Why is that Red Frog 1?
ALL managers at every level contact their players by phone, some have been sacked in a txt in the past, that doesnt make Paolo a bad man as it appears that you are yet again pertaining it to be. It also does not make him a bad manager despite what you think.
There is probably not a football manager alive that has not told a player he is not wanted by phone and not face to face, some players are not available for a face to face when the need to tell them comes about.
And the rumour of a bust up with Cibocchi is just that, a rumour, posted on a web site that has more dodgy rumours than pretty much any other web site connected to football (excluding the football rumours web site that everyone knows is crap).
Actually, I was making the same point as you - that telling players they're not in their plans is part of the manager's job. Hope you're right about Cibo, otherwise we may need both McEveley and back-up, unless Thompson is considered enough. I thought Cibocchi was injured at the end of the campaign anyway.