Alessio insists he bears no grudge with Broadfoot over parting shot
KILMARNOCK manager Angelo Alessio shied away from a war of words with departed defender Kirk Broadfoot over his training methods but rather maintained that he is confident in his own philosophy regardless of any criticism.
Broadfoot left Rugby Park on transfer deadline day to sign for St Mirren but left the boot in on his way out of Kilmarnock. Broadfoot took a public swing at Alessio for his “boring” training that apparently left him physically short of preparation for a game and suggested that he was not alone in feeling frustrated.
If Broadfoot’s comments suggest an insularity about Scottish football and an unwillingness to embrace different concepts, Alessio isn’t for putting up any great arguments to change opinions.
He is, however, confident enough in his own methodology to be unperturbed at any dissenters.
“It’s important for me, in my job, my methods, my convictions,” said the Italian. “Other considerations and complaints, I don’t care about. My focus is on my job, I have to think about all the team.
“It’s normal in a team that someone is unhappy because he doesn’t play or stays on the bench. But it’s important to look ahead and to show my own methods on the pitch and in training sessions.
“I’m disappointed that Broadfoot has said this but it’s OK. My focus is the team, and that they believe in my methods. I don’t know if there are others, they haven’t said anything like that to me. We work hard every day, with my conditioning and my methods and we will continue this way.
“I’m Italian and I think every manager I ever met has their own convictions and ways, different styles of plays and different styles of working. But it’s important I prepare all the players the same way.
“I don’t have a problem with Kirk Broadfoot. For me there is no problem between us and I wish him all the best.”
Greg Taylor joined Broadfoot in heading out of the club on the final day of the transfer window, albeit in rather different circumstances. The full-back finally completed a deal with Celtic after a summer of to-ing and froing between the clubs but he leaves with the best wishes of Alessio.
“It is good for him,” the Italian said. “He wanted to go and it is a good deal for the club.”
Alessio also added another goalkeeper to the squad, Slovenian Jan Koprivec, and insisted that he needed to have three stoppers.
“Devron MacKay is injured and that’s why we’ve brought in another goalkeeper,” he said. “We want to work on our style of play, to improve and do more. I think we needed to add new players to complete the squad. We’ve done that now. We brought in five to six players. Dario del Fabro has already shown his quality and when the others get their chance they will show this as well.”
Kilmarnock have taken seven points from a possible nine in their last three games to settle things after their ignominious Europa League defeat to Connah’s Quay Nomads in July.
That result gave Alessio a mountain to climb in terms of winning the confidence of the support as well as the players but he remains optimistic that the roots of his work are coming to fruition. Killie host Hibs tomorrow with Stuart Findlay fit to play although Innes Cameron and Ross Millen set to miss out.
“The team are confident after a good result,” said Alessio. “That helps us to work better and to improve. It’s important that we prove a performances as a team.”
Mark Campbell is closing in on finalising his proposed takeover of Falkirk.
The Englishman was named in July as the preferred bidder for the 62-per-cent stake held by the club’s majority shareholders group led by Sandy Alexander and former chairman Martin Ritchie. Both parties have been carrying out due diligence since then, in the face of controversy over the businessman’s background.
The Back The Bairns fans’ group have urged the Falkirk board to fully investigate the 46-year-old after voicing their concerns over the buy-out; however, although the original target date of August 31 has come and gone, both sides of the deal are understood to be happy with the progress being made.