Who is this key?

…Javier Pastore?

…Simon Kjaer?

…Abel Hernandez?

…Salvatore Sirigu?

These important players are undoubtedly important elements of the future for our club – yet, they do not represent the most vital piece to the club. That honor belongs to this man:

Numero Uno

Yes. That’s right. One of the craziest men in calcio is the man we have to live with: Maurizio Zamparini. For all the insanities and firing sprees, he has made Palermo dream. A couple days ago, I was thinking what the team would be like if we were to be sold to someone else…and to be honest, it was a little unnerving. Where would we go from here? Would the new owner be a foreigner with no attachment to the team? Would he be a local businessman who might have a strong attachment to the squad but not necessarily have a good plan to run the team? Thankfully, we don’t need to worry about those things just yet – as it seems that Zamparini will be along for the ride for the near future (see: plans for a new stadium). Perhaps, a most unlikely of sources, Luciano Moggi has stated it best in an interview with Mediterraneonline:

“Zenga is doing well, there needs to be some patience in life. When they take on young players they need to help them grow. Let me say something: I believe that Zamparini is one of those people that it is better not to lose because if Palermo loses Zamparini I don’t know who could substitute him and invest like he does, it is important to keep him chin-up, he’s one of those presidents that has money and the public would do well to love him. Zamparini is one who understands calcio. He knows how to conduct clubs. Last year he had an excellent season and he knows how to bring things forward.”

I think Moggi has summed it up quite nicely – so, let’s be thankful for Maurizio. Without him, we’d be looking at surviving relegation year in and year out.

News Roundup

Not alot to say about the match this past weekend. Sure, there were a couple of missed calls by the ref, but all in all, it was a game that was destined for a draw. We can chalk this one up to fatigue from the frenetic midweek game against Inter.

One interesting note from the Genoa game was the little sideshow from Marco Amelia. Even though he wasn’t playing, he attempted to create a story by telling the media he didn’t know why he was sent away. Well, Sabatini put that to rest by saying that, “Amelia knows very well how it went and there is no need to clear anything up.”

Our President also had some fun words to those who have been booing Pastore by saying that they are stupid and declaring them to be probably the same people who booed Cavani in his first appearances.

With the rise of Sirigu, it’s only natural that Rubinho might find his way out the door. According to Zamparini, “Rubinho has been a bit unfortunate, he’s a good goalkeeper but found Sirigu as a substitute who is doing well and earned a starting spot. He’s probably suffering as a result and we will find him another team because he and Sirigu are both starters – Sirigu for us, however, is a certainty.”

Finally, both Liverani and Balzaretti are targeting the Derby as the game in which they make their glorious returns.

Transfer Rumors

With January drawing nearer, Palermo has been linked to a ton of players lately. Here’s a brief summary:

- An Argentinian attacker named Sand is being linked with us again. He’s lighting up the Arab league with 9 goals in 5 games.

- German publication Bild claims that Palermo are interested in attacking mid Rakitic of Schalke 04.

- More news from Argentina as it’s being reported that Palermo are in talks for two different players: Dario Conca a trequartista for Brasilian side Vasco da Gama and Carlos Quintana a defender playing for Argentinian side Lanus.

Remember “First Appearances”

FORZA PALERMO!

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. How good was this? Not as good as Cassani’s screamer two season ago, but it was good. Like fried chicken right out of the bucket. Like an ice cold Aperol Spritz when it’s way too hot outside. I think I screamed like a little girl on the 2-0.

I think this was our best match since that 3-2 win. Maybe even better, seeing as we didn’t give up a 2-0 lead like we did back then. It’s the first match in ages that I’m not able to single out a bad player. Bovo did well, Bresciano played his heart out, Simplicio fought for every ball…me likey.

Me not likey the subs. I’ll give l’Uomo Ragno the benefit of the doubt on the tactics, but I don’t see why it was necessary to replace Cavani with Goian. We were close to scoring a third, even though we started crawling back once more. Just look at the stats and you’ll see that we almost didn’t have any possession during the second half, except for our attacks. International break is up next, he’ll have to prove his worth after that.

Five Lessons Learned:

1. Salvatore Sirigu is J-F Gillet’s Southern cousin. Love the kid.
2. Miggy is the silent force of US Città di Palermo.
3. Javier Pastore’s a genius. Give him some time and he’s gonna be huge.
4. Palermitano lead => crawl back in your own 16.
5. Zenga still won’t make it past December.

Pagelle:

SIRIGU: 7. Not all that much work, but the reflexes dude, the reflexes!
BALZARETTI: 7. Solid as a rock, like all season.
CASSANI: 6.5. Good game, but not as commanding as his counterpart on the left flank.
KJAER: 7.5. If I was gay, I’d jerk off to his poster.
BOVO: 6.5. Good game, some nice infiltrations.
NOCERINO: 6.5. Didn’t have a lot of time, but another solid game.
SIMPLICIO: 7.5. Was all over Juve’s face, including a fantastic goal.
BRESCIANO: 6.5. Worked hard, didn’t fuck up.
PASTORE: 7.5. MOTM. Was throwing around passes like Mike Tyson threw around punches (and his wife), his goal should’ve counted.
MIGLIACCIO: 7.5. You don’t see he’s there, but you’d miss him so bad if he weren’t.
MICCOLI: 6.5. Some great passes, but was looking for a goal too much.
CAVANI: 7.5. Big team, big Cavani.
GOIAN: S.V.
BUDAN: S.V.

All. Zenga: 6.5. Great starting tactics, bad subs and did nothing to stop the team from crawling back. Still has a whole lot to learn.

Giornata 8’s Androberto Guarraciolo Award:

Ciro Ferrara. Wow, worst tactics ever.

Impressions:

“Didn’t expect to see you in Ballroom 101, Gigi.”

“This is what a real schwalbe looks like.”

“I’m like Australian Customs: nothing gets passed me unnoticed.”

“Suck it, Ciro!”

Highlights:

What.The.Fuck. In only three games, Walter Zenga has turned a talented and eager team into Chievo. Not winning against Bari is unacceptable. Not losing to Bari thanks to a last minute equalizer gets you fired. I have a very strong feeling that Zampa was ready to pull the trigger yesterday, and Zenga only survived by suffering a (fake?) drop of his blood pressure. Hell, if I was working onder Capt’n Crazy and just delivered that kind of result, I’d fake a serious illness too.

I don’t like the way things are going these days. Zenga keeps relying on players that clearly would have problems getting a starting spot in Serie B. Balzaretti has to run down the entire left flank because Bresciano goes Splinter Cell from time to time, Davide Succi couldn’t hit a house with an eighteen wheeler and playing Cesare Bovo in central defense is like letting your 16-year old daughter go to a rave in stay-up nylons, miniskirt, killer heels and a tube-top three sizes too small: not a very good decision.

Another thing I wanted to talk about. One of our former compatriots came over here, complaining we are too hard on some of our players. The guy did forget to mention that for every player we bash, another player gets an awful lot of praise. If you don’t put in any effort, I don’t see why I should spare you in my comments. If you don’t like it, don’t read it.

Five Lessons Learned:

1. Mark Bresciano is not Serie A material.
2. Igor Budan is no longer fat, nor slow.
3. Cesare Bovo needs to be replaced by one of those Romanians asap.
4. We should’ve bought Jean-François Gillet over the summer.
5. Zenga will not see November.

Pagelle:

RUBINHO: 6.5. Best game in pink so far. Could do nothing about the 0-1, but did keep us in the game.
BALZARETTI: 7. This game would’ve been a train wreck without him covering the entire left flank. -0.5 for taking another unnecessary yellow.
CASSANI: 5.5. Granted Allegretti the 0-1, was lucky not to do it twice.
KJAER: 6. Not fantastic, but doesn’t have anyone to count on when he misses an interception. Put another solid central defender next to him.
BOVO: 4.5. Can we sell him to Torino? Didn’t put in a good pass all day and was constantly flirting with a red card.
NOCERINO: 6.5. Another solid game from TrampStamp. Can keep possession (unlike last year) and is doing great carrying the team as a Hummus-replacement.
BLASI: 6.5. Did better than expected, well-earned applause substitution.
BRESCIANO: 3. It ends here. Zenga will disagree, but it should end here. Another disgrace.
PASTORE: 7. Works well with Nocerino. Should have scored his first goal in rosanero and should be less selfish, but another great game.
BUDAN: 8. Worked hard, scored a nice goal and is determined to fight for a starting spot.
MICCOLI: 6.5. The Little Man couldn’t do much, but should’ve been better in front of Gillet.
CAVANI: 5.5. The other side of Cavani. Looks like he’s having a hard time loading up for smaller teams.
SIMPLICIO: 6. Nothing special. Didn’t fuck up, which is strange.
SUCCI: 5. Missed a great opportunity, waste of human flesh.

All. Zenga: 6. Terrible pitch, PK not given: there are things that could make his case. But Bari should’ve always been beaten with a 2 goal difference.

Giornata 3’s Androberto Guarraciolo Award:

Mark Bresciano. Hang up your boots, boy.

Impressions:

Balzaretti suffers the infamous Puglian Nipple Twister.

“Look at me, I’m not fat anymore!”

“Suck it, Edi, I deserved it!”

“Look people, he really lost weight!”

Highlights:

1. Palermo still has problems playing on the road

Granted, it was the first away game of the season; yet, the away woes still seem to be right where they were last season, and the season before, and the season before that and the…(yeah, you get the idea)

2. I’m sensing a pattern to this team

First half = awful. Second half = amazing. Both against Napoli and against Fiorentina, the squad has looked pretty horrendous in the first half. Not controlling possession, poor passes, no attack. The second half always sees a significant boost in play and produces results. Who knows what it is, but Zenga must say something in the locker room that gets them to pick it up. I’d like to see this translate to a whole game…soon.

3. The pitch is HORRENDOUS
Somebody needs to dock the groundskeeper’s wages.
Wow. Just gross. People want to say that Pastore & Co. looked bad. While they didn’t look great, they also can’t be entirely faulted either. That pitch resembled more of a sand trap from Super Mario Bros. 2 rather than a Serie A-caliber pitch. All I can say is that I’m glad we won’t be making any more planned visits there in the near future.

4. Mutu is still a gypsy Romanian coke-snorting, vampire-like, prancing cheater

So some people feign offence at Mutu being labeled a gypsy. Ok, fine. I hope I’ve cleared things up with the above statement. I would never want to tarnish the Gypsy name by including him amongst them. Some want to take pity with his plight…and under normal circumstances, I would feel really bad for him too. Sure, he’s being done up hard by Chelsea…but, the fact is, he’s ADRIAN MUTU. There are only two people in the footballing world that I could feel less sorry for than Mutu: Ratface and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Le Pagelle

Rubinho 6 – Nothing he could really do about the goal that Weird Al Jovetic redirected, but what was up with those goal kicks?!

Cassani 6.5 -Pretty typical Cassani that we’ve seen. Did well to contain attacks from Vargas.

Balzaretti 7 – Tireless. Outside of Kjaer, he probably had the best game for Palermo.

Kjaer 8.5 – He looked like a veteran out there. Plain and simple. Head and shoulders above the rest of any Palermo player for the match, he came out of each challenge the winner – including goal-saving tackles.

Bovo 5.5 – Still needs to find some form. Indecisive at times.

Bertolo 5.5 – An interesting decision to be thrown in there from the start. Looked a little lost and at times definitely showed it. Give him time to adapt to the Italian style.

Bresciano 6 – Actually had some very positive moments…but also some very poor ones.

Pastore 6.5 – People need to cut the guy some slack. He’s young and only in his second game in Serie A. Yes, he had some poor passes and overall a pretty average game. However, his upside is tremendous and he had a couple remarkable passes (backheel anyone?!) as well as shaking some players on more than one occasion.

Cavani 6 – He runs and runs and runs.

Miccoli 6 – Unfortunately, there was no magic to be had in the sand pit.

Simplicio 5.5 – Helped out when he came on for Bertolo but was pretty average like the rest of the team.

Budan 6.5 – Yes, there is life from Igor!!! Just missed a header, but the promising thing is that he was actually dangerous and showed some signs of hope for the future.

Tedesco S.V. – ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Transfer Market

It’s done. No Dzemaili because he couldn’t handle competition.

Manuele Blasi

He’s no Dzemaili, but we brought in a bruiser, who has definitely got some bite. The jury is still out on how he will be incorporated into the team. He’s taking the number 88.

We got some time before our next game due to international breaks and such…so enjoy the video below:

FORZA PALERMO!

I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!

Preview

First game: check. First victory at home: check. Victory against direct European challenger: check. So far, so good for Zenga’s boys. However, pretty much the same storyline here for week 2, albeit this match will take place away from home. It’s no secret that the key to achieving critical success this season (as in past seasons) is to take points away from home. Palermo’s (and Zenga’s for that matter) track record has been pretty abysmal. Yet, there is something to be said about the mentality of the team this year. Perhaps, things can be turned around this season under a new squad and new manager. Certainly, this team seems to have a bit of a swagger about it that has been keenly different than previous squads. The truth will be revealed during the game tomorrow.

We all know about our own performance last week. There is definitely something to be said about not playing your best game but still managing to get the full three points. It’s a very positive sign that speaks volumes about this squad’s resolve. As for Fiorentina, they’re coming off a very disappointing 1-1 draw to Bologna. One in which former Viola player Osvaldo put his team ahead, only to see Lo Zingaro pull them level and save a point. They’ve also been busy with Champions League matches – so the squad might be a bit fatigued after the midweek game against Sporting. Nonetheless, there are no excuses to be had from either side this early in the season, so let’s take a look at the squads!

Squad Status

Palermo

The squad is not exactly at full strength. We all know about the injury to Hummus aka Liverani. However, Abel Hernandez, Migliaccio and Sneeze all find themselves out for tomorrow’s clash as well. The starting lineup should resemble something like this:

The key position battle is between the Aussie and Maggie Gyllenhaal Bertolo with Bresciano getting a slight nod. Someone tell me it’s not just me that sees the striking similarities between those two! I present to you all Exhibit A and Exhibit B. As the season progresses, I can see Bertolo overtaking the Aussie eventually.

Fiorentina

Tim and Ted’s Excellent Adventures usually keep up a pretty solid blog over at Fiorentina Offside. They could cast some better light on a lineup for the Viola than I could. However, this is how Gazzetta sees it:

According to them, Dainelli and new signing De Silvestri won’t be available along with Castillo. Furthermore, the position battle between the Gypsy and Weird Al Jovetic seems to be leaning in favor of Mutu.

Categorical Matchup

Unibrow Power vs. Too Many Baguettes: Push. Rubinho’s first game saw both positives and negatives. It’ll take him a couple more games before we should expect no more Amelia-type errors. As for the Frenchman, he’s got undoubted talent and is among the best in Italy. Of course, there is the issue with his stomach slowly resembling the progressive rise of yeast in a loaf of French Bread. Nonetheless, both keepers are on par.

Established vs. Angry: Push. Is it just me or do Gamberini and Comotto always look like they want to rip someone’s head off? Fiorentina’s backline is probably not as good as ours, however, considering the game takes place at Fioremerda, it’ll be pretty even. Nevertheless, don’t count out a Gamberini red card.

South American Samba vs. Great Expectations: Palermo. How many times do we have to keep hearing about Montolivo’s potential? It’s getting quite repetitive. Vargas seems to be performing better in the midfield than when he was trying to carry on his glory days at Catania and Marchionni is solid…until he finds himself on the injury report due to a freak fall down a flight of stairs or something. As long as Simplicio can perform moderately and Nocerino can get his own meanstreak going, the rest is smooth. What’s the over/under on Pastore’s dicing of Viola players at?

Tireless Magic vs. Cheats: Push. Unfortunately, against most teams, Miccoli and Cavani get the nod. However, Mutu the Gypsy and Gila the Diver always seem to have some sort of trick up their sleeves. Whether it’s scoring with their hands or against the run of play while an injured man is on the pitch, there’s no way of knowing what antics they’ll pull next! Tune in tomorrow! Note: I suggest distracting Mutu by throwing an 8-ball of blow on the pitch. Ok, I kid, I kid.

Final Analysis

No doubt about it, this will be a tough match on the road. It will also be a good test of how the squad is coming along. In the past, Palermo has seemed to handle Fiorentina pretty well. Amauri was a Fioremerda KILLER. It certainly felt like he scored every game against them…or when he wasn’t scoring he was throwing out no-look assists to the likes of Miccoli.

With that said, is a road win against Fiorentina impossible? I think not. Palermo can pull this one out.

Prediction

2-1. Palermo. Miccoli, Miccoli, Gilardino.

MOTM:

Fabrizio Miccoli

Remembering the Good Times

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

Overview:

Expectations were high, the opposition was dangerous, the team was new and history was against us. Still, the Boys in Pink did what had to be done: beat Napoli. First half may have been a one-sided affair with a lucky goal at the end, but all is fair in love and football. Thanks to Rinus Michels for that.

Starting the season with three points is fantastic, especially when you look at the other results and you see that the other competitors for spots 3-6 didn’t do all that well: Roma lost, Udinese tied, Napoli lost and Fiorentina tied. Only Genoa managed to win. And that makes this start all the better.

What I Liked:

Javier Pastore. Great debut from the young Argie, against a team that knows how to handle Argies.

Cavani and Miccoli, starting with one goal each. These guys love eachother.

One game, one win. Love the feeling.

What I Didn’t Like:

Santa Fabio. How many bad passes could you give?

Rubinho. Just like Amelia last season, his season kicks off with some small errors.

Pagelle:

RUBINHO: 5.5. Didn’t look all that secure to me.
BALZARETTI: 6.5. Same as always: trustworthy. Great game, without really excelling.
CASSANI: 6.5. Dito. Could have gone a little more into attack.
KJAER: 7. Leader of the defense at what, 20? Kept Lavezzi out of the game.
BOVO: 6.5. Kept Quaglia out, don’t think he’ll keep his starting spot.
NOCERINO: 6.5. Hard worker, could become a big player in midfield this season.
SIMPLICIO: 5. Time to sell him. Too inconsistent to be a contributing part of the team.
BRESCIANO: 6.5. Didn’t fuck up, seems to be more secure as a DM than an AM.
PASTORE: 7.5. Great debut from the Kid. Him, Cavani and Kjaer are the future of this team.
NONNO: SV. Motivated. That’s all. Why not give a young player a chance?
BUDAN: SV. Didn’t look too fat.
MICCOLI: 7. Ero Siciliano. What would we be without him?
CAVANI: 8. Hardest working man in Sicily yesterday. This is his year. MOTM.

All. Zenga: 6.5. Excellent day for him. I’ve almost forgiven him the Catania-past.

Giornata 1’s Androberto Guarraciolo Award:

Cristian Maggio. Brainfarts on a football field, and what they can do to your team.

Impressions:

“Hmm…would tapping his ass after my first game in charge would be inappropriate?”

“The groundskeeper is not going to like this…”

“Say ‘What’ one more time, motherfucker! Say ‘What’ one more time!”

“So this is what they mean by ‘Same shit, different day’…”

Highlights:

Sunday, August 23th, 2009 20.45
Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia

I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!

Preview

This is it, boys, this is it. The year that could become Year One for Palermo as a top team. The year that brought us the biggest expectations ever. The year where a Catanese takes over the team, and talks about winning the Scudetto. The year that could become the best year in Palermitano history, but also the year that could become the biggest disaster in recent years. Serie A 09-10 is here, and it’s about fucking time.

First game of the season, first clash. Napoli and Palermo are fighting for the same goal: to finish somewhere between 4th and 6th, possibly breaking the reign of Milan, Juve, Inter and Fioremerda. Both teams have bought well, with Napoli bringing home Quagliarella and acquiring De Sanctis and Cigarini. The Derby Delle Due Sicilie will be a fight. Let’s just hope the first game of the season goes better than last year, when we also met a team that was fighting for the same goal. If you don’t remember what happened, ask The Suit.

Squad Status

Palermo

What a difference with last year. Finally there’s some depth in the squad, Ol’ Butterfingers is shipped off to Pestoville, we brought in some talented Gypsies and Argies and most people seem to be in shape. Liverani’s still out, while Migliaccio is not 100%.

Probable Lineup:
Rubinho; Cassani, Kjaer, Bovo, Balzaretti; Pastore, Nocerino, Bertolo; Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli

Napoli

Napoli is in no way the team of last year. De Sanctis, Campagnaro, Cigarini, Zuniga, Quaglia…the only thing that remains unseen is if these guys are already settled in. Lots of strong characters with a stubborn coach, I don’t know about it. Good thing is that Quagliarella might skip the game because of injury problems…

Probable Lineup:
De Sanctis; Campagnaro, P.Cannavaro, Contini; Maggio, Gargano, Cigarini, Hamsik, Zuniga; Quagliarella, Lavezzi

Categorical Matchup

Lou Ferigno vs. Wow, Still Alive?: Palermo. Last year’s revelation versus He Who Hasn’t Been Playing Regularly For Two Years. If Rubinho can avoid howlers like against SPAL, this one’s ours.

Palermo 08-09 vs. Hmm…: Palermo. Why change a winning team? Our defense was solid most of the time last year, and as soon as Gypsy 1 can step up for Bovo, it’s gonna be even better. Napoli’s backline doesn’t impress me.

Young and Willing vs. Wet Dream: Napoli. I love our midfield, but I’d trade it for Napoli’s in a second.

Magic Men vs. Cinderella & La Bestia Push. Miccoli’s doing magic all preseason, but the thought of the combination Lavezzi – Quaglia scares the shit outta me.

Final Analysis

Defense and midfield will be decisive. I except a though game, with few chances. If Pastore and Micco can shine, we’re taking this.

Form Guide

Palermo
—–

Napoli
—–

Prediction
2-1, same as last year. Micco, Ezequiel, Pastore.

MOTM:

Miccoli

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

It’s crunch time still. Last week’s result was an overwhelming boost of confidence to the squad and let’s hope it carries them through till the end of the campionato. The game here is a tricky road test (as always) for Palermo but really does nothing for Siena. They’re essentially safe from any relegation talk and they have nothing else to play for. Nonetheless, Palermo would be wise not to underestimate any team when they play on the road.

After Udinese took it to Lazio today, they also enter into the mix for the final Europa spot. On a side note, CAN SOMEONE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION BRING UP D’AGOSTINO’S NAME PLEASE!? I mean, is there a more obvious choice for Liverani’s eventual replacement then the Palermo native?!? Man, is that frustrating. He needs to be on the list as a potential transfer target. End of story.

The gameplan is pretty simple. WIN. No need to focus really on any other teams at this point as we, in essence, hold the key to our destiny. Let Rioma implode and figure out who will buy them, who they will buy, who they will sell, who they love one day and who they hate the next. And then watch all those things change after 2 days.

Onto the squads…

Squad Status

Palermo

CLAMOROSO!!!!!! Yeah, here I was thinking that everything was looking nice. It seemed as if the squad would be at full strength minus the usual suspects…namely, the Aussie and Mr. Ayo for Yayo. Then, a quick visit to mediagol reveals the headline: “EMERGENZA DIFESA
Palermo a Siena senza Kjaer e Balzaretti” Great. Balzaretti is sick with a fever and Kjaer has been having muscle problems in his calf it appears. So it looks like we’ll be seeing Miggy holding down the role. And a Savini sighting.Madonna…

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Cassani, Migliaccio, Bovo, Savini; Nocerino, Liverani, Bresciano, Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli

A Disposizione:
Ujkani, Cossentino, Morganella, Kjaer, Tedesco, Guana, Succi, Mchelidze, Hernandez

Siena

Right. It’s Siena. Oh, Kharja had a cracker last week though. Earlier this week, Zuniga was listed as potential transfer target for Palermo. And we all love the hometown boy too. However, did anyone else see another hometown boy replicate the archer celebration today?! (D’Agostino!).

Probable Lineup: Curci; Zuniga, Brandao, Portanova, Del Grosso; Vergassola, Codrea, Galloppa; Kharja; Maccarone, Calaiò

A Disposizione:
Ivanov, Ficagna, Del Grosso, Coppola, Jarolim, Amoruso, Frick

Categorical Matchup

Rioma Transfer Target 1 vs. Rioma Transfer Target 2: Palermo. Amelia > Curci

ZOMG WHAT HAPPENED?! vs. Z Factor: Siena. I haven’t seen this many question marks in defense since I saw the Riddler on Batman the Animated Series.

Full Strength vs. Not Enough: Palermo. The midfield is at full strength for the first time in recent memory. That’s enough to tip the scales in their favor right there.

Record Breakers vs. Boring Palermo. Miccoli and Cavani are nearing the Palermo Serie A record for most goals by a duo with 25 to date. They’re after the ‘04-’05 version of Toni-Brienza who dropped 30. Ah, yes…memories.

Final Analysis

Win one for the Gipper! (Considering that Ballardini won’t be watching this one from the bench as he’s serving out his 1 game suspension for being awesome)

Form Guide

Palermo
WDWLW

Siena
WWLLW

Prediction
2-1. Maccarone, Cavani, Miccoli.

MOTM:

Miccoli

Remembering the Good Times

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 15.00
Stadio La Favorità, Palermo

I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!

Preview

Derby delle Isole. Liverani is calling it the game of the year and in many ways he is correct. This is the game that will determine how we finish out our season. Will we be competing for the final Europa spot? Anything short of three points here at home says most likely no.

Jeremy over at the Cagliari Offside already has a good preview up for the game. Head over there for a more in-depth look at the squad. Yet, some things are worth mentioning again. Cagliari’s season has been nothing short of spectacular this year. If you were to go back to the beginning of the season, many “experts” picked them to head down to B – with little reinforcements coming into the team that just survived last year’s axe. The first five games certainly looked to back that prediction up quite well. However, the Sardinians turned in great results at a torrid pace – quickly moving themselves up the table and into the position they are today. Massimiliano Allegri is certainly worthy of a mention for Coach of the Year as he has his side playing some brilliant and skilled calcio. Their season is already a success, yet, they are out for more than just safety.

Palermo tifosi need no reminder of the last time these two squared up. Sadly, Jeremy is spot on when he observes Palermo’s addiction to self-destruct when a game-changing call goes against them is worse than Ronaldo’s addiction to trannys. Nonetheless, Ballardini has some extra incentive once again to try and beat the team he saved last season. In doing so, he could pretty much end their dreams of European glory.

Squad Status

Palermo

Well, we all know that Palermo is feelin’ the Cocaine Blues right now. No Moris the Barbarian…his absence hurts us even more so after Bovo picked up a suspension for some ticky-tack fouls last week. That leaves the backline looking pretty shaky. All signs point to a Kjaer-Savini partnership. Just be glad the Great Dane is around because a Miggy-Savini duo would’ve been a recipe for rotten hummus and spoiled chutney. It seems as if Emo’tino will be on the bench but not at 100%. Other than that, Amelia is banged up but the rest of the squad minus the Wizard of Oz should be good to go.

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Cassani, Kjaer, Savini, Balzaretti; Migliaccio, Liverani, Nocerino; Simplicio; Miccoli, Cavani

A Disposizione:
Ujkani, Cossentino, Tedesco, Guana, Succi, Mchelidze, Hernandez

Cagliari

Unfortunately, Cagliari seems to be at full strength for the most part. Therefore, they’ll have an edge from a Starting XI point of view – even if they are away at the Barbera. How much of an advantage that is in front of our tifosi, however, is the question.

Probable Lineup:
Marchetti; Pisano, Bianco, Canini, Agostini; Biondini, Conti, Fini; Cossu; Jeda, Acquafresca

A Disposizione
Lupatelli, Matheu, Astori, Lazzari, Parola, Mancosu, Matri

Categorical Matchup

Established as Good vs. Surprisingly Good: Push. Marco is still recovering from shoulder woes. Marchetti has been one of the most important reasons for Cagliari’s success. He is as solid as they come between the sticks and he should be heavily linked with clubs looking for a solid GK during the upcoming mercato.

The Odd Couple vs. Caca Pants Returns!: Push. Cassani? Yes. Kjaer? Yes. Balzaretti? Yes. Savini? Yikes. He’s a nice guy…just doesn’t provide the kind of reassuring calm we need at the back – even if he IS in his old position at CB.

Ali Baba & Co. vs. The Unknowns: Push. The key to both of these teams rely in the midfield. Cagliari has gotten solid play out of their mids which has taken some pressure off their attack. Meanwhile, Palermo suffers from schizophrenia. One week, Jekyll; the next, Hyde.

Eyebrows & Frankenstein vs. Freshwater: Palermo. Cavani scores at home. That’s just how it is. Perhaps, the tifosi give him that extra gear to put the finishing boots on, but whatever it is, it’s working. Speaking of work, Miccoli needs to do some more of that on the pitch, rather than walking around half the time, pulling a toenail and then exiting the game.

Final Analysis

This is it. The picture to our season will be alot clearer after Sunday. Both teams match up remarkably well, so it’ll come down to who wants it more. And that might make us all a little nervous, eh?

Form Guide

Palermo
LWDWL

Cagliari
WWLWD

Prediction
2-1. Cavani, Miccoli, Jeda.

Cori!

One of my favorite chants from the Ultras:

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!

Preview
What’s there to say about what happened to La Bestia that hasn’t been said? Nothing. I can understand that you like to go out clubbing, and that snorting coke can give you a throbbing boner and an incredible high, but not during the season as a professional footballer. So where does this leave us? One player’s antics have brought the team from optimistic to not so optimistic in two days. Not only is the sacking of Carroz’ gonna cost us a lot of money, it also means a big hole in the central defense in case one of Bovo or Kjaer gets injured. Imagine having to play with Kjaer en Cossentino in the back. The two of them combined aren’t even half as old as Maldini is.

The game in Milano couldn’t come at a worse time. We’re still fighting for that coveted European spot (altough it’s gonna be almost impossible now that Lazio and Samp are playing the Coppa final) and Milan can smell the second place. Luckily, we do well against the big teams this season. And we got a draw in Milano two weeks ago, which is good.

Squad Status

Palermo

Beauty needs to miss The Beast from now on, so we’re gonna see a Bovo-Kjaer partnership. Simplicio returns to take back his place as the provider of fine passes, and Micco will start over Succi. Guana’s back as well, and so is the Rijeka Fatman, who will provide the rest of the team with Big Mac’s during the second half.

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Cassani, Carrozzieri, Kjaer, Balzaretti; Tedesco, Liverani, Migliaccio; Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli

Bilan

Gianfranco at the Milan Offside is doing one hell of a job, so go and visit him for more info on Milan. I can already tell you that they will be missing Gennaro Gattuso, Marco Borriello, Alessandro Nesta, Kakha Kaladze, Daniele Bonera, Christian Abbiati, Giuseppe Favalli and Luca Antonini.

Probable Lineup:
Dida; Zambrotta, Senderos, Maldini, Jankulovski; Beckham, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Kaka; Inzaghi, Pato

Categorical Matchup

I Heart Roma vs. Butterfingers: Palermo. Milan may have the best defensive home record, that’s got nothing to do with the Brazilian between the posts. Marco will look to impress AS Bankruptcy once more, so expect a good match.

Beheaded vs. The Wheelchair Quartet: Push. Milan want half of our defense, we wan’t none of theirs. We’re equal.

Not the same guys as last week vs. I’m so Metrosexual: Milan. We seem to be rotating a lot in midfield lately, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing. Add the gay-factor of Milan’s midfield to that, and I don’t see us winning this battle.

Guido & Fabio vs. Tap-in Time: Push. Fuck Inzaghi, and fuck the Duck. Cavani’s on fire and Micco will want to prove himself. If our defense can avoid letting Inzaghi stand next to Amelia for 90 minutes, we’re safe.

Final Analysis

I’ll ask you: why shouldn’t we be able to take at least one point back to Palermo? Milan has only lost once in their own stadium, but we’ve beaten Juve, Samp and Fiorentina on the road and stole a point against Inter. And let’s remember that we have beaten already beaten Milan this season, even if they got two imaginary penalties.

The Carrozz’-case will most definitely have it’s effect on the players, but if you’re a pro, you have to shake things like that off, and continue with the things you get paid for.

Form Guide

Palermo
WLWDW

Milan
WDWWW

Prediction
1-1. Cavani, last minute equalizer Inzaghi.

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!