Deflating. That’s the only word to describe last weekend’s match against Cagliari. Leading for most of the match, the Rosanero once again conceded a late goal that denied them an important three points as they look to pry themselves out of the relegation spots. Despite a 30th minute goal from Josip Ilicic, a lapse in concentration allowed Thiago Ribeiro to header home what must of felt like a sucker punch to fans of the Sicilian club.
That late goal sent out ripple effects like a rock being thrown into a still ocean. Along with snatching what looked like a sure victory from the grasp of the Rosanero, the club will be without Fabrizio Miccoli for Sunday as he was sent off (from the bench mind you) for protesting the goal. Gian Piero Gasperini was also sent off and banned, but that decision was reversed on Friday and he will be on the bench on Sunday.
Their protests stemmed from a throw in that was incorrectly assigned to Cagliari which lead to the late equalizer. The decision was wrong and fairly noticeable to everyone who saw it, except the people who mattered the most: the officials. As a result, Cagliari levelled the match and once again extended Palermo’s soul crushing winless run on the road. While the duo’s sending off can be understood as frustration over the club’s position continues to mount, statistics show that conceding a late goal is nothing new to Palermo this season. In fact, it is a trend that Gasperini would be best served to look at before crucifying the referees (though we can forgive him for Sunday).
When you sit in 19th position after 22 matches, there are bound to be some unflattering statistics that show why your club is mired in the relegation spots. And now I must warn you, what I’m about to tell you is difficult to stomach so be ready for it. Of the 35 goals conceded (a problem in and of itself), 25 of them have come in the final 15 minutes of the match. That is more than 70% of the total goals conceded coming after the 75th minute (AHHHHHHHHH!!!), meaning that Sunday’s late equalizer can be blamed on poor officiating, but that would only be masking a defect that must be addressed. Napoli match aside, all you have to do is look at Palermo’s recent results to see how ugly the trend has been.
Gasperini was at his fiery past on Sunday. His players would be advised to show that same temperament on the pitch before it’s too late.
A lead against Lazio was thrown away in the 84th minute due to a converted penalty by Hernanes. A 90th minute goal by Amauri (yes, that Amauri) due to a Samir Ujkani blunder cancelled out another good performance against Parma. An 89th minute goal by Antonio Di Natale against Udinese….etc, etc. The season has been riddled with lapses in concentration late in matches that has seen the Rosanero throw valuable points out the window. Points that would have been welcome as the threat of relegation becomes more and more possible with every passing match. It is too easy to blame the referees for making mistakes (especially in Italy where it is a weekly ritual). It’s up to ‘Gasperson’ to figure out what is holding this Palermo squad from turning their good performances into points, or risk throwing away all the good he has accumulated since taking over for Giuseppe Sannino.
Despite those ugly statistics, there is always a positive to look at (at least I think so). Last week I talked about some of the transfers thinking that most of Pietro Lo Monaco’s work had been done. Well, I was wrong. Lo Monaco continued with his revolution and the final tally was staggering: 11 players in, 14 players out. Until a few matches are played, it is near impossible to gage who will have the biggest impact or who will Gasperini will put his faith in immediately. The hope is that they will have an impact like that of Stefano Sorrentino’s debut, as he put together a standout performance that showed why the Rosanero signed him. That probably won’t happen with all 11 new signings, but there is no denying that Lo Monaco reinforced a squad that was sorely lacking in certain areas of the pitch. Now it will be up to Gasperini and the players to put together this new puzzle. And if that fails, at the very least, these new signings should provide the fans with hope (who doesn’t like new signings?).
This Sunday’s match against Atalanta will be big, as Maurizio Zamparini has already stated he expects at least 7 points from Palermo’s next 3 matches (Atalanta, Pescara, CHIEVO). I would go further and suggest that the next 6 matches (the previous three followed by Genoa, TORINO, Siena) will decide Palermo’s fate. On paper, the Rosanero have everything needed to put together a run of results that will greatly improve their points tally. The player’s must enter the field knowing that the club’s future is well and truly on the line, and play as though their stay in the Serie A is on the line during every 90 minutes. Or else…well, let’s hold off on the or else as long as we can.
Follow Adriano Boin on Twitter: @Boin44
