From the Sunderland Echo and a nice insight into maybe why PDC has shifted emphasis away from the traditional English footballer to the continent. I have my doubts as to whether 8 or 9 new faces (let alone foreign ones) can gel over a few weeks of pre-season but I do like the thinking behind the story. We have been a playground for the couldnt give a ****e journeymen footballer for decades and get away with murder. I think PDC is changing the face of Sunderland Football Club for ever and by the time he has finished, we will have become a byword for professionalism and ambition in the game. Its a very good read and why I am slowly getting the feel for this new regime and thinking. VITO MANNONE has shrugged off the demands of Paolo Di Canioâs pre-season regime by declaring it standard practice in their native Italy. Sunderland head coach Di Canio has worked his players hard since they returned to training earlier this week, with double sessions implemented to knock the Black Cats players into shape. The rigours of pre-season will continue tomorrow when Sunderland head off to a 10-day training camp in Northern Italy before travelling to Hong Kong where Di Canioâs focus will again be on fitness. But new signing Mannone, who completed a £2million move from Arsenal on Wednesday, says Di Canio is simply replicating the methods which are common throughout Italy. âPre-season has been tough, like it is at any club,â said the 25-year-old keeper. âI think sometimes people exaggerate and say that Paolo Di Canio works the players too hard when that is not the case. âI know the Italian way and it is about preparation and attention to every detail and from what I have seen in the first few days here, that is what the head coach is concentrating on. âI think that is the best way to prepare your body and to prepare the group to go into a big season. âIâve been really impressed because he has kind of mixed the Italian managerial skills with those here in England. âHe loves to do the training and have contact with the players. âHe has played in Italy, Scotland and England, so he has seen how things work in different countries and has taken things from each to make his own mix.â Sunderlandâs trip to Italy, followed by their participation in the Barclayâs Asia Trophy, in Hong Kong, later this month should give the clubâs fresh faces chance to settle in their new surroundings. Mannone became Sunderlandâs sixth signing of the summer after joining fellow new boys Valentin Roberge, Modibo Diakite, Cabral, David Moberg Karlsson and Duncan Watmore at the Stadium of Light. And they are unlikely to be the last, with Sunderland hopeful of concluding deals for Argentine right-back Gino Peruzzi, Greek winger Charas Mavrias and Le Havre duo Benjamin Mendy and El-Hadji Ba. But Mannone believes the two trips abroad provide the ideal back-drop for the new signings to integrate with their team-mates. Mannone added: âThere are a lot of new players here and they will need time to gel, but pre-season is the time for that. âWeâve made a lot of progress in a short time already and I think we will make very good progress over the 20 days while we are in Italy and then Hong Kong.
As you say mate we have needed a good shake up for years, this is going to be a wake up call for our players that are still there. Fitter more agile more focused players should be the end product of this training regime, that's the theory anyway.
Well, the Sunderland way had let us down since 1973 so I'm all for this. We have often had a lethargic looking side, and surely this should rectify that situation, the online videos from training offer no suggestion that any of the lads aren't buying in, which also shows a positive. Certain players, Johnson & Larsson spring instantly to my mind, have so much ability but have never looked quite right for us, remembering the impact Seb had in season 1, an for Sweden, and knowing of the incredible ability that Johnson has, these too in peak fitness could be like 2 magnificent new signings. Add a returning Fletch and. Looks like he's staying Sess and it seems the turbulence might be starting to level out, if we can just get these wing backs in, and move a couple out.
I agree Cest that so many signings would take time to gel. But what would you do, sign them or leave us thin? I count we need 11 more to have competition for every position.
it seems rubbish to me about players having to gel cos last few seasons they played together all year and i could'nt see any evidence they gelled in fact they got worse, i try not to use bad language on forums but its hard not to swear when i think of all the money thats gone down the drain. i usually agree with cest but when hr suggests the players might not take to the new regime and play poorly i cant believe it can be any worse and if they are i will just give up cos its wasting my time to even bother with em, anyway rant over cos i know pdc will make a difference and if he dont he'll get the chop from ellis short and rightly so.
