Di Canio to go British in transfer market (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

SWINDON TOWN: Di Canio to go British in transfer market

6:00am Thursday 17th May 2012 in Sport By Sam Morshead

PAOLO Di Canio intends to make his Swindon side 80 per cent British after learning his lessons in the transfer market last year.

Town’s Italian manager recruited an international pick and mix of players in June, July and August ahead of his team’s League Two term.

Many of those acquisitions, such as defender Alberto Comazzi, striker Lukas Magera and goalkeeper Mattia Lanzano, failed to settle in England and were consequently sent abroad before Di Canio opted to reinforce his squad with players born and bred in the UK.

The Robins boss has conceded he made several mistakes when formulating his transfer strategy this time last year, errors he is determined to cut out as he prepares Swindon to take on League One next season.

“I’ve learnt, absolutely, that I can say approximately 80 per cent of the squad must be British – that’s for sure,” he told the Advertiser.

“You can bring three or four foreigners but they must be fantastic quality, have desire and be strong men because they have to integrate themselves in a way with this football, which is completely different to the football around Europe.

“Everybody knows if I send Magera there, if I send Comazzi to Italy, if I push out Lanzano – it is no coincidence that most of the players I have involved since the beginning.

“They didn’t integrate themselves very well in the social life in English football.

“It’s no coincidence that six or seven of 10 were foreigners.”

Di Canio also said he would examine the character and background of potential signings a little deeper this summer.

He sad: “I learn a lot, absolutely, and I learn also that I can’t watch some clips and say ‘he is a good player, good skill’.

“You look at a record and it’s six months there, six months there – there is always a reason. I am not at a top level where I can investigate why there were six months there. You have to believe people.

“He is a free agent, doesn’t cost money to the club, only wages, but we made many mistakes because we didn’t know exactly the player and we had to only pray and believe that everything would be okay with their mentality.

“Most of the time I was wrong and we were wrong because we didn’t know them but we don’t want to make the same mistake.”