He uttered that the team needs to be strengthed ahead of next season, and players need to come in and need to be up to standard straight away. He did well in buying Ben Williams, which is the best signing the club have made since Brammer in my opinion, and it looked so promising when Dario was talking to Liam Lawrence with the likes of Leeds and Sunderland.
Some dead wood was shipped out, most notably Ademole Bankole, and despite only signing Ben Williams you could sense a bit of optimism in mid June. However, for one reason or another Liam Lawrence headed off to Sunderland and while hope of signing him faded so did Dario's new found 'umpth' for the new season.
It soon became clear that we wouldn't be signing him, him and him but we'd be, again, papering over cracks. Andy White arrived to be third choice striker, not quite what you have in mind when Dario says he expects them to be up to the standard straight away. Lunt, McCready and Billy Jones all signed contracts which helped in one way, maybe.
Then it all went quiet and Dario said it was the end, no more players were coming in, you've had your pie - good day sir. Of course, he back tracked on that comment as well. He went and signed Mark Rivers from nowhere, well after 45 minutes of football. I, however, refuse to slate Rivo - yet - the past 12 months have been poor for Rivers, injury, lack of games and no club for the last 2 months he's come and been expected, by fans, to play like (As much as everyone hates him) Darren Huckerby.
I've not seen Rivers play since Sheffield Wednesday away in 2001, when he didn't even break into a jog, but Dario and Rivers have publicly said that their fall out has been forgotten about. So I remain positive Rivers can do a job, after all he was Norwich's best player at the start of last season.
So Dario's pre-season has, with reason, upset many fans to the point of betting on us to go down. They feel the squad is getting weaker by the year and real issues, like the vacant Brammer position, haven't been addressed.
As always though, I'm quietly confident of an ok season. We'll hit bad patches but always pull wins from nowhere. Maybe hit some cup success, and we'll enjoy it. Somewhere around 16th is my prediction, one thing is for sure - there are 3, or more, worse teams than us this season. Brighton, Burnley, Gillingham and Watford will not finish above us.
This season I can see Ben Williams and Dean Ashton being the key to everything, without them in the side we could have a minor blip. Maybe why we need another player in Ashton's mould - Neil Mellor.
Anyway, Saturday we'll win. Comfortably. After that. Who knows?