The roller coaster that is Palermo’s season continued this past Sunday as the Rosanero lost 3-0 to Bologna in spectacular fashion. The Jekyl and Hyde personality of the squad reared its ugly head at the Renato Dall’Ara as apart from the opening twenty minutes, Palermo were outclassed in every facet of the game.
And just when it appeared things could not have gotten any worse, Palermo managed to outdo themselves as they ended the match with eight players on the pitch after seeing three players sent off in the second half. A small problem within the 90 minutes as the chances of a Palermo comeback were slim, but an issue that complicates Gian Piero Gasperini’s preparations for Saturday’s important match against rivals Catania.
After an encouraging performance against Sampdoria, there was a renewed sense of optimism surrounding the Sicilian club. The emergence of Paulo Dybala, the return of Massimo Donati to lead the backline, and a renewed fighting spirit within the squad looked to be solid platforms to build from for the Bologna match. Instead, the only thing that Sunday’s performance confirmed was that the current squad is a far cry from previous Palermo sides, meaning that a relegation dogfight may be in the cards.
The 3-0 score was a clear and deserved result for Bologna who took advantage of Palermo’s road struggles (where they seem to always lose). Throw in some individual blunders (Donati’s handball on the first penalty and his misunderstanding with Ujkani for the second) and a lack of composure (Barreto’s two yellows and Labrin’s red after just coming on) and you have a recipe for disaster. While the match can be looked at as a singular episode, with every passing week it becomes apparent that the squad has severe limitations that must be remedied if the ship is to be saved from completely sinking.
The cards were flying in on Sunday against Bologna, a worrying site in preparation for Saturday’s derby against Catania.
Since taking over for Giuseppe Sannino on September 16th, Gasperini has been at the helm of the Rosaneri for ten matches. His record? Two wins, four draws and four losses.
Ten goals scored, fifteen goals against. Those statistics cover roughly a quarter of the season and confirm what a struggle this season has been for the club. An average of a point per match over the course of a full season would put Palermo just under the 40 point mark that is considered the minimum amount to stay in the Serie A.
While it is true that Gasperini inherited this club meaning that he was not afford the luxury of a pre-season to tailor the club to his needs, time waits for no one. Despite performing admirably more often the not, the 54-year-old tactician must be fully aware that relegation battles are not won on merit points. Palermo’s position in the standings is worrisome and performances like the one against Bologna will do nothing but make it even more apparent.
While Gasperini is in the precarious position of trying to turn things around, he is not to blame for the obvious lack of talent that runs through the side. Despite hiring Giorgio Perinetti in the summer, Zamparini has already replaced him former Catania director of football Pietro Lo Monaco. While this decision can be discussed at length (when isn’t that the case with Zamparini), it is fundamental that new signings are brought in during the January transfer window.
Lo Monaco must work the magic he wielded at Catania to bring in 3-4 new players that can add to the Rosanero’s cause. And given recent results, they may have to be relegation-battle tested in order to provide Palermo with the bullish mentality it needs and has been sorely lacking up to this point.
As I alluded to earlier, the difficult fixtures list continues for the Rosanero as Catania visits the Renzo Barbera for the Derby di Sicilia on Saturday. Derby matches are always played to be won, regardless of the club’s position in the standings, so one can only hope that Gasperini prepares his men for the encounter. The Renzo Barbera will undoubtedely provide an intimidating environment for their island bretheren, whilst providing the Rosanero players with that extra push needed to get a result from the match.
The need for points from Saturday’s match cannot be overstated as the final four matches of 2012 read Inter, Juventus, Udinese and Fiorentina. All difficult matches, all before the January transfer window, and all of which could have a large bearing on how the club moves forward into 2013.
Follow Adriano Boin on Twitter: @Boin44
