With Mattia Lanzano becoming the latest victim of yet another Paolo di Canio squad change it would be fair to ask , has the door stopped spinning yet ?
Well the answer to that is probably a firm NO. Billy Bodin has yet to declare allegiance to The Town for the forth coming season and seems increasingly less likely to do so.
The list of leavers is extensive, but to give some a clue, those gone include,
Kennedy, Esajas, Cox, Connell, Gabilondo, Magera, Holmes, P. Smith, J.Smith, Kerrouche and Murray back to his club, Ipswich.
Seven fresh players have come in, and I do seem to think that one or possibly two may follow, but I don't think that will include O'Kane as any part of a deal with Torquay for Bodin.
Obviously we have to pay players more per week in L1 than L2 so the squad size reduction has been necessary to keep within FL guidelines
PDC has already said in not so many words that the style of play will change and we will be more tactically driven in L1 than the cavalier style of last season. Hopefully hoof ball will disappear and we will play more possession so as to draw gaps in opposing teams.
Indeed there is much that can be written, but first lets see what happens over the next few weeks with the intensive training and pre season games.
One thing is for sure, PDC will hope to hit the ground running this season
with a fit and aware team made up of mostly Brits, who understand the league much better, and are of proven ability at this level.
Only those that follow orders will survive, and yes, I do expect some falling out before the season has reached half way, Paolo is Paolo and others will have their slant on things which may be different, after all he is passionate and the rest, well the rest are human.
Revolving Door - Oil needed ?
posted on 1/7/12
Been away, so totally out of touch. But the news looks promising, got the new players in before the pre-season.
But, who is our sub goalie & our new CB must have a broad back to write his name on the shirt.
BB, IMO can go. He is OK, but never spectacular. We all hoped for better from him, sentiments can get in the way.
posted on 1/7/12
Red, Nice to have you back and I hope the fishing was good.
Would love to see Paolo getting the team to pass the ball around like Spain. That said, for all his failings in his last season here, Wilson had them passing very well the season before. Not unusual for us to string together 20 odd passes in that season, so it is possible.
Spain awesome tonight, totally total football. I had to put down my beer and savour what was happening.
Over joyed for them, many consolations to Italy, and also congratulations on keeping it decent with minimal cynical fouls, as is often the case in that sort of scenario.
This was the very best of total football I have ever witnessed, I just hope there is enough left in a pot somewhere for us to have some next season. Certainly the standard to aspire to.
Like you, I used to care about Bodin, but not now, he has burned his bridges here, silly boy.
Suggest you contact Mondy, he has the web site up for his Gite, very nice and fishing near by.
posted on 2/7/12
SF,
I do have email contact with Mondy, but it's all one-way traffic. I send him bits of banter from the E Mids football people, those local & in the far east, but he has never joined in. Anyway, I bet that the fishing in his gite don't accommodate a 12ft beachcaster & 20lb line!
As for last night, yes Spain were good, but I thought, not unbeatable. They have a system which no-one has fathomed yet. But, it will come. Italy don't play real wingers, but if they had a guy like Mossie in the side, I reckon that Spain would have had problems defending.
posted on 2/7/12
Five star post.
Watched the game last night in a bar in southbern Crete. Great atmosphere and some stunning football from Spain.
BB has made his decision, good luck to him. I think he has a good career in prospect and I expect we've got a sell-on clause in the contract so we should benefit down the line.
posted on 2/7/12
Don,
Thanks for the stars. Speculation abound that BB is off to Torquay, and further whispers that his old man is off with him, as his contract has not been renewed. Remember Drink Gate ? and what PDC said about the youth side and professionalism ?, were the Bodins pushed, or are they going to jump ? Time will tell, especially if a new coach comes back from Italy in two weeks time.