Boos ban: Sunderland's Paolo Di Canio vows to tune out Newcastle fans' abuse on derby day
"Our 2,000 supporters will be much louder than the 50,000 home ones - I will absorb their energy" PLUS Danny Graham facing three weeks out
Tyne and ear: The warm welcome waiting at St James' doesn't bother Di Canio
Michael Regan
Paolo Di Canio insists Newcastle fans will be wasting their time trying to provoke him on Sunday with fascist-style salutes, writes James Nursey.Police have warned fans against using racist or offensive gestures during the North-East derby at St James' Park, but Di Canio responded: “Why? I don’t feel nothing or hear them.“For sure, I will hear much more the 2,000 Sunderland fans, who will be much more loud than the 50,000 of Newcastle. I will absorb their energy.“When I was a footballer, especially away fans, they were an extra lift.“Away from home, they would sing, ‘Paolo Di Canio’ and I wanted to score and celebrate. Now I am a manager I am only focused towards my players.”Di Canio, whose appointment sparked anger because of his facist-supporting past, walked into more controversy after his first game in charge when he claimed Sunderland’s players he inherited from Martin O’Neill were not fit enough.This week, he subjected the Black Cats' squad to fitness tests and was unhappy with the results.The former Swindon manager said: “I used to work with a League Two side - League Two players and League One players.“Here, we had some tests on players that have played for seven or eight years at the top level.“We did simple tests that are for everybody and we found someone with a few difficulties. That is not acceptable at this level in my opinion.“My opinion is we can be much more fit.”But Di Canio accepts that, with Sunderland’s campaign in the final stretch, his main changes will have to wait until pre-season.He added: “I didn’t come here to make a complete revolution in habit.“We don’t want such a risk as at this stage of the season you can cause problems to the players.“So I can’t work in the way I would like to do. That is very difficult, you have to do it gradually.“At this moment I have to make sure the few changes I make are the right ones.”* DANNY GRAHAM faces mising a big chunk of Sunderland’s survival fight, writes Alan Nixon.Graham damaged medial knee ligaments in training on Monday and is being given intensive treatment in a bid to get him fit for Paolo di Canio’s relegation battlers.
Dan buster: A knee injury has sidelined Graham
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The January buy from Swansea was on the bench for the Italian’s debut at Chelsea last weekend, but has been unable to do any work since.Graham may be out for up to three weeks, leaving di Canio achingly short up front as record buy and top scorer Steven Fletcher is already out for the rest of the season.
"Our 2,000 supporters will be much louder than the 50,000 home ones - I will absorb their energy" PLUS Danny Graham facing three weeks out
Tyne and ear: The warm welcome waiting at St James' doesn't bother Di Canio
Michael Regan
Paolo Di Canio insists Newcastle fans will be wasting their time trying to provoke him on Sunday with fascist-style salutes, writes James Nursey.Police have warned fans against using racist or offensive gestures during the North-East derby at St James' Park, but Di Canio responded: “Why? I don’t feel nothing or hear them.“For sure, I will hear much more the 2,000 Sunderland fans, who will be much more loud than the 50,000 of Newcastle. I will absorb their energy.“When I was a footballer, especially away fans, they were an extra lift.“Away from home, they would sing, ‘Paolo Di Canio’ and I wanted to score and celebrate. Now I am a manager I am only focused towards my players.”Di Canio, whose appointment sparked anger because of his facist-supporting past, walked into more controversy after his first game in charge when he claimed Sunderland’s players he inherited from Martin O’Neill were not fit enough.This week, he subjected the Black Cats' squad to fitness tests and was unhappy with the results.The former Swindon manager said: “I used to work with a League Two side - League Two players and League One players.“Here, we had some tests on players that have played for seven or eight years at the top level.“We did simple tests that are for everybody and we found someone with a few difficulties. That is not acceptable at this level in my opinion.“My opinion is we can be much more fit.”But Di Canio accepts that, with Sunderland’s campaign in the final stretch, his main changes will have to wait until pre-season.He added: “I didn’t come here to make a complete revolution in habit.“We don’t want such a risk as at this stage of the season you can cause problems to the players.“So I can’t work in the way I would like to do. That is very difficult, you have to do it gradually.“At this moment I have to make sure the few changes I make are the right ones.”* DANNY GRAHAM faces mising a big chunk of Sunderland’s survival fight, writes Alan Nixon.Graham damaged medial knee ligaments in training on Monday and is being given intensive treatment in a bid to get him fit for Paolo di Canio’s relegation battlers.
Dan buster: A knee injury has sidelined Graham
Action
The January buy from Swansea was on the bench for the Italian’s debut at Chelsea last weekend, but has been unable to do any work since.Graham may be out for up to three weeks, leaving di Canio achingly short up front as record buy and top scorer Steven Fletcher is already out for the rest of the season.