Unlike Michael Jackson…
By: Steven |
45 Comments
..I’m still alive and kicking, and not touching little boys’ wieners. It’s been a while, but really, there hasn’t been too much going on in the Palermo department. And as the transfermarket officially opens today, let’s make things up with a little round-up of the incoming transfers so far.
First of all, I wanted to say that I was pretty surprised to read that Catania signed Gennaro Delvecchio, Marseille signed Lucho Gonzalez (one of my favourite footballers of all time) and Napoli signed Zuniga and De Sanctis. That’s what happens when you don’t have a lot of time to read the transfer news…
A lot of crap returning from loan deals. Agliardi’s back, but with Ujkani confirmed as second and Sirigu returning as well, he can go. Reggina is said to be interested. Even more crap returned with Andrea Raggi, who talked some shit when leaving for Sampdoria, only to be benched for the rest of the season in Pestoville. After the debacle of last season, it’s pretty unlikely that Raggi will be on the Palermo books for another season.
Ciaramitaro, HDF, Terranova and Lanzafame also returned from their loan spells. I love Ciaramitaro for the sole reason that he knows he’ll never be a regular, but he never complains and always gives everything he’s got when he gets the chance to play. But it might be more fair to finally give the guy the opportunity to play more than 3 games a year. So either we line him up as a regular substitute, or we let him go to a team like Chievo or Catania, where he can play more.
I think my opinion about HDF is clear. Some of you still believe he has the talent to make it ‘one day’, but the kid’s already 24 and hasn’t ever really played a great game for us. Hell, even at Torino he wasn’t all that. I’ve given up on the guy, and I wouldn’t mind selling him over the summer.
Terranova’s something else. 22, great seasons on loan at Livorno and Vicenza…I hope Zenga adds him to the squad this year, gaining some playing time as a back-up to Bovo and Kjaer. And Lanzafame, well yeah, this is one of those guys I see as a future bandiere. I think he’s talented, he’s eager and he wants to wear the pink and black. Zenga’s gonna lose a lot of points if he decides not to keep him around…
Another new signing is Nicola Rigoni, but we only bought half of him, and he’s staying for another year at Vicenza. He seems to be pretty talented, and he’d better be, seeing as we gave up half of Gianvito Misuraca for him. One of the main contributors to our Primavera Scudetto this year…
Now, for the big in’s:
Nicolás Bertolo. Midfielder, 23, coming from Banfield as soon as their season ends. 8 goals in 28 appearances this season isn’t bad at all. But, as with all South Americans, things can go either way. You could have yourself a new Batistuta, but he could also be a Farias.
Javier Pastore. That is, if the deal’s still on. 20, coming from Huracan in Argentina, voted as the season’s best player by sports daily ‘Olé’. Wanted by a lot of big teams, but he seems to have signed for a small Sicilian team that is planning to equip their attack and midfield with South Americans.
So, that’s about it for now. But from now on, we have two months of crazy speculations, stupid Zampa-decisions and a lot of nervous waiting for confirmations to go. See you guys soon.
Category: Team News
Player Of The Year: Pick Your Homeboy
By: Steven | 203 Comments
Yes, another short post. And there’s a good reason for that. I’m switching jobs, and I’m having interviews by the dozen these days.
Aside from that, it’s time to vote for your player of the year. Personally, I’ve seen massive performances from Balza, Cassani, Miccoli and Kjaer, but my POTY-award goes to Edison Cavani. Why? Because he finally seems to have grown into the player all of us wanted him to grow into. Relieved from the Amauri-pressure, he outscored the big Brazilian this season, proving to be an unmissable player and an unbelievable asset to the team.
Pick yours!
Category: Team NewsThis is the future.
By: Steven | 119 Comments
Our Primavera beat Siena 1-0 yesterday, bringing home the Trofeo Facchetti for the very first time. Prizes won by Palermo this season: 1. Prizes won by some random team from a random city dressing in random yellow-red colours: 0.
Category: Team NewsNon vogliamo un Catanese di Merda come nuovo allenatore!
By: Steven | 138 Comments
Ballardini’s gone, guys. Our new coach is an Interista turned Catanese. I am not happy, but it’s better than Delio Rossi.
Category: Team NewsNon-Preview: Palermo - Samp
By: Steven | 157 Comments
Really, is there anybody who cares about this? Surely not me. Fuck you Zamparini, sell the club and sod off to Venezia. Faccia da cul.
Category: Team News‘08 - ‘09, The Rollercoaster Season: Highs and Lows
By: Steven | 62 Comments
Season’s over. And yes, I am aware of the fact that we still have a game against Samp left, but that doesn’t matter. There’s no more Europa League spot to be won or lost, we’re not Torino so we won’t be battling (hehe) to avoid relegation on the last day, and Cavani can’t become capocannoniere. Season’s over, and it will get pretty boring until the transfer market opens. Luckily, we can count on our good antipodean friend Rob, who posted his highs and lows of the season in the last topic. So all hail Rob, and give us your opinion on this season.
Highs:
1. Ballardini going from ‘Who the fuck?’ to Palermitano hero in just a couple of weeks.
2. Cavani’s breaktrough, not only scoring more goals than Amauri last year, but also outscoring him this season.
3. Juventus, Roma, Fiorentina, Milan: we manhandled them all.
4. The Diamond in the Rough that is Simon Kjaer. Serie A’s Most Wanted Defender, by both football teams and horny teenage girls.
5. The Favorità crowd.
Lows:
1. Zamparini and Sabatini, calcio’s own Dumb & Dumber.
2. Transfer policy. Letting go of Lanzafame, Jankovic and De Melo (remember him?), bringing in Savini, Raggi and Succi.
3. The Coppa Italia debacle, combined with another year without European football, thanks to an abominable away record.
4. 0/6 and a 0-6 goal record against Catania.
5. Moris Yayozzieri.
Category: Team NewsPreview: Atalanta - Palermo
By: Steven | 100 Comments
Sunday, May 24th, 2009 15.00
Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia
I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!
Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team NewsSilly Season Starting Early
By: Steven | 22 Comments
Ladies and gentlemen, we will see another young South American florish in the pink and black next season. According to Mediagol, La Gazzetta, Zamparini and Banfield’s president, all that is needed to bring Nicolas Bertolo to Palermo is a signature. Which is most likely to happen tomorrow.
Bertolo scored 8 goals in 28 matches for Banfield this season, as a midfielder. Not bad, huh? He could be the new Cavani, but he could also be the new Farias. We’ll see.
In other rumours: Davide Ballardini is going to Milan, only to be replaced by Delio Rossi in Palermo. “Bullshit”, Nutto Zamparini said, “Ballardini is way too unproven and immature for Milan.” Still, it’s a fact that Milan are looking for a young and talented coach (see Allegri) to replace Carletto when he goes to Chelsea. I don’t think Balla’s leaving, but I think bringing in Delio Oh-no as a replacement would be even worse than reinstating our good friend Guidolin once more.
And then there’s also the huge bag of names being thrown around for next season. I have the feeling that the mercato rumours come up earlier every year. Some names:
* Enzo Maresca: would be awesome. Quality midfielder, and always had a little something for him while at Sevilla.
* Whatshisname Zuniga: Another young, talented South American. Too bad we’re not the only ones chasing him.
* José Talamonti: said he loves Palermo, and I love him too.
* Renato Civelli: free agent in june, could provide some back-up for the backline now that Sniffy McSnort is out of the picture.
* Robert Acquafresca: never gonna happen.
And then there’s also the constantly returning rumour (it’s getting as annoying as that mosquito in your room that just won’t die, no matter how many times you decide to flame it down with a lighter and a deodorant) of ‘Nilmar to Palermo’. Once more, The Nutjob: “Yes, we are still chasing Nilmar.” Fuck that. Kid’s gonna cost us 20 mil, with a huge change of becoming the biggest mistake since Ernesto Farias and Denis Godeas. Fuck Nilmar, you can buy two Acquafresce for that. And L’Arciere as a back-up for when one of your starting strikers is a) out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury, or b) a glass man.
Peace out!
Category: Team NewsNon-Preview: Palermo - Lazio
By: Steven | 84 Comments
Yes, I know, I’m a bad blogger. Important match against Lazio today. They have nothing left to play for, we need a win to keep the gap with Roma to two and pass Udinese after their win against Milan yesterday.
Expected line-ups:
PALERMO (4-3-1-2): Amelia; Cassani, Kjaer, Bovo, Balzaretti; Nocerino, Liverani, Migliaccio; Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli.
A disposizione in panchina: Ujkani, Savini, Morganella, Bresciano, Guana, Hernandez, Succi.
Allenatore: Davide Ballardini.
LAZIO (4-4-2): Carrizo; De Silvestri, Diakitè, Rozenhal, Radu; Del Nero, Ledesma, Matuzalem, Mauri; Rocchi, Zarate.
A disposizione in panchina: Muslera, Lichtsteiner, Kolarov, Mendicino, Dabo, Pandev, Foggia.
Allenatore: Delio Rossi.
Arbitro: Russo di Nola.
That is all for now, see you guys later today!
Category: Team NewsVOTW: The Reason We’re Not Playing The Coppa Final
By: Steven | 28 Comments
Crappy quality, but it’s just to show the boys why we’re not playing Samp or Lazio tonight.
Oh yeah, add the following to that: in a Serie A where the battle for spots 6-13 is more open than Britney’s legs, the money won by a Coppa-win + European spot + Supercoppa can be the difference between struggling all year and having your ticket for another year of European travels by the end of february. Think about that, next time you enter the pitch against a crap team with a crap striker from a crap division.
Category: Video Of The Week
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