Palermo were minutes away from collecting their first away win of the season when the omnipresent Antonio Di Natale turned to Ebenezer Scrooge and denied the Rosanero what would have been the perfect gift for the holidays. As has become the norm in recent weeks, Palermo put together a solid performance that was undone by a moment of folly to go along with the usual shortcomings of the present squad and deny the Rosanero what would have been a welcome three points.
Josip Ilicic, who put on a rampant performance like the one that undid Catania, put the Rosanero in front with one of his patented galloping runs before cutting in and unleashing a powerful left-footed drive. It was not as spectacular an effort as against the Etnei, and Zeljko Brkic lended a helping hand as he was unable to handle the bounce the shot took before passing by him for the 1-0 lead. The galvanized Ilicic would also be denied what was by all accounts a blatant penalty, but referee Peruzzo saw otherwise and booked the Slovenian for diving. A decision that would weigh heavily on the final result and leave Palermo fans wondering what might of been.
Peruzzo would continue his off night as Thomas Heurtaux was sent off after collecting two yellows, the second of which was very debatable. The sending off left Udinese on ten men for the final thirty minutes meaning things looked like they would fall into place in allowing the Rosanero to collect a very imporant three points.
When it seemed like the Rosanero were heading for their first away win of the season and first since April 1, 2012, Palermo were left wondering what might of been after some poor goalkeeping from Samir Ujkani. Luis Muriel put an innocuous header into the box which Ujkani looked like he was going to control. Instead, the Albanian was unable to gather the ball cleanly before clashing with Ezequiel Munoz allowing Toto Di Natale and deposit the equalizer into the gaping net. A goal that shocked the system like that of an unexpectedly cold shower, as there was little for the Rosanero to do as the referee blew his whistle a few minutes later and sent the Sicilian club home with another disappointing result.
Thus the usual limitations (poor finishing, lack of a killer instinct and individual errors) once again sent prevented Palermo from winning a match in which, by all accounts, they played some very good football. However like a broken record, it must continually be brought up that good football is not enough for this Palermo. Points are needed. Desperately. The precarious 17th place they currently find themselves in is not to be laughed. The season is close to reaching it’s halfway point and despite the disaster that has been the season thus far, there is reason to be optimistic with the January transfer window being one of those reasons.
The need for some fresh faces in January is something that has been talked about at length in this column. And with only one match remaining until then, several rumours have begun to swirl on who could possibly be joining the Rosanero in their bid to climb out of the bottom third of the Serie A. One player that is almost certain to come is current Napoli defender and Palermo born Salvatore Aronica. Reports indicate that the player has already cleared out his locker room and will no longer feature for the Partenopei as he waits for his transfer home to be completed.
Is Ciro Immobile the striker Palermo need to solve their goalscoring woes?
Another name being bandied about is Genoa’s Ciro Immobile who is close to leaving the Rossoblu as they head towards another roster overhaul come January. Pescara and Napoli have both been linked with the 22-year-old, but it is Palermo who have the upper hand at this point as Pietro Lo Monaco has come out this week and admitted that he is looking to bring the striker to the Renzo Barbera.
A player of Immobile’s talents are desperately needed, as was evidenced on Saturday as Palermo were unable to close out the match against Udinese despite their man advantage. The loan deal would allow Palermo to fill the huge gap that has not been filled since Abel Hernandez went down with his season-ending knee injury before making long-term decisions in the summer.
This Sunday marks the final match of 2012 and with it a visit from this years surprise outfit in Fiorentina. There are no notable absentees (minus the long term injuries of Hernandez and Mantovani) so this match could be the last chance for several players to show that they deserve to keep their spot with the Rosaneri. Some will rise to the occasion and some will falter, but the best possible outcome would be seeing Palermo triumph and earning a crucial three points before the upheaval that could occur in the month of January. While that would trouble fans of some teams, given how poorly 2012 has treated the Rosanero, some fresh faces could be the kick start needed to get 2013 off to a great start.
Follow Adriano Boin on Twitter: @Boin44
