Palermo – Pastore wanted
By David, BettingExpert.com | Published
The big question should be: how will Palermo cope without the services of one of the hottest prospects in football, Javier Pastore? An even more important question in their case will be: how will volcanic president Zamparini’s mood obstruct the team’s season? He always pops up on time to have his say and the problem is he does not limit himself to statements but rashly moves on to action, destabilizing the squad in the process.
Manager: Mangia
Tactics: 4-3-3
Players In: Alvarez, Silvestre, Pisano, Zahavi, Edgar Barreto, Della Rocca, Tzorvas, Mantovani, Cetto, Aguirregaray, Lores, Labrin, Szmobathely
Players Out: Nocerino, Bovo, Cassani, Lanzafame, Pablo Gonzalez, Raggi, Carrozzieri, Milanovic
Current Probable Formation: Tzorvas, Pisano, Silvestre, Migliaccio, Balzaretti, Bertolo, Edgar Barreto, Della Rocca, Ilicic, Hernandez, Miccoli
Zamparini could benefit from the experience and capabilities of one of the most respected managers in Italian football, Delio Rossi. Yet pride and a stubborn head stood in the way and he brought the successful relationship to an end last season. From then on the team is still to recover that shape on the pitch which had proven lethal to anyone coming face to face with the Rosanero.
Granted, the defence was not Delio Rossi’s main priority, and it showed. Zamparini would not be satisfied with the points though. He never is and on his continuous search for flaws he is bound to meet a leaky defence, a player out of position, someone he intends to sell so he requires him on the pitch at all times. The man should be the manager himself but that would take away the joy of sacking a manager, a pleasure which he masochistically imposes on the squad every now and then, competing for the title of ‘president to have sacked most managers’ with Cagliari boss Cellino.
His latest victim has been Pioli. Fresh from a successful season with Chievo he clashed with Zamparini after a few games in charge which saw the Sicilian side crash out of qualifiers that would have allowed them to participate in the Europa League. The manager did not survive to take charge of the squad for one Serie A match. Luckily so, otherwise he would have been unable to accept another job in the division and would therefore not have been able to accept Bologna’s offer.
In addition, Zamparini has also come to loggerheads with sports director Sogliano who immediately quit. He has been the main sponsor for debutant manager Mangia. Inexperienced and relatively new to the atmosphere in a big club and at these levels the manager will need to make many compromises if he is to hold on to his job. Zamparini speaks and he has to obey otherwise he will be another on the long list of sacked managers.
Zamparini does have to be charged mainly for wrong timing rather than erroneous statements. He does know football and most of remarks on the team do prove that. Mangia has already been doing some elementary mistakes in how he fields this team, placing playmaker Ilicic out of position and trapping him on the wings or relegating him to the bench. The 4-4-2 he has been trying to impose goes against what the directors have been after in the summer transfer market, as they had sought to bolster a 4-3-1-2 which the team was well geared for already since the days of Delio Rossi.
Migliaccio, well adapted to the three-man midfield was moved to the back, acting as central defender. It is true that despite the arrival of a valid centre back like Silvestre from Catania the team needs quality in that department but removing Migliaccio from his natural role would only harm the team. Mangia did that for a few games but soon had his ears pulled by the president. A similar fate he suffered when he chose to ignore Bacinovic and his passing qualities. Last season he did a good job in front of defence, feeding the forward players with some neat balls.
Pastore’s sale will undoubtedly impact on the squad. The Argentine’s talent is immense but so were the millions offered by Leonardo’s Paris Saint Germain. Zamparini did well in accepting the offer. Ilicic will be his natural substitute behind a selection of strikers that has nothing to envy to any top Serie A squad. Miccoli, Hernandez and Pinilla. They are quick, possess great technique and pace, and find the net with relative ease.
Problems keep lingering in defence though. Balzaretti and Pisano are two fullbacks who like to help out in attack. Their positioning when it comes to defending is less generous and this often catches the two centre backs off guard. The latter is also the Achilles heel of the team with Silvestre being the only player of note in that department.
Predicted finishing position: 15th
Things should fall in place pretty easily from the midfield upwards. There is rote memory from Rossi’s days which makes it second nature for Palermo to go forward and cause havoc. They are less pleasing in defence. Should Mangia leave things as they are in attack without experimenting with something that already works well the Rosanero will not be encountering difficulties to find the net. He ought to focus on setting up the movements of his defence and ask for at least one solid central defenders for January. But will he be around that long with Zamparini breathing on his neck and lashing at him at every perceived mistake?
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