[Div3North]

Accrington Stanley

V

Swindon Town

Prediction League – Game 13; v SwindonTown (home)

Eric Cantona, eat your heart out ; all you could manage was seagulls; Paolo Di Canio easily tops that with this quote about his team:-

"With some players, if he has a chihuahua character I can't make a chihuahua into a rottweiler. He could be a proud chihuahua but he remains a chihuahua. So many of the players at the moment are chihuahuas away from home - this is the truth."

Absolutely, Paolo ……… I was just thinking the same thing.


Loads of last year’s squad disposed of after PDC arrived on 23rd May; some released (including defender Kevin Amankwaah with over 100 appearances for the club, but none under Paolo), some loaned out, including striker Elliott Benyon, signed in January 2011 from Torquay , who’s now plying his trade at Wycombe; midfielder Michael Timlin (loaned to Southend); defender Will Evans (to Hereford); 19 year-old striker Billy Bodin, son of the Robins former player and current Youth Team Coach Paul Bodin, shipped out to Torquay with a “For Sale” sign round his neck (you can imagine the conversation in the Boot Room, can’t you; “You know your son’s a player here Paul? Well I’ve just let him go”. “OK Boss. Cheers for that” ); and ex QPR striker (and PNE loanee) Leon Clarke, signed on 19th August, and out on loan to Chesterfield, marked “ He Will Never Play For Me Again ”, on 8th September; not quite the shortest tenure of the season in terms of games – Drewe Broughton got sent off in his first game for Alfreton Town and got a three match ban; on his return to the side he got sent off again for violent conduct, and got a four match ban, and sacked!


He signed stacks, did Paolo; 15 at least, including ex Bournemouth striker Alan Connell from Grimsby, where he hit 29 last season, and 6’ 4” Czech international striker Lukas Meghera from Romanian side Politehnica Timisoara (anyone know the Romanian for, “Over ‘ere, son, on me ‘ead” ? ); then he hit the loan market, acquiring Ahmed Abdulla from West Ham, 20 year old striker Jake Jervis from Brum and Huddersfield’s left back Liam Ridehalgh, struggling to get his place back after injury. They appear to have something of the order of 31 players in their First Team squad, and at least 12 different nationalities….………


Previously managed, amongst many others, by Lou Macari, Ossie Ardiles, Glenn Hoddle, Roy Evans and Dennis Wise (with Gus Poyet), they did once hit the dizzy heights of the Premier League, but with only 5 wins and a “goals against” column of 100 – still a record – they lasted just the one season. Over the years they’ve been up and down the divisions – promoted in 2007 (having drawn 1-1 at Fortress Crown, our goal coming from Andy Todd, and then having won the return fixture 2-0 at the County Ground) and coming back down last season. I imagine everyone remembers them winning the League Cup in 69, beating Arsenal 3-1.


Paolo’s certainly kept the press interested; he wants his players to dive (“"I'd prefer that they risk getting a yellow card for simulation. My team are the only ones who do not dive somewhere around the field”); he “didn’t know” that Clinton Morrison had turned down a loan move from the Owls (but it didn’t matter, because he was ‘no longer a primary target’), and he “didn’t know” of the Crawley manager Steve Evans – “I’ve never heard his name” …….. Chihuahuas he knows about though ………..


Overall, their League record is P12 W5 D1 L6 F20 A15 for 16 points and 13th place, which is 3 places, 1 point and 8 goals better than us; away, happily, their record is P6 W1 L5 F4 A8 – defeats by 1-0 at Cheltenham and Dagenham, by 2-0 at Burton and Macclesfield, and by 2-1 at Shrewsbury ; their only success was a 3-0 win at Crawley (whose manager, Paolo, is called Steve Evans ……..). They went out of the Carling 3-1 at home to Southampton, having beaten Bristol City away 1-0 in the first round, and recently went to Exeter in the JPT, returning with a 2-1 win.


In 15 games, they’ve scored 24 times, hitting four goals once (against Barnet at home), 3 goals 4 times, two twice, a singleton four times, and four blank sheets; leading scorers are Algerian striker Mehdi Kerrouche with 6, midfielder Matt Ritchie with 5, and strikers Alan Connell and Raffaele De Vita, each with three; they’ve got 6 others with their names on the list. Interestingly, more yellow cards than goals – 31 at the last count, plus one red. Outstanding result under Paolo has to be the 11-0 win on tour in Italy, against Norcia ……….. yes, you’re right …….who?


The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 7.45pm on Saturday 15th October. We’ve drawn 6 of 12, but 5 of those draws have been away; they’ve lost 5 of 6 on their travels. What do you reckon? Big win? Small win? Another draw? Will david1 extend his lead in the PL still further ? All up to you, ladies and gents…. Get your forecasts posted!

Good luck to everyone ………… and thanks for playing!