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:

Sunday, October 4th, 2009 20.45
Stadio La Favorità, Palermo

I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!

Preview

It’s Juve tonight, and the biggest team to come to La Favorità this season couldn’t be visiting at a worse time. There’s zero confidence in the locker room, nobody likes the way Zenga is running things and only 35% of the team is playing like they should be playing. The arrival of Juventus is yet another disaster waiting to happen. Just look at the season stats so far:

Matches Played 6 6
Table Position 15 2
Points 6 14
Goal Difference -1 7
Goals for * 2.0 2.3
Goals against * 1.7 1.0
Last 5 D-D-L-D-L D-D-W-W-W
Last 5 home D-D-W D-W-W
Last 5 away D-L-L D-W-W

That’s right, there isn’t any department where we beat Juve. We haven’t won a match in the last five games, and only gained 2 points out of 9 in our last three home games. I’m hoping for a miracle, but it’s not likely to happen.

Squad Status

Palermo

It’s getting old: no Liverani, no Tedesco (well, he’s certainly getting old) and no Hernandez. The team seems to be almost the same team as the one from the first games of the season, with Bovo in the back and Pastore replacing Simplicio. Cavani’s in as well, and so seems to be Supersirigu.

Juventus

Maybe there’s something on the Juve Offside, otherwise see below.

Categorical Matchup

The Savior vs. God: Juventus. Come on, nobody can compete with Gigi.

Familiar Faces vs. 50/50: Push. I think we have a shot here. The Schnoz and Grosso are quality, but Zebina and Legro not so.

The Wild Guess Department vs. Foreign Affairs: Juve. Diego > Palermo midfield.

Old School v. I still love you: Push. You know, I don’t rate Amauri as high as last season, so if our defense can contain him, I think here’s another shot.

Last Five Games

Palermo: LDLDD
Juve: WWWDD

Final Analysis

We should be able to put up a good fight tonight, but I don’t see us grabbing anything. Maybe a loss (and the relegation spot that comes with it) could see Zenga do a Colantuono: getting fired after a loss to Juve. We’ll find out tonight.

Prediction

1-2.

MOTM:

Amauri.

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!

Wednesday, September 23th, 2009 20.45
Stadio La Favorità, Palermo

I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!

Preview

Do I have to do this? Because I really don’t want to. Everything about this game has got ‘Disaster’ over it. Quality + reborn + good win against Fiorentina versus mediocrity + huge slump + 1/6 against newly promoted teams. Zenga took the blame for last week’s disaster, but don’t expect many changes. The Human Error in central defense is still there, the only thing that will have changed is the midfield. Pastore and Bertolo are being ‘punished’ for sucking against Parma, Nocerino seems to be tired and Cavani has muscular problems. Enter Migliaccio (w00t!), Simplicio (oh-oh!), Bresciano (What.The.Fuck.) and Budan.

It’s not going to be pretty. Zenga already feels the shit being somewhere close to being dropped on the fan. He’s practically sucking Roma’s dicks in his recent interviews:
“Roma are fortunate enough to play in the Europa League, so when there are these midweek rounds they find it normal to have peaks during the game that allow them to win.They have no weak points, as this is a team with great players like Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi, David Pizarro, Mirko Vucinic and of course their Coach Claudio Ranieri.”
Translation: “I’m pretty sure we’re gonna lose today, so it’s time for me to make sure Zampa knows Roma are a good team and it won’t be all my fault.” Whatever happens tonight, this is not my coach.

Squad Status

Palermo

Same shit, different day: Liverani and Tedesco out, Cavani as well with a muscular problem. Miggs returns, Nocerino’s tired.

Lots of changes in midfield, which ones will only be certain by the start of the game.

Roma

Don’t care.

Categorical Matchup

Sketchybrow vs. You Sound Brazilian: Push. Sucker v Sucker. Howlers could decide the game.

Zenga’s Mancrush vs. Reject Heaven: Push. Bovo’s hurting us, but luckily the things on the other side aren’t much better. Statistically, we’re better. In reality we’ll have to see.

We’re Not So Sure Who To Play vs. Stronghold: Roma. De Rossi is a beast, our midfield doesn’t even reach his knees when combined.

Biggie Smalls v. We Hate You! Love You! Hate You!: Roma. No chance guys. Only three goals in 4 games, that’s a relegation number.

Last Five Games

Palermo: WLDL
Roma: LLWW

Final Analysis

D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R. Learn how to spell it, you’ll see what it means later tonight.

Prediction

1-3.

MOTM:

Some titsucker.

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, September 20th, 2009 15.00
Stadio Tardini, Parma

I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!

Preview

Yeah, that’s right, two consecutive Budan opening pictures. What’s there to say about this game? First off, I don’t think I need to remind you guys of the importance of this duel. Both teams have gathered four points from three games, which isn’t bad for Parma but is near disastrous for us. The only result that is acceptable here is a win. But that was also the only acceptable result versus Bari AT HOME. And we all know how that one went. So, if this team has any selfrespect and love for la maglia, then a good performance and win in Parma is demanded.

Parma, on the other hand, have been keen on taking over the Palermo II role from Torino in recent times. With transfer target Dzemaili and former Palermitani Zaccardo, Ale Lucarelli, Stefano Morrone, Davide Lanzafame, Hernan Dellafiore AND Mister Guidolin, playing Parma is like kissing your cousin. She might look hot, but things just don’t seem right.

On our side, there’s also some former Prosciutto Power: Bresciano, Simplicio and Budan all came to Palermo from Parma, and I’m really counting on the last one to prove to his former team that last season was a one time scenario.

Squad Status

Palermo

Liverani and Hernandez are still out, but we might see the return of Signore Miggy. The big surprise would be the possible starting spot for Budan, who might replace Cavani. It’s a big gamble, but you never know if Budan suddenly turns out to be the scoring machine we missed ever since Toni left.

Lots of doubt in midfield, where Bresciano (please no!) and Simplicio and Nocerino and Bertolo will battle for two starting spots next to Blasi and the quasi untouchable Pastore. Bovo still in central defense, which blows.

Parma

The Parma Offside might give you more information, but all I know is that Dzemaili and Lanza will start off the bench, and Bojinov isn’t fit enough to be included in the team.

Categorical Matchup

Sketchybrow vs. A Little More Secure: Push. I’m still not convinced, although Rubinho did show some nice moves last week. Maybe Parma could be the game to start shining?

The 1995 Berlin Wall vs. This Is What An Ending Career Looks Like: Palermo. Last week’s defending was pretty iffy to say the least. Bovo is unreliable, and Balza was unable to cope with the constant threath of an extra player, thanks to Bresciano. On the other side of the field there’s a lot of players trying to revive their career or reaching the end of it slowly.

We’re Not So Sure Who To Play vs. Midtable: Palermo. If we can keep Bresciano off the field, this one should always be ours. Midfield looks to be the weakest link in Parma’s team.

Biggie Smalls v. Young Guns: Parma. Uh? Parma? Why is that? Because Miccoli still hasn’t found the net, Budan will need to prove his qualities and Biabiabiabia and Paloschi are a fuckin’ dangerous duo.

Last Five Games

Palermo: WLD
Parma: DWL

Final Analysis

I’m always afraid of doing this. Whenever I get cocky, we lose. Whenever I predict a loss, we draw. I’m not doing this now, too important.

Prediction

2-2. Budan, Budan, Paloschi, Paloschi. Zenga gets the sack, Zampa picks a B-list coach like Baldini over guys like Spalletti or Serse Cosmi and our season is already over before it starts.

MOTM:

Budan.

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!

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:

I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!

Preview

After our first game, people were happy. People started dreaming again. After our second game, at the potato field in Arty Fartyville, people went back to reality. Zenga is not a wizard, and this team still needs a lot of work to be competing for the top five. I don’t care about comments from within the team that talk about the Scudetto, or even breaking into the top four. I want 5th or 6th, and a good Coppa run. People will try to hit us using Zenga’s comments, but I don’t think anyone here really believes that we can achieve that. Let’s do this thing step by step.

Step 3 is Bari. The team with the ugliest logo in all of Italian football, and a shirt that probably doesn’t have much competition in the same department either. The Galletti are back in A, and are still undefeated. Of course, that doesn’t mean shit, as I’d prefer winning 19 and losing 19 to drawing 38. Do the math, and you’ll see why. Anyway, on Giornata 1 they surprisingly held Inter to a 1-1, so this isn’t a team to underestimate. This is also the second Southern Derby in three giornate, which will also increase the pressure on Zenga and the boys.

The main obstacle that Zenga will need to overcome, is our first half performance. It will be impossible to get a good result if our first halves stay like this.

Squad Status

Palermo

Liverani and Miggy are still out injured, and so is Hernandez. Haven’t had much fun from that guy, have we? We’ll most likely see Bresciano and Nocerino running down the flanks, with Pastore in support of our magic duo and Blasi making his debut as defensive mid. There’s a small possibility that Bertolo will start in favour of Bresciano, but after last week’s game I wouldn’t count on it too much.

Bari

The Bari Offside is a nice place, and they’ll be able to tell you more. New acquisitions Donato, Diamoutene and Almiron will most likely not be there. Up to you if that’s a good thing or not. Superstar keeper JF Gillet will be the man to look out for, it only remains unseen how much he will suffer from his adventure with the Belgian NT (5-0 loss to Spain, 2-1 loss in Armenia).

Categorical Matchup

Fear The Brow vs. The Fearsome Belgian: Push. Gillet is by far Bari’s strongest link. Rubinho could become ours, but he needs a little more work.

Berlin Wall vs. Who that?: Palermo. Seriously, there aren’t much teams in Serie A with a defense that can compete with ours. I don’t see guys like Stellini and Parisi doing the same thing.

Back-up Bonanza vs. Serie B+: Palermo. Will Blasi perform? Will Bresciano go Bresciano again? Will Nocerino work his ass off? With Pastore on the field, this battle’s ours.

Dynamic Duo v. Kutuzov the Nomad: Palermo. Kutuzov can be dangerous. Cavani and Miccoli are dangerous. ‘Nuff said.

Last Five Games

Palermo: WL
Bari: DD

Final Analysis

This preview is bleeding cockyness. And it should. There’s no way in hell that not winning against Bari is acceptable. They’re fresh out of B, their team isn’t ready yet and they got lucky against Bologna. If Zenga wants to put his money where his mouth is, this is the time. Not winning against the Galletti means one foot in the grave for ‘Coach Z’.

Prediction

3-1. Pastore, Micco, Cavani. Kutuzov.

MOTM:

Pastore

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!

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: