Dan the Fan: Will the Di Canio era mirror Macari's achievements?

"The whole season is just so similar, spookily so in fact. They’re on course to better it aren’t they. Again fitness is key”

This particular quote isn’t from another Paolo Di Canio press conference but from fellow Swindon supporter and former Town commentator Vic Morgan.

About a week ago I asked Vic if he could see the current squad repeating what happened between 1984-89 under Lou Macari.

And Vic isn't alone in his opinions of this squad compared to the legendary team of the mid 1980's.

Other Town fans that saw the Lou Macari team fully agree that the club is starting to mirror the success that Macari achieved at Swindon.

And also how Di Canio and Macari are both very keen on work rate and maintaining a very high level of fitness throughout the season.

Of course football has changed a lot over the past twenty-seven years so its impossible to compare the Macari era with the Di Canio era exactly but key factors will always stay the same.

When Lou Macari led Swindon to 1st place in a record breaking 1985/86 season Town only lost one key player leading up to the next season when Colin Gordon moved onto Wimbledon.

But players like Colin Calderwood, Dave Bamber, Leigh Barnard, and David Hockaday all stayed to help the club achieve promotion again, and that same loyalty will be needed once again if Town want to gain back to back promotions.

When this season finishes for Town in early May the chairman’s phone will not stop ringing all summer to enquire about players and if circumstances chance at other clubs, Di Canio will also be in very high demand.

Players like Ritchie, Ferry, Caddis, Foderingham, Rooney and Flint, are just some of the players that I think could play in the Championship tomorrow if they needed to and unfortunately some managers will be thinking the same thing.

Jeremy Wray and the board will have a very tough summer ahead of them trying to keep this successful team together.

But if he does and we go into League One next season with the same starting eleven and Paolo Di Canio I can see no reason why back to back promotions can’t be achieved by Swindon Town once again.

But unfortunately in the horizon (hopefully far far away) you can always see the Italien moving onto the same club that Macari joined when he left Town in 1989.

This Saturday Town entertains second placed Cheltenham Town at the County Ground in one of the biggest games of the season so far.

With Cheltenham only being two miles further away from Swindon than Oxford people looking in from around the country might see the game as a derby.

If you support Cheltenham I think they would be right and some Town fans might see it as a derby also.

But for me its not a fixture that gets me as excited as when we play Oxford, Reading, or either of the Bristol sides.

Sadly since Cheltenham entered the football league in 1999 they have been somewhat of a bogey team for Town.

Over the past decade the two clubs have faced each other eight times and Town have only taken the three points on one occasion.

When the side from the Cotswold’s turns up tomorrow they will find a very different side from the one they played earlier in the season.

Personnel wise the midfield and forward line have improved 100% but it’s mentally where the biggest change has taken place.

Paolo has brought a wave of confidence and optimism to the players and the club.

Cheltenham comes into the game off the back of a defeat on Tuesday night to Morecambe and only two wins in their previous eight games.

But know a win would bring themselves just three points behind Town in the League Two table.

However with Town’s brilliant home record and the fact we are coming off a convincing win I’d back Town to take all points.

And then move possibly eleven points inside the top three places in the league and almost guarantee League One football back in Swindon next season.

Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter @danjohnson6

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