Paulo Di Canio hits out at Albion new-boy Stephane Sessegnon
Paolo Di Canio today turned up the heat on Albion's clash with Sunderland by again accusing Baggies new-boy Stephane Sessegnon of "not caring" about the Black Cats.
Albion's deadline-day signing is standing by to make his debut tomorrow against his former club at The Hawthorns.
And Mackems boss Di Canio today aimed a fresh blast at Sessegnon, who he agreed to sell following the Benin international's arrest for alleged drink driving in Newcastle on the night of Sunderland's 4-2 Capital One Cup win against MK Dons.
"It means you don't care," said Di Canio, who also criticised Sessegnon's attitude earlier this week.
"It means you don't care nothing about the club, so your time is gone.
"It was the opportunity to say – for everybody, and especially for him – 'OK, time to go'."
Sessegnon, who is due before Newcastle magistrates in October on drink driving charges, figured in Sunderland's first two matches of the season but failed to impress Di Canio and was sold to Albion on deadline day for new Baggies club-record fee of £5.5m.
Di Canio said: "He had a very good pre-season and in the first two games you can play badly – but the body language was not of a player who wants to give his best.
"Then we had a crucial match. It was the cup in the moment of the season when we hadn't won a game yet and everybody was at the stadium.
"After quarter of an hour, at the same time that we conceded a goal, my player was out somewhere and was found."
Sessegnon moved to The Hawthorns on a three-year contract on the final afternoon of the transfer window with some Sunderland fans upset that their most creative player was allowed to leave.
But Di Canio insisted the versatile forward was not forced to leave Wearside.
"It was good for us because we had the chance to bring in two players," said Di Canio.
"For this reason he left, not because he is a bad guy because he tried to give his best but, in my opinion, his time was finished at Sunderland because he was not capable anymore to give his best.
"It is clear that we didn't push him out because 10 days or two weeks before he left I said I would keep him.
"But once we spoke and I said 'I want to keep you', I had a player whose performances were not good in front of everybody."
