The Palermo Offside has been the home of many Rosanero supporters for over three years. During that time, this site has brought fans together from all over the world – something that couldn’t have happened even a short while ago. The Offside community carved a special niche for many supporters not only across Serie A, but in a myriad of football leagues across the globe. It served its purpose for a long time, but eventually all good things come to an end. When SBNation purchased The Offside, changes were inevitable. Looking to drive traffic to the parent site, the new ownership has focused on the biggest blogs in transitioning them over. Unfortunately, this has resulted in many of the smaller blogs being left waiting and wondering about their future. Yet, it’s not all bad news.

In the desire to provide the English speaking community with the best information on all things Palermo, I have always attempted to utilize the appropriate sources for reaching the widest audience possible. We had this blog right here, an email account created (palermooffside [at] gmail [dot] com) and a wildly successful Twitter account (@PalermoOffside). However, seeing the changing environment around me and not wanting to lose out on all the great people who visit this blog, action was necessary and a personal dream has partially been fulfilled.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the New Palermo: Ultra Palermo. It is a brand new site wholly dedicated to providing you with the best news, opinion and information on our beloved Palermo Calcio. Better yet, I will be joined alongside two other people: Steven Van Duyse (a common name to many of you as a former writer here) and Benedetto “Benny” Giardina (a Sicilian with a phenomenal knowledge of the club). Together, we will strive to fulfill all your needs with the freedom that our own site provides. This will be a venture in which success is determined by your support and your ideas. I’m excited for this new site and I hope you will all feel the same. Let me know what you all think. Along with the new site, our new Twitter account is @UltraPalermo – if you were following @PalermoOffside already, do not worry, there is nothing you have to do. If you aren’t following yet, get on board! There is a lot of exciting and new content ahead. So please, join me and the future of the New Palermo over at Ultra Palermo.

FORZA PALERMO!!!!! FORZA ULTRA PALERMO!!!

It’s been a while since the last post here at Palermo Offside. Unfortunately, the international break brings with it a severe lack of team news. What is left over is usually nothing more than severely early transfer market rumors, repetitive interviews and wild speculation. However, there is some big news relevant to all those who have an interest in the Palermo Offside.

A game changer is on the horizon. Unfortunately, I can’t say anything more until Friday when it will all be revealed. Until then, hang tight, follow the Twitter account (@PalermoOffside) and let’s get excited about the Serie A re-start.

FORZA PALERMO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Follow Palermo Offside Via…
Palermo Offside on Twitter
Palermo Offside on Facebook
Official Palermo Calcio Group Page on Facebook

After five games into Palermo’s 2011-12 campaign, the Rosanero sit in second place on 10 points, only 1 point behind joint leaders Juventus and Udinese. While that accomplishment is impressive in itself, table watching should not be standard practice so early in the season. Beyond the nice position in the current table, Devis Mangia has achieved in just the 4th and 5th game something that took last season’s side until the 18th and 19th game – two consecutive blanksheets in Serie A. The fact that Mangia has managed to do this without sacrificing attractive football for dull, defensive play is nothing short of astonishing.

Palermo came back to the Barbera fresh off a drab scoreless draw against a powerful Lazio team. While the game overall was nothing overtly outstanding, the lessons learned from the encounter were worth remembering. Mangia was getting his players to play smart, compact football.

The match against Siena provided the opportunity for Palermo and its supporters to see what could have been versus what currently is. Giuseppe Sannino was the mastermind – an integral part of Varese’s dream run that saw the club go from C2 to Serie B. His appointment was made by a man now occupying the DS role in Palermo, Sean Sogliano. When Sogliano accepted the Palermo job, he looked to fill the Rosanero coaching vacancy with his phenomenal coach. Unfortunately, Zamparini saw one disastrous result and passed, preferring the defunct Stefano Pioli.

Sogliano did manage to bring some of his old crew from his time at Varese with him by signing Eros Pisano and assigning the young, unknown Devis Mangia as the Palermo Primavera coach. Mangia had done very well with the Varese Primavera in the previous year and so Sogliano was excited to have him on board. The rest of the story needs no repeating as Mangia unexpectedly became the coach of the senior team.

Even though it was not a traditional teacher-student relationship, Sannino and Mangia worked together here and there while at Varese. Sunday’s match was an exhibition of two coaches on the rise even though one was much younger than the other. And for everything Sannino threw at Mangia with his team up a man but needing a goal, Mangia countered brilliantly.

The addition of Pablo Gonzalez, a man with an unstated vendetta against Palermo, resulted in the expulsion of Balzaretti only two minutes later. Mangia replaced his outside midfielder with Andrea Mantovani to fill the defensive gap. When Sannino added D’Agostino to the mix (a Palermitano himself) for a creative spark, Mangia put in Acquah to commandeer the midfield.

In the end, Palermo won 2-0 but it was the way Mangia was able to get the Rosanero to play compactly in spite of the one man disadvantage. For those who saw the game, Palermo arguably played better while down a man. The result never seemed in doubt and Mangia was praised by his former coworker.

Ahead lies even more difficult tests, with away trips to Milan and Roma on the cards. Yet, the Mangia magic has continued to exist. There is an energy and exciting buzz emanating around Tenente Onorato that wasn’t there a short time ago. Forza Palermo!

Le Pagelle

Tzorvas – 6 – Alexandros had nothing to do the whole game. He may have been called into action once.

Pisano – 8 – Eros is making everybody forget about Cassani. He made a case for man of the match on Sunday with his poise and defensive stops. He has been a gem and has lived up to the potential that was seen in Serie B with Varese.

Silvestre – 8 – Siena’s attack may not be as prestigious or dangerous as Lazio’s big name strikers, but nonetheless Matias was as solid as ever. Remember, Siena had scored four goals in their last two matches. Silvestre put an end to that.

Migliaccio – 8.5 – Mr. Prandelli, let me introduce you to Giulio. He’s a midfielder by trade but currently earning a living as a defender. He scores goals with his head too, despite his smaller stature. Oh, and he’s more versatile and better than both Barzagli and Bonucci defensively. Just sayin.

Balzaretti – 5.5 – The rating has very little to do with his performance but everything to do with his red card. Federico knows better and allowing an ex-teammate to get under your skin after shoving you to the ground while reacting by slapping the ball is simply a youthful error. Unfortunately, the red card means he will not be available for a very difficult fixture against Milan at the San Siro. The timing couldn’t have been worse.

Iličić – 6.5 – Slowly but surely the real Josip is finding his form. Started off the game a bit cautiously but as it progressed, he began to play well. With his confidence shaken over the past few games, it’s nice to see him play well.

Barreto – 7 – Often, when blanksheets are registered, people will give a lot of the credit to the defense. While that is true, the midfield duo of Edgar and Francesco played a vital role in keeping Siena off the scoreboard. The Paraguayan is a talented, but even more so, intelligent player and Palermo has begun to notice that.

Della Rocca – 7 – If anything has been noted about Della Rocca’s game in these first few games, it’s that there isn’t anything that really catches the eye. He’s not a glamorous, gritty midfielder in the mold of Nocerino; rather, he does his job by pressing the opposition and wins balls sometimes seemingly unnoticed. It was a good showing from Della Rocca when the squad needed it most.

Bertolo – 6.5 -He was a terror while on the pitch and is trying to make his case to hold on to his starting spot even when Alvarez returns. Mangia will have a tough choice to make against Milan.

Miccoli – 7 – Even though he put only 45 minutes in against Siena, it was his lobbed pass that found the head of Migliaccio to give Palermo the 1-0 lead. Hopefully, the calf strain will not keep him out too long and that he’ll be ready for the San Siro.

Abel Hernandez – 8 – It was a tremendous performance for the Uruguayan. Beyond the goal from the penalty spot, Abel looked like a faster version of Pinilla out there. He was tireless and constantly running throughout the entire game. He was worthy of the praise heaped on him by Mangia and hopefully this is only the sign of things to come.

Zahavi – 6 – The adjustment period to Serie A is beginning to wane. Eran played well despite coming on while Palermo was a man down. He had a fantastic little move to draw the foul that put the game officially to rest in the dying moments of the match.

Mantovani – 7 – The club finally got to see the ex-Pioli pupil in action for the first time this season. Andrea was fantastic. Even though he was initially signed for a CB role, he had experience playing as a fullback and that was on showcase against Siena. He’s a Serie A veteran and his addition to the back line, with Balzaretti gone, was seamless. There’s hope for a post-Balzaretti Palermo yet.

Acquah – 7 – More praise must be thrown in Afriyie’s direction. He came on with 20 minutes left and was excellent. The way he held up the ball and won several corners in the closing minutes of the game was superb. He has reserved some space for himself in this club and it can only get bigger as he matures.

Devis Mangia – 8 – Let’s remember one thing. Mangia said before the game that those who would come on the pitch would play just as an important role – if not more so – than those who started. He was spot on as Zahavi, Mantovani and even Acquah were instrumental in Palermo earning three points.

FORZA PALERMO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Follow Palermo Offside Via…
Palermo Offside on Twitter
Palermo Offside on Facebook
Official Palermo Calcio Group Page on Facebook

Sunday, October 2, 2011
Stadio Renzo Barbera, Palermo, Sicilia

It’s a Varese reunion as Sean Sogliano (ex-Varese DS) and Devis Mangia (ex-Varese Primavera coach) meet up with Giuseppe Sannino (ex-Varese head coach). Unfortunately, there was no time for a full preview but it will be nice to see other familiar faces like Franco Brienza and Emanuele Calaiò – one who played for Palermo and adopted the city as a result and the other who was born in Palermo but never got to play in the colors.

With the match occurring at the Barbera, everyone will expect a win, but it’ll be tough as Siena are no pushover.

Probable Lineup

Tzorvas
Pisano – Silvestre – Migliaccio – Balzaretti
Bertolo – Barreto – Della Rocca – Ilicic
Abel – Miccoli

Bench: Benussi; Mantovani, Cetto; Acquah, Bacinovic, Zahavi; Pinilla

Follow Palermo Offside Via…
Palermo Offside on Twitter
Palermo Offside on Facebook

The drought has ended. Not since a 1-0 win over Milan at the Renzo Barbera back in March had Palermo not allowed a goal – and that occurred with Serse Cosmi at the helm. To further prove how long it’s been, prior to the home win over Milan, Palermo’s last game in which they held their opponent to no goals while on the road occurred on January 9 at Chievo, where both sides played out a 0-0 draw. Up until Sunday, Palermo had gone 16 consecutive games in which they conceded at least one goal. The goalless draw against a good Lazio side should not be discredited.

Beyond the blanksheet, Palermo defended well as a team. Mangia has gotten the most out of his central pairing of Silvestre and Migliaccio while relying on the steadiness of Balzaretti and the grit of newcomer Pisano. It was unfortunate, then, that the Rosanero were unable to provide any sort of threat going forward. All in all, it was a dull game but valuable in terms of the point earned and the psychological breakthrough on the road. Going forward, if Palermo is to see any success this season, there needs to be more results garnered while away from the friendly confines of the Renzo Barbera.

On a negative-turned-positive note, the Stadio Olimpico proved once again to harbor certain factions amongst the Lazio fanbase that are filled with hatred. The jeers directed towards Acquah by a small group were terrible to see and hear. What occurred after the jeers began was beautiful to witness. As the racial insults hurled at Acquah began to pick up, they were quickly drowned out by the rest of the crowd there – Palermo and Lazio fans alike. More action towards racism, like what happened at the Olimpico, needs to continue to happen at stadiums across Europe when stupidity sullies the beautiful game. Forza Palermo!

Le Pagelle

Tzorvas – 8 – The man of the match for Palermo. The Greek keeper had his best performance in his short career in Rosanero making some good saves to give the club its first blanksheet in 17 matches. He only made one error on the day when he rushed out to punch a ball clear that landed at the feet of Cissè but the opportunity went wasted.

Pisano – 7 – Following the trend, Pisano also enjoyed his best performance for Palermo to date. The kid has a lot of heart in him and did well to stifle the Lazio attack throughout the course of the match. He may get beaten from time to time, but when he does, he doesn’t give up on the play. It happened against Inter and Cagliari and happened once again against Lazio. Admirable qualities from a player who has a lot of potential.

Silvestre – 7.5 – The central defender Palermo has been missing for a long time. It sounds repetitious but it’s a fact. Palermo may have spent a lot over the summer to acquire him, but the affair looks well-worth it early on in the season. He’s a true leader in defense.

Migliaccio – 7 – A converted central defender, Giulio continues to look like a natural back there. He’ll make the occasional error but for a man used to the midfield, it’s remarkable how well he’s played. Lately, he’s stated he likes playing back there but will play anywhere for the team. Interesting to see how Migliaccio continues to be first choice over Muñoz, but it could change when Cetto finally recovers from his injuries.

Balzaretti – 7 – Fluid and tireless like always.

Zahavi – 6 – Eran had a little bit of a setback from his previous effort against Cagliari. He inserted himself well at times but his decision-making and runs were a little questionable on other occasions. If he took a better touch from Iličić’s incisive pass, Palermo could’ve stolen a win. Still, the Israeli has quality and can be a valuable player for Palermo.

Barreto – 6 – Like the rest of the midfield, the overall performance was just a slight regression from games past. The good thing about Edgar is his tendency to attack the opposition immediately rather than let them run at him.

Della Rocca – 6 – Francesco was anonymous for stretches of the game but he did make several valuable contributions ahead of the defense. Still, his fitness might not be totally there yet.

Bertolo – 7 -The best of the midfield bunch, Nico runs a lot and earned quite a few fouls. He has pace and stealthy dribbling skills. The bigger question remains whether or not he stays in the starting lineup when Edgar Alvarez is available. He has made the most of his opportunity so far.

Pinilla – 5.5 – He had one opportunity the entire match and placed his shot too centrally . Other than that, there was running and winning free kicks but none of it ever presented Palermo with dangerous opportunities to score.

Abel Hernandez – 5.5 -Much like Mauricio, Abel provided little threat to Lazio as well. He had one opportunity but, like Pinilla, it went wasted. The Palermo attack had a down performance overall but fortunately Palermo was able to earn a point.

Acquah – 6.5 -Afriyie did a good job coming on and even managed to keep his disciplinary record clean. He still gets a bit too selfish when pushing forward as he absolutely must pass the ball to the other attackers around him rather than trying to shoot from distance (seemingly always off target).

Iličić – 6.5 – Coming off the bench, Josip initially looked disinterested. However, glimpses of the real Iličić manifested themselves as he began to terrorize the Lazio defense. He was mobile and made several good plays. Hopefully he can continue on the right path and return to being a valuable and indispensable asset to Palermo.

Bačinović – s.v.

Devis Mangia – 7 – The personality Mangia brings from the sideline is valuable to this entirely new squad. He kept a grieving Miccoli out of the starting lineup and even preferred not to sub him on when tactically it made sense. Bertolo probably should’ve stayed on the pitch while sacrificing Zahavi. Nevertheless, hindsight is 20/20 and Palermo earned a valuable point on the road.

FORZA PALERMO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Follow Palermo Offside Via…
Palermo Offside on Twitter
Palermo Offside on Facebook
Official Palermo Calcio Group Page on Facebook

Protests, disappointment, calls for a new coach – these were things that many in the Palermo camp recall from the summer. What seems incredible is that these very things are currently problems in Casa Lazio as fans have showed their disapproval of Edy Reja despite the elderly mister putting them on the brink of Champions League qualification last season.

The other “Eagles” bolstered their team over the summer, ridding themselves of problem-child Mauro Zarate while bringing in veteran goalscorers and international names Djibril Cisse and Miroslav Klose to lead their attack. In addition to them, Lazio brought in Konko from Genoa to replace Lichtensteiner and signed former Italy international goalkeeper Federico Marchetti. All those acquisitions reinforce a team with good players like Christian Ledesma, Stefano Mauri and Hernanes in the midfield. If anything, the Roman club has shown how deadly it is with their romps in Europe (11 goals in 3 games) and holding title winners Milan to a 2-2 draw at the San Siro.

Yet, Lazio currently stands on 4 points after losing to Genoa at home and beating winless Cesena away. The biancoceleste will be looking for their first home win against Palermo on Sunday and Reja will hope a win shuts up his critics. Unfortunately, the ex-Napoli boss will have to do without Biava, Gonzalez, Mauri and Radu due to injury.

Meanwhile, Palermo has been experiencing quite the opposite. After all the dismay up until early September, the appointment of Devis Mangia has been a stroke of fortune for a team and city that was looking for some luck. Mangia has restored belief and hope in Palermo with his positive attitude, likability with the players and entertaining brand of high tempo calcio. Of course, wins against Inter and Cagliari while earning six points out of a possible nine to start the season help too. Yet, there is a long way to go and the match against Lazio provides Mangia with a real road test – a place where Palermo has habitually struggled for longer than minds would like to remember.

Probable Lineup

Bench: Benussi; Munoz, Aguirregaray; Acquah, Bacinovic, Ilicic; Abel Hernandez

Once again, the big question surrounds the status of Josip Ilicic. The Slovenian may start Sunday’s match from the bench once again after the terrific display of Eran Zahavi and the subsequent tantrum Josip put on after realizing he wouldn’t be playing. Without criticism, Mangia said Josip “needs to rediscover the desire to play calcio and entertain himself.” Wise words that seem to fit the bill regarding his recent slump.

The back line should remain unchanged while Bertolo and Zahavi may get their second consecutive start considering the good performances both put on against Cagliari. Barreto is a lock in the middle of the pitch while Della Rocca looks set to start once again. Acquah suffered whip lash during last game so perhaps Armin may see some action at some point. Regardless, it must be said that the biggest obstacle that Bacinovic faces is his own attitude. Up top, Miccoli will most likely play despite his grandfather’s recent passing (on Friday) and will leave after the game to be with his family. Pinilla looks like a slight favorite to start over Abel Hernandez.

Final Words

Palermo will need to play with the concentration required for a full 90 minutes on Sunday if they want to take home any points. Sure, they got away with playing 80 minutes while up 3-0 against Cagliari but Lazio have the players who will punish the Rosanero at every chance they get. Devis Mangia has stated he wants “one Palermo” meaning a team that plays as well on the road as they do at home. If Mangia were to succeed in this aspect, he’d stand on near unprecedented grounds as the most glaring weakness of the Rosanero in years past has been their road form. It will not be easy but perhaps with new players and new determination comes a new way of playing and surpassing the psychological hurdles associated with “Palermo away”. The match against Atalanta in Bergamo did little to reverse the trend, but a win against Lazio would be a big step forward.

SIAMO TERRONI E CE NE VANTIAMOOOOO!!!!

Follow Palermo Offside Via…
Palermo Offside on Twitter
Palermo Offside on Facebook

The big question surrounding the media outlets around Palermo was, “What has happened to Josip Iličić?” After a positive debut against Inter, the Slovenian looked completely lost and utterly terrible against bottom-dwellers Atalanta. The inevitable follow-up regarded whether or not the ex-Maribor man should keep his spot in the starting lineup.

There are a lot of things still to be discovered regarding Devis Mangia. He is a virtual unknown in a business that thrives on finding out even the most personal details of its employees. Yet, one thing has been made evident: Devis Mangia operates on merit. True merit, that is. Not the so-called merit-based system that other coaches banter on about but then continually refuse to play guys worthy of a starting spots (see: Pioli, Stefano and Miccoli, Fabrizio). The young coach had a decision to make. Axe one of the biggest playmakers on the team in favor of two players who are hypothetical gambles in Zahavi and Bertolo.

The question marks were promptly answered only 15 minutes later when both players were already on the scoresheet. The result was a fantastic win against an impressive Cagliari side. Furthermore, the Rosanero regained the momentum they had lost over the weekend against Atalanta while reaffirming the style with which Mangia’s Palermo will play.

A quick thought on Mangia’s style then: it’s obvious by now that the young coach demands a very high pressing system that forces each player on the pitch to sacrifice for the entire team and not strictly rely on individuals. That being said, it is also apparent that the team’s overall fitness needs to be even better given the system. One of the many problems under Stefano Pioli was that he never got the team at the level they needed to be. It showed against Thun, when the Rosanero were exhausted and helpless against inferior opposition. This past match against Cagliari highlighted that the team still isn’t quite there yet. They ran out of steam with 10 minutes left and were fortunate not to have suffered a total collapse. Rest assured, though, Mangia knows this and is certainly taking the necessary steps to address the problem.

Now, Palermo must look ahead to Lazio – a very difficult fixture against a team that has a lot of good players. Until then, Forza Palermo!

Le Pagelle

Tzorvas – 5.5 – A bit harsh but he was at fault for both goals despite making some tremendous saves during the course of the match. Against Cagliari, the good and the bad were seen although it is hoped that with some more time with his teammates and a better grasp of the language, he’ll improve.

Pisano – 6 – The ex-Varese man is growing and it’s evident already. Filling the void left by Cassani will not be easy, but Eros has shown a strong commitment to defense first – something very important for a team that concedes too often. Still, he tired dramatically towards the end of the game which resulted in two goals for Cagliari.

Silvestre – 7 – The Argentine was a rock once again, always present to squash the Cagliari attack. He is the type of assurance Palermo needs and so far, so good for Silvestre.

Migliaccio – 6.5 – Probably partly at fault for Cagliari’s second goal as he was the last man beaten by Nainggolan. Still, Giulio is tremendous at beating opponents to the ball and surprisingly in the air despite his stature.

Balzaretti – 7 – After a poor game, Federico was back to his usual self, churning up and down the left side of the pitch tirelessly. He caused several problems for Cagliari during the first half and was still going strong until the final whistle.

Zahavi – 7 – Given his first official start in Rosanero, it took the Israeli just 16 seconds to find the back of the net with a vicious hit from outside the area that left Agazzi rooted to the spot. He could’ve doubled his tally a while later but was splendid until his substitution. The beauty of his game is that he’s not overtly flashy but works for the team.

Barreto – 7 – Edgar is quickly becoming a vital part to the Palermo midfield. Already, he seems to be the metronome by which the team operates and has been excellent in providing defensive cover. What seemed to be just a roster filler on deadline day is turning out to be an exquisite signing by Sogliano.

Della Rocca – 6.5 – A vastly improved performance than what was seen in his debut against Inter. Francesco did well to link up with Barreto and injected some pace into the central midfield.

Bertolo – 7 - Finally rewarded with a start after a fantastic preseason and Nicolas answered with a goal – his first in Rosanero. Mentioned several times during the summer, Bertolo is a valuable player to have on this team. He is dynamic, versatile and hungry. Mangia asked him to run and he did it until he was substituted. Hopefully, this is just the beginning from a player who was purchased the same summer as Javier Pastore.

Pinilla – 6.5 – Mauricio deserves the half point just for staying healthy through a full match. Another gritty performance for him and while it didn’t contain a goal, sometimes having him up top holding the ball up and causing a ruckus for opposing defenses is just enough.

Miccoli – 8 -Fabrizio’s season stat line reads: 3 games, 3 goals, 2 assists. The Palermo captain underlined once more that he is the true force behind Mangia’s method. He delivered another assist, this time with a perfectly timed and threaded pass to Bertolo. Sure, he missed a shot that we’ve seen him bury time and time again that would’ve made it 3-0, but he made more than up for it with a sublime free kick that escapes description. The gem against Inter was superb but somehow Miccoli surpassed that free kick effort with one from a terrific angle that caught everyone offguard. A Miccoli this in-form is the most dangerous weapon Palermo has at its disposal.

Aguirregaray – 6.5 -Matias finally got his debut after coming on in the second half. Much is unknown about him but at the same time much is eagerly expected of the man once referred to as the “new Maicon”. He is versatile in the sense that he’s a wingback who can play fullback or in an outside midfield role. Given some time and a few more looks, it’ll be easier to make a judgment call. Appears dangerous on the counter, though.

Acquah – 6 – The beauty…or ruggedness…of Acquah’s game is that he knows what he’s supposed to do when he comes on the pitch. The young Ghanaian was a sparkplug from the moment he stepped on the field. His only problem is that he’s a little to physical for his own good, picking up yet another caution for his efforts.

Abel Hernandez – 6.5 -Adequate after replacing Miccoli with 13 minutes left in the game, Abel just needed to press and continually bring the ball forward. He did that.

Devis Mangia – 8 – Once again, Mangia got it right. He sent Iličić to the bench and gave a merit-based lineup that resulted in three points and a momentum shift back in the right direction. His in-game tactics so far have been fantastic.

FORZA PALERMO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Follow Palermo Offside Via…
Palermo Offside on Twitter
Palermo Offside on Facebook
Official Palermo Calcio Group Page on Facebook

With two rounds of action already in the books, Palermo will play its first mid-week match of the new season. The results have been mixed as the tremendous win against Inter was followed up with a dud against Atalanta. Of course, these results are typical Rosanero style as wins against the big teams in Serie A have never been hard to come by, whereas the bottom dwellers have always proved fickle.

Tonight, Palermo face an impressive Cagliari side currently sitting at the top of the table with three other teams. Wins against Roma and Novara by 2-1 scorelines have left the Sardinians flying high and Ficcadenti’s men will aim for three out of three against their island counterparts. Both teams have plenty to prove in order to see just what each side can aim for this season.

Probable Lineup – Updated

Bench: Benussi; Mantovani, Munoz, Aguirregaray; Acquah, Ilicic; Abel Hernandez

The Slovenian was unrecognizable against Atalanta and the question is whether or not he should keep his spot in the starting lineup for the time being. The injury to Alvarez allows Josip to play on his preferred right side while Zahavi may make his first start for Palermo. The only question marks are whether the backline pairing of Silvestre and Migliaccio should stay but given the way Giulio has been playing, it would be wise to let it stand.

Final Words

A return home is ideal for Palermo as the conditions in Atalanta certainly affected the game. Devis Mangia needs to make sure the Rosanero are focused in this tricky match against a Cagliari side that has taken the maximum amount of points in the two games they’ve played. There should be goals as Cagliari has conceded in 10 straight games (going back to last season) and Palermo has conceded in 15 straight. The Rosanero have fared well at home against the Sardinian side and their record against Ficcadenti is unblemished. Nevertheless, the team needs full concentration if they want to earn the full three points.

SIAMO TERRONI E CE NE VANTIAMOOOOO!!!!

Follow Palermo Offside Via…
Palermo Offside on Twitter
Palermo Offside on Facebook

Last week, Palermo and new coach Devis Mangia gave a big middle finger to all the pessimists and the non-believers. Only 7 days later, the team gave those non-believers a new stick to hit with. The coach and half of the team may have changed, Palermo’s inability to beat lower ranked teams in less than optimal circumstances has remained. On a flooded pitch in Bergamo, our boys went behind thanks to a German Denis goal. Until that point, the game was pretty even with shots fired from both sides, but Atalanta took the lead after Bonaventura and Denis beat both the offside trap and Tzorvas. The latter clearly can take a part of the blame, as his positioning on the play was pretty abysmal.

With both Alvarez and Miccoli already subbed off from the water-logged pitch, shit was about to hit the fan big time when thunderstorms completely flooded the pitch. Half an hour later, the game was restarted and our first loss of the season was a fact. Who’s to blame? Probably the whole team. Sure, the weather and the time of day weren’t helping, but Atalanta had the same problem. Ilicic didn’t follow up last week’s performance and even got Mangia pretty worked up, Tzorvas got him some Palermo Goalkeeper Fever and the attack was terrible. Even Balzaretti wasn’t his usual self. A match to forget, especially with next week’s match against unbeaten Cagliari coming up.

Le Pagelle

Tzorvas – 5 – Terrible positioning on the goal. Looked like previous Palermo keepers, which is not a good thing.

Pisano – 6 – Played better than last week, both defending and attacking. Needs more time to settle in.

Silvestre – 6 – Went down with the rest of the team.

Migliaccio – 7,5 – Best player on the squad for the second time in a row. Plays like a natural CB without being a natural CB.

Balzaretti – 5.5 – I think this was Balza’s worst performance in the pink and black. Not fast enough, not good enough.

Alvarez – S.V. – Wasn’t on the pitch long enough to be decisive.

Barreto – 6.5 – Best player in midfield. One can only wonder what would’ve happened without him on the field.

Della Rocca – S.V. –

Iličić – 4 - Disastrous game from the young Slovene. Lost a lot of balls, fucked up some free kicks and was completely anonymous for most of the game.

Abel Hernandez – 5 – Half of what Abel does are useless movements. Needs to step it up if he wants to be a regular starter.

Miccoli – 5.5 - Anonymous game from Il Capitano, ended with a foot injury.

Pinilla – 6.5 - Another great performance from the Chilean, and that on such a pitch. Needs to start in stead of Abel.

Highlights by Pietro Falanga

FORZA PALERMO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Follow Palermo Offside Via…
Palermo Offside on Twitter
Palermo Offside on Facebook
Official Palermo Calcio Group Page on Facebook

Atalanta – Palermo

Hi guys, Lorenzo’s off for the weekend, so you’ll have to do with me for a couple of days. Only a week after beating the nerazzuri from Milano, Palermo’s heading up north for another bout with a team donned in black and blue, Atalanta Bergamo. The Bergamasci are nowhere to be compared to Inter, but a lot of danger lies in the encounter.

Two weeks ago, all that is Rosanero was still trying to avoid to have to live through the possible disaster that Serie A 2011/2012 could become. Now, everything is different. Our boys and our coach showed great character beating Inter, but the difficult part is not over yet. Yes, it was a great win. Yes, Mangia’s tactics looked good. Yes, new guys like Tzorvas and Barreto did a great job. But all the positivism that was left after last week could well be washed down the drain if we were to lose points in Bergamo.

If we’re being realistic, beating Atalanta is a must. The Bergamasci just returned to Serie A after a season in the Cadetti and started the season with -6 after being involved in a betting scandal. Still, last week they managed to upset Genoa by getting a tie after being 2-0 down, thanks to two goals by new signing Maxi Moralez, so a cautious approach could be in order. It also remains to be seen what Edgar Barreto will do against his former team and in his former stadium.

Probable Lineup

I don’t have Zo’s fancy lineup images, so it’s just gonna be text from me.

Starting XI: Tzorvas; Pisano, Migliaccio, Silvestre, Balzaretti; Alvarez, Della Rocca, Barreto, Ilicic; Hernandez, Miccoli
Bench: Benussi; Munoz, Mantovani, Aguirregaray; Bacinovic, Zahavi

Never change a winning team, they say, so it’s likely that Palermo will field the same eleven guys that beat Inter last week. Tzorvas looked good in his first game for the team, and so did Silvestre and Barreto. Alvarez and Della Rocca need to take another step, but could become a valuable pair in midfield against Atalanta. Pinilla is likely out for the game with injury (sounds familiar?) and personally, I’m curious if Zahavi gets some playing time and, if so, how he will adapt to the level of play in Serie A.

Atalanta will most likely have to do without Luca Cigarini & Ferreira Pinto, but the dangerous pairing of Moralez and German Denis could cause danger for the Palermo defense.

Final Words

Zo’s words last week were ‘the enthusiasm in Palermo is as low as it probably has ever been since the return to Serie A’. One week later, there’s hardly anything left of that negativity. And that’s dangerous. If the team and Devis Mangia don’t keep their feet on the ground, Atalanta could put them right back there. We know that Palermo always underperforms against ’smaller’ teams, so there’s another danger right there. Still, both in quality as in tactics, Palermo should be able to get the win in the Atleti Azzurri d’ Italia and start the season with 6 points out of 6. Forza Palermo!

Aspettando Atalanta – Palermo

SIAMO TERRONI E CE NE VANTIAMOOOOO!!!!

Follow Palermo Offside Via…
Palermo Offside on Twitter
Palermo Offside on Facebook