It’s not even a case of Paolo Di Canio not working out just at West Ham but I don’t think he could ever create stability with a Premier League side. He succeeded in winning League Two in his short stint at Swindon Town, but clubs outside of the Premier League and Championship don’t face as much press interest. In the Premier League you are primary focus for all journalists who suddenly have a headline story each week nailed on in Di Canio.
I would liken West Ham employing Di Canio as a manager, at this early stage in his career (although I can’t see him ever changing) as employing a time bomb. Sooner rather than later he would be stirring up the squad, who unlike lower league players are mostly primadonna’s, and wouldn’t take the relentless problems and issues that his style of management brings. He would be bound to clash with at least one of the playing squad, as this happened in League Two where players tend to get on with.
Paolo has a Kamikaze attitude. He will try an extraordinary way of coaching, if it works then it’s fantastic (for a relatively short period of time), if not then it’s a complete disaster. That makes him the complete opposite to Big Sam, who has stuck with his own method throughout his relatively successful career. Some fans continue to call it boring but it has always worked, and has worked so far at West Ham.
There is always a chance that the love Di Canio has for the fans and the club, that he would be completely different at West Ham. Some fans have suggested he take a back seat role as an assistant or the like, and on paper its fantastic to have ex-players amongst the coaching team, but would you want Paolo backseat driving if you were Big Sam? I also very much doubt that Di Canio would take a role where he wasn’t in charge or proceedings as he even wanted to be in charge as a player!
