When the rumours started to spread linking Paolo Di Canio with the manager’s job at Swindon Town there were a few who had to do a double take. The combination seemed crazy, a recently relegated team looking to go straight back up and a man renowned for being completely unique, both good and bad.
But the League Two side made the decision and began their strange and wonderful route to stardom as the nations’ press flocked to the County Ground to see the Roman Emperor take his throne.
Like his crowd-pleasing, referee-shoving, fair-playing, miracle-volleying, ugly-gesturing career, nobody knew what was going to happen next but since the season began the 43-year-old has taken to life in the hotseat magnificently and has proved an inspired selection. Despite losing 7 of his first 13 matches, his side went on a 15 game unbeaten run that only came to an end on Boxing Day and now they sit fourth in the table having beaten Crawley and Southend, the top two sides in the division.
But it is perhaps the FA Cup where he has saved his best results for. Having hammered Huddersfield 4-1 in the first round, Saturday’s result against Wigan epitomised why we love the competition and showed off the astute tactician within the Italian as well as his undoubted enthusiasm. Although the goal winning goal came off the shin of Paul Benson and had more than a hint of offside about it, the Robins didn’t fluke the win. Rather than playing the showman on the big occasion he left it to his team to do the talking as they put his tactics in place.
After the game all the different levels of the managers’ character were there to see. The humble, caring side spoke of his sorrow that his recently deceased father couldn’t see his achievement and dedicated the win to his memory. He gave a detailed explanation of how he had urged his players to shut down dangerman Victor Moses but he was tinkering with tactics the whole game and adapting to the situation, a constantly changing approach that more established managers would envy. And then there was the over-the-top man that we have missed since he left English football. He called for a plaque to be put up at the County Ground to honour his sides’ victory over the Premier League side and asked them to bring on Barcelona in the next round.
The fiery Italian’s love of the game and winning mentality are infectious and it is clear that the squad has caught the bug but his attention to detail and his vast wealth of knowledge about all levels of football is phenomenal. His players are well organised and they shift the ball crisply around the park which is proving a great combination and with performances like Saturday the confidence in their playing style will continue to grow. They are on the right end of the results at the moment and having got in the groove it will be almost impossible to shift them. Everybody’s confidence is brimming and they believe that the club can achieve greatness with the Italian at the helm.