Paolo's gesture of goodwill (From This Is Swindon Town FC)

Paolo's gesture of goodwill

6:00am Friday 17th August 2012 in Headlines By Sam Morshead

PAOLO Di Canio has explained his gestures to the crowd during Tuesday night’s 3-0 victory over Brighton, insisting they were not intended to be “nasty”.

Di Canio was captured by the Sky Sports cameras making hand signals and speaking to the audience at the County Ground following each of his team’s three goals in the Capital One Cup first-round win against the Seagulls.

He did not identify who exactly he was targeting, but the Swindon boss stressed that he was simply suggesting that he and his players are well on top of their game despite the recent removal of Paul Caddis as captain.

He said: “It is my body language. Sometimes people think ‘he’s got his opinion, it’s obvious Paolo Di Canio did very well but he’s still young as a manager - this is true’.

“Because they care about me, they are worried.

“I care about the people that are a part of the club. If they go a little bit worried I want to let them understand ‘follow me’ because they’re going to have success.

“My decisions sometimes are unusual - in every club, not just Premiership.

“Me and the players that fully commit go on the field, that was my message. Follow me and them, the players that go on the field and on the bench because they are the players that, in my opinion, can guarantee to us the victory. Not immediate victory but in the long run.

“It wasn’t against someone, it was my way to express to everybody ‘follow us’.

“It wasn’t nasty. It was just saying ‘calm, relax and then we’re okay.”

Di Canio once again asked Town’s fans to judge both himself and his team by their results, not by stories that occasionally emerge away from the field of play.

“I know the people here think Swindon is the best team in the world and if Barcelona come in here we have to press them in their box, regain the ball and win 4-0 because are capable to do this,” he said.

As a manager I have to think differently and work in a different way and first half I heard someone.

“Sometimes they speak too much, let the people speak and follow us because we have the real temperature of the situation - the real facts are in front of us.

“People can judge and have their opinion, it’s a democratic nation. They can say ‘why this and why that’ without even one per cent of the story.

“Follow us and we have more chance to have success, with discipline, desire, commitment, sticking together and gelling together.”

Meanwhile, the Italian is hopeful of recruiting another new player within the next week. There will not be any further additions to the Town squad ahead of the trip to Hartlepool tomorrow, but Di Canio is eager to reinforce his squad in the very near future.

“We are in a good position,” he said. “Tomorrow we’re travelling but we’re okay. We are in a good position and we are very close to someone that maybe can join us in the next few days.”