I expressed hope for DiCanio when he was appointed at Sunderland, and repeated my admiration for his passion and honesty when he was sacked. He’s someone whose ethos I’ve always liked, since he was a player in his West Ham days.
Reason to post today is reading this piece from Frank Keogh. He’s dead right. DiCanio’s approach worked at Swindon and the reason it didn’t work at Sunderland is that highly paid premiership players don’t take kindly to their bubble being burst by being asked to turn up with personal passion for the club, so they troop into their paymaster’s office to object. In the premiership – with only a few exceptions – it’s just not about that any more. Better luck next time Paolo, that bubble needs bursting, if this football supporter is ever going to value the premiership over the championship.