STRANGE THAT
London Red
says...
6:17pm Wed 18 Jul 12
Oi Den!
says...
10:39pm Wed 18 Jul 12
SAPFanSTFC
says...
10:58pm Wed 18 Jul 12
Oi Den! wrote:You Rascal!! :-)
Chaps, of course I would be as happy as you if we won promotion through the play-offs - just like I was in 1987, 1990 and 1993. That doesn't mean I have to believe it's a fair system. But I realise that the play-offs are here to stay and I must confess I was making a little bit of mischief by bringing the argument up again today.
..
Hate them if you lose and love them if you win...although sometimes you may feel a tiny pang of guilt when you finish 6th yet win the Final....or maybe not!
..
I don't like the injustice of them yet I love the excitement it keeps in the season with 6 weeks to go - in the pre-playoff days it used to be a bit boring for the 7th and 8th placed clubs yet now much more fun!
--
If we go up then GREAT!!..if not then BOOOO!
Rhs Boydy says...
7:59am Wed 18 Jul 12
To now where we still bicker on here, as that'll never change, but players from all over are asking to come to us, rumours abound about the likes of Harry Kewell & Ricardo Fuller joining us and the only negative press we've had recently was fabricated by a red top that I won't deign to mention. But above all else every single town fan feels a part of this club again and we really do hope & expect to be pushing for promotion again.