Paolo Di Canio's Mackem revolution picks up pace

SUNDERLAND manager Paolo Di Canio claims his ­revolution is taking shape now that he has cleaned up the mess left by Martin O’Neill.

Di Canio has high hopes

The outspoken Italian reckons the Black Cats were not fit enough, not working for each ­other and not playing good enough football last season.

But Di Canio is predicting ­better things to come after a whirlwind summer which he hopes will make sure there is no repeat of last season’s ­relegation battle.

He has already signed nine players, off-loaded 10, instigated rigorous training regimes, tried to instil a different mentality and changed the backroom staff.

There are concerns that Di Canio has changed too much, too soon but he insists change was necessary after the decline of the club under old boss O’Neill.

The former Swindon chief said: “Obviously we made a ­revolution. I wasn’t worried at the beginning and now even less so because I’ve seen the lads working so hard.

“It takes a bit longer but I’m very happy. I’m not worried for the future.

“We’re still in the middle of pre-season so you can’t say the team is 100 per cent fit.

“But you’re going to see straight away a team that plays together and tries to play football. It didn’t happen last year.

O'Neill struggled to get the best out of his players

“It takes a bit longer but I’m very happy. I’m not worried for the future.”

Paolo Di Canio

“More importantly this team will be completely ready for the start of the season. When you change a lot it’s difficult to think about a finishing place.

“The plan you make at the start of the season can change, it ­depends how you start.

“But our plan is to play better football and I’m sure we’ll finish in a more comfortable position this season because the players we’ve brought in are very good.

“Obviously it is important to work hard physically but it was important to change the ­mentality that I found here.

“Already I can tell you that something has changed a lot and this tells me that we’re going to have a very good season.”

Di Canio confirmed that ­Argentinian full-back Gino ­Peruzzi, 21, will not be joining his list of new arrivals because a medical revealed a damaged knee ligament.

Peruzzi’s current club Velez Sarsfield claimed a deal would be completed when Sunderland ­returned from taking part in the Asia Trophy in Hong Kong but the move has been put on hold.

Di Canio, whose side take on Tottenham in the opening game of the pre-season tournament ­today, said: “At the moment, there is no chance of Gino ­Peruzzi joining us.

“We have to make sure about some situations. My club is not a club that can sign a player who is injured at the moment, even though it’s not a crucial injury.

“We are not Manchester City, who can think about buying a talented player with an injury and wait for him to be ready.”