I nearly resigned

In an interview after winning promotion at Gillingham on 21 April, PDC revealed he nearly resigned 45 days before.  Funnily enough, this was just days after PigHill had been beaten 2-0 by Oxford United. 

A lttle rabbit, the team are rubbish,

After Saturday's win against Plymouth, Paolo returned straight away to Italy, mourning the death of his mother, so soon after his father's passing earlier in the season. 

His players however took this for an opportunity to go on the lash on the Saturday night, with an early promotion celebration. 
 

So on Tuesday night, PigHill slipped up at 11th placed Aldershot, losing 2-1 in a game which could have seen them gain promotion back to League 1 with three games to go.  However, this still appears a formality, as his team would have to lose all three remaining games, whilst Crawley and Torquay would have to win all three.  The title is still just about up for grabs, with Shrewsbury five points behind, but with vastly inferior goal difference - so effectively Shrewsbury need to make up six points in three games.

 

“I am angry, fed up, what we saw tonight is rubbish, a rubbish show for all of Swindon Town football club, for the fans, that follow us in numbers, it is not bad.  We were really bad, we are not Barcelona.  You have to take responsibility, to say Sorry, to the board and the fans that pay us.  I am not magic, I cannot change everything in a short period.  If I decide to stay here, I will clean out the rubbish mentality.  My mission is not only to win, but to win not just this year, if we maintain the rubbish mentality, we will go straight down.  Even if we celebrate promotion, we must keep going, not losing 3 or 4-0, we have to be professional.  I would change 24 players, not just seven.  Unfortunately in this club we have to change the mentality and even in the youth academy they don't know what professionalism is.   

Today was fair enough to lose.   I am not able to change completely the attitude and the professionalism of the team, and after what happened two days ago I should not have played even more players.  There is only one player who can have an excuse for what happened two days ago and that is Alan McCormack because he has a new baby.  I tried to excuse him, but there is another group of players which is far from what I want to see from my players, and for this I will make very tough decisions from now until the end.  

Our position has put a few of our players in a position to think the job was done, and to go out and have more drink.  The people under contract will have to be very careful with the way they behave because I will make very tough decisions.  A few days ago they did something which was a habit last year, and maybe it came back.  We still have the same habit, and for as long as I am here I will do everything for change.  

The two centre halves that we saw, it is not a coincidence it happened tonight as there was one I did not want to play but I had to because I have only three.  I excuse him because he had a new baby, but we saw the result.  For the second goal the big fella thought he was the biggest and the strongest, but he was like a little rabbit, blurry. Ask them why.

I will do everything for change.  If I have to bring all of the youth team at Gillingham, I will do.  The problem you know, what is for me, which is, that in the youth team, I have to tell you this, that even there we don't have the professionalism, the desire, the fire.  Otherwise I would have no problem, with eleven under 16, 17 and play at Gillingham, and let the players that played tonight, most of them, not all of them, have not a double, a treble [training] session, and not go out Saturday night and drink until the morning.  

So there are a few dirty things that I have to clean in the dressing room.  When I was young, every time I made action, I made myself a responsibility.  I told them, I would defend you until my life if you behave well.  If you play not as a professional, if you don't respect the shirt and the fans that follow you, (again an amazing number today), and the club that pay you, you will not be under me.   I will be very tough.  "

The fans are silly and stupid II

PDC's Bingo game continues after the 0-0 home draw against Bristol Rovers on 31 March 2012.  

Pick one from the top row PLAYERS / FANS

Pick two from the second row SILLY / STUPID / PATHETIC  

Pick either STRONG, ROTTWEILER, RACEHORSE, COMMITTED

or WEAK, DONKEY, CHIHUAHUA, POOR
Choose 110%, 200% as how good/committed the players are.

On Saturday, when he replaced Alan Connell with Paul Benson on the hour mark against Bristol Rovers, he chose FANS, SILLY, STUPID

"There's stupid and silly booing for no reason, We are not Barcelona, we are Swindon. I want to remind the people that we are [in] League Two.  Stay together and think everyone who goes on the field is important, like [Lionel] Messi.  Even if they think I'm wrong, clap the player who goes on.  Why do the people go mad and boo sometimes? I can understand their frustration. Benson goes on and Connell comes out and they boo - it won't encourage Benson. They should pray to have Benson for the rest of their lives.  They know that we played really well and deserved the win but it didn't happen.  Maybe the people are sad because of this. I know this and the manager wants to win because we've been in a good habit of winning over the past three months.   Sometimes we play with players who were in the Conference last season - Alan Connell, Jonathan Smith, Aden Flint.  If we don't go up at the end of the season then they can criticise. We drew with Bristol Rovers, dominated the game and everybody is sad.
   My players can be sad but the fans should be happy because last season they were relegated and had no commitment, no discipline. My players give 200%." 

Funnily enough, back in January, PDC had indeed said his team were the Barcelona of League Two.

http://paolodiclownio.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/were-barcelona-of-league-two.html 

I made no mistakes signing my players II

On 7 March 2012, Leyton Orient kindly loaned PDC's PigHill the 27 year old forward Jonathan Tehoue until the end of the season.  

I wonder what could have happened, in less than a month?

Tehoue made just one start and two sub apppearances.   

PDC "It's a technical decision.  He's not as good as I thought he was. It is nearly impossible he will see the football pitch at Swindon.  My main players give me 110% because they've suffered with me all season.  I have much better players than him in the way I want them to play and behave."

If he has better players, why is he bringing in loan players?