2016/17 Palermo Preseason

Palermo played their first (I think) friendly of preseason today. As usual, they are in Austria, and they play a bunch of friendlies against amateur sides as they prepare. Today's lambs for slaughter were ASKO Mittlern, who play in the 6th tier of Austrian soccer.

The starting lineup was a 3-4-3
Posavec
Struna-Vitiello-Andelkovic
Rispol-Jajalo-Toscano-Chochev
Quaison-Nestorovski-Tajkovski

Toscano is a 19 year old from the primavera, Nestorovski was the player signed during the winter transfer market who joined this summer.

Trajkovski with the first goal early on, with an assist for Quaison. The reverse happened not much later, with Quaison scoring from a Trajkovski assist.

then Trajskovski and Nestorovski made it 4-0 before half.

Second half

Fulignati
Punzi-Gonzalez-Julian
Bentivegna-Jajalo-Chochev-Lazaar
Embalo-La Gumina-Balogh

A lot of primavera players there. Notably, Goldaniga not in the match (there are some rumors he may be on the market for incomprehensible reasons). Gonzalez and Lazaar are deffiniately both up for sale if people come calling, unfortunately.

Goals in that half from Balogh, Lazaar, La Gumina, Embalo, Kanduc (OG), and Bentivegna to finally make it 10-0.

Typical scoreline from a typical friendly from Palermo. Notably, only Trajkovski scored more than one goal. Previous offseasons often saw players like Miccoli, Ilicic, Hernandez, etc. scoring 4+ goals in the game. Not sure that means anything at all, but nice to see multiple players finding the net. This team really does need a leading scorer pretty badly though. I don't think Nestorovski or La Gumina is ready to be that.

 

Palermo lost a friendly last night to Balmazjuivaros, a second tier Hungarian team, 3-1. Not a great result. Ballardini blamed it on the team being tired....Its the second week of preseason. Zamparini is very likely to blame it on Ballardini. meanwhile the Sporting Director has resigned (prior to the game), citing health reasons. Zamparini has said some critical things about him, and believes he quit due to the way Zamparini has been carrying out the transfer window. This day has disaster written all over it.

First half line up:
PALERMO: 1 Posavec; 6 Goldaniga, 2 Vitiello (cap.), 4 Andelkovic; 3 Rispoli, 28 Jajalo, 10 Hiljemark, 18 Chochev; Embalo, 30 Nestorovski, 8 Trajkovski.

Embalo was a last minute replacement for Quaison, who apparently hurt his knee in warmups. Hopefully not seriously.

Palermo came back from 0-1 to tie it, before gving up a second goal before halftime. Keep in mind that that appears to basically be a first team lineup.

One last goal surrendered in the second half made it 3-1 and that was that.

Gonzalez Cionek and Lazaar replaced Andelkovic Vitiello and Hiljemark at halftime,
Giuliano, Toscano, Punzi and Bentifgna came on for Goldaniga, Nestorvski, Jajalo and Rispoli at 66',
and Fulgnati replaced Posavec for some reason at 73'.

Here are the 'highlights'

 

The schedule just got announced yesterday. Here is the Palermo schedule, in a somewhat weird format. It gives both legs against the same team on the same line (Serie A plays the second half in the same order as the first, so it all lines up). Home team in the first match is the first team listed.

http://palermocalcio.it/it/1617/new...assuolochiusura-in-casa-contro-l-empoli-33046

Season opens August 21 at home against Sassuolo, who finished 6th last season, qualifying for the Europa league.

Inter and Napoli in weeks 2 and 3, and an early relegation battle with newly promoted Crotone week 4.

The extremely minor Derby delle isole returns when Palermo travels to the island of Sardinia the day before Halloween to play Cagliari, back in A as serie B champions after just one year.

The good news for Palermo is there don't seem to be any deadly runs of games, other than the week 2 and 3 double header. The other big name clubs are weeks 6 (Juventus), 9 (Roma), 12 (Milan), and 14 (Lazio). The bad news is, Palermo is probably underdogs in most of the games in between anyways.

Meanwhile, all four of Palermo's last fixtures (Chievo, Genoa, Pescara, and Empoli) have the potential to be relegation battles. Could be another season that goes down to the wire.

 

Yeah the various "zamparini is meeting with investors from x" rumors have entirely disappeared. Maybe because a group is deeper in talks. More likely because its zampa and he promises to sell every summer and never does.

 

Palermo's preseason in Austria came to a close today after Palermo had to come from behind to draw 1-1 against Saudi Arabian team Al-Wehda. Penalty in the first half for Al-Wehda. 80th minute equalizer Nestorovski.

This season is going to be a disaster without a lot of transfer movement in the next couple of weeks.

 

They desperately need help up front, or even surviving is probably out of the question. They have lost the entire spine of last year's team. Sorrentino moved back to Chievo, Maresca chose not to sign a new contract, Vazquez was sold, and Gilberto was more or less forced out.and so far the only help they have brought in is a striker from the Croatian league (who was officially signed last December), and a new centerback. Other than that its basically all graduates from the youth side.

There is also some question, in my mind at least, whether the goalkeeper position is as set as Zampa wants to believe. He's choosing to rely on a 20 year old, Josip Posavec. His back ups are 21 and 18 years old. Posavec started one game last season when Sorrentino was injured. Thats the sum total of the groups Serie A experience.

the Gazzetta floated a rumor yesterday (denied by the club) that they are being blocked in the transfer market because of an unpaid debt to a third party in the Dybala transfer. If that isn't/wasn't true, its hard to explain the fact that a team that barely escaped relegation last season has only brought in one new player this offseason

 

But if you made a list of the most important players to the season last year, it would be Sorrentino, Gilberto, Maresca, and Vazquez. And then next in line, but definitely a class below, the defenders, Vitiello, Gonzalez and Lazaar. Those first four are gone already, and both Gonzalez and Lazaar are on the auction block. They've supposedly already gotten offers for Lazaar (as they did last year). I'd expect at least one of those two to leave. And they have simply not found quality to replace them.

As for the youth,

Bentivegna is likely ready to be a decent sub player. He had 5 appearances last season. The club is apparently pretty high on Embalo, who is coming back from a loan at Pescara, where he had 5 goals in 40 appearances. Again, good sub, probably not much more.

I thought La Gumina would be the best of the crop, but he was sent out on loan to a Serie B side. Probably, consistent soccer (which he should get there) will be good for him in the long run, but he was easily the one of the best players on the youth squad last season.

Similarly Arteaga, who was touted as the next Pastore/Vazquez/Cavani/you name it, when he was signed at the start of last season was sent back to South America on a season long loan. Probably not a good sign for his future.

In short, I think the youth are ready to be squad players, but I don't see any of them exploding. Palermo's bread and butter is those one or two special players a season who they can hold on two for only a bit, and then pay off their bills with his sale. I don't see any of those players on the roster, and the rest of it isn't talented enough to make up for missing that star player.

Also, given the preseason results (a win and a loss to really bad Austrian teams, and a draw against a Saudi team), I will not be shocked at all if Ballardini is sacked before the first match. The exact same thing happened in 2011, when the team sold off most of its good players (Sirigu, Pastore, Nocerino, etc.) and then sacked Pioli before the season started, after Zampa was reportedly not happy with how the preseason went (which included getting knocked out of the Europa league in the play-in round).

 

I should add though, Pioli getting fired lead to Devis Mangia getting hired who, despite, looking back, not getting great results, would still be 3rd on my list for best managers of Palermo in the last 8 seasons, after Dellio Rossi and Iachini. And since I am not at all a fan of Ballardini, I don't think it'd be all bad.

Similarly, reports are back out today of new investor interest (this time from one time Michael Jackson manager, Frank Cascio), though he has said Zampa has so far not responded to his requests to meet.

There is still time for this offseason to turn around, but it doesn't need to be turned around, at least in my opinion.

 

Palermo take on Olympic Marseille in Palermo on Saturday, 2:45 eastern time. Final big test of the preseason, presumably, with the Coppa match the following week, and opening day of Serie A just 15 days away.

There has been enough movement over the last week or so that I'm beginning to feel slightly optimistic long term, but this team still desperately needs goal scorers.

 

A bit tough to tell at this point, as I suspect a couple more players will still be sold/bought who could be in there, in all three lines. But if I were to guess based on the current roster:

Posavec
Goldaniga-Rajkovic-Andelkovic
Rispoli-Chochev-Gazzi-Hiljemark-Alseemi
Embalo-Nestorovski

or

Posavec
Goldaniga-Rajkovic-Andelkovic
Rispoli-Gazzi-Chochev-Hiljemark
Trajkovski-Nestorovski-Embalo


Ballardini has more or less confirmed he'll stick with the 3-5-2/3-4-3. So far the preseason has featured what on paper seems like a lopsided 3-4-3 with a wingback on one side, but not the other. I think that my be just a depth issue, and with the signing of a LWB yesterday, a 3-5-2 may return.

Posavec is the unquestionable starting GK

Gonzalez (if not sold), Goldaniga (if not sold), and Rajkovic are probably the current top 3 CBs. But there's a good chance at least one of those first two will be sold though, in which case Andelkovic or Vitiello will take that spot. Struna (who is also has loan rumors circling around him) would slot in if both are sold.

Midfield at this point, for me, is a crapshoot. On the right, Rispoli, on the left new purchase Alseemi will probably play, assuming the 3-5-2 really does return, and assuming Lazaar (also a LWB) is getting sold

In the middle three? Your guess is as good as mine. 33 yr old new signing Gazzi may be a starter, or he may just be a locker room presence, I dunno. Ballardini has said good things about him though. Ballardini also seems to like Cochev, even though I've never seen him do anything. Hiljemark and Jajalo are the other two that are in contention there right now. Sallai has been talked up, but he's only 19, so I doubt he's a starting XI player yet. I will not be surprised at all if a player is signed between now and opening day who starts over Chochev or Hiljemark

Up top, my guess would be Nestorovski and Embalo, with Trajkovski also getting a bunch of minutes (and all 3 playing if its a 3-4-3). But Zampa seems to believe there is still a signing coming at this position, and its pretty badly needed. That strike force doesn't fill me with a whole lot of confidence.

 

This should show how thin Palermo is at midfield right now...24 players called up for the friendly against OM tonight, only 4 of them midfielders, including the 19 year old Toscano.

PORTIERI: Fulignati, Marson, Posavec.
DIFENSORI: Andelkovic, Cionek, Goldaniga, Gonzalez, Giuliano, Lazaar, Morganella, Pezzella, Rajkovic, Rispoli, Vitiello.
CENTROCAMPISTI: Chochev, Gazzi, Hiljemark, Toscano.
ATTACCANTI: Bentivegna, Embalo, Lo Faso, Nestorovski, Sallai, Trajkovski.


In addition to Toscano, Sallai (19), Giuliano (19) and Pezzella (18), and Lo Fasso (18), and Marson (18) are also all still youth players at this point.

Posavec (20), Bentivegna (20), Embalo (21) and Fulignati (21) aren't much older.

Despite having 4 players over 30, this team has an average age of under 24. As it stands, the average age is down 3.5 years from last year's squad at the start of the season, that already seemed inexperienced (keeping in mind that some of these kids probably won't be on the final roster).

 

Starting line up and bench

PALERMO: 1 Posavec; 6 Goldaniga, 2 Vitiello (cap.), 5 Rajkovic; 3 Rispoli, 10 Hiljemark, 14 Gazzi, 7 Lazaar; 8 Trajkovski, 30 Nestorovski, 11 Embalo.

A disposizione: 55 Marson, 68 Fulignati, 4 Andelkovic, 12 Gonzalez, 15 Cionek, 18 Chochev, 20 Sallai, 27 Bentivegna, 57 Toscano, 89 Morganella, 97 Pezzella, 98 Lo Faso.


So mostly the people I'd thought would start. That midfield is really light. I'm not sure Lazaar and Rispoli are the right players to be playing on the sides of a 4 man midfield (they are both defenders primarily) but it could work. Gonzalez the only suprise for me to not be in the starting line up. Could be he is about to be sold, could simply be a coach's choice. I dunno.

 

Game finished 1-1 after a 57' goal from Embalo, and an 87' PK surrendered by Posavec. OM was playing with 10 men for the last 27 minutes.

The penalty fall looks a little dramatic in the highlights, but with only one angle, I'd say its probably the right call.

Slightly encouraging given the level of opposition, but I'm still worried about goal scoring.

The subs, as far as I can tell, were:
Bentivegna for Trajkovski in just the 18'. Possibly an injury, I dont know.
Morganella and Pezzella for Lazaar and Rispoli at halftime
Cionek for Goldaniga, 53'
Salai and Andelkovic for Embalo and Rajkovic, 58'
Lo Faso for Nestorovski at 75'

Vitiello, Gazzi and Hiljemark, it seems, played the full 90. I'll again note that the fact that Gonzalez didin't play at all could likely mean he is nearly sold. As far as I know, he isn't injured, but I could have missed something