View from the opposition: Palermo

Giornale di Sicilia journalist Marco Gullà gives us an insider's account of Palermo's rollercoaster season, letting us in on how they're shaping up for tonight’s game at the Olimpico and revealing which player he would gladly remove from Luciano Spalletti's starting XI...

We're six months into the season now. What have you made of Palermo's season so far?

“There have been lots of ups and downs. Palermo started well with seven points from their first three matches then went on a run of four straight defeats, including one to Roma. Then came another decent run of form which ended on 10 November when Giuseppe Iachini was surprisingly sacked after a home win over Chievo because of ongoing problems between him and president Maurizio Zamparini. That's when the upheaval started and five people sat in the hotseat in the following months: Davide Ballardini, Fabio Viviani and then Giovanni Tedesco, both with Guillermo Barros Schelotto, and finally Primavera coach Giovanni Bosi. After losing at home to Torino last weekend, the club decided to go back to Iachini. Despite all these goings-on, Palermo are still four points clear of the drop zone on 26 points, with Frosinone third from bottom on 22. In any case Palermo still have a job to do to ensure their top-flight safety. We'll see if Iachini's return is enough to help them achieve it.”

How have the new summer signings settled in and what's your assessment of the club's January transfer business?

“Investment was expected last summer after the sales of Paulo Dybala to Juventus and Andrea Belotti to Torino but apart from Alberto Gilardino up front there were no major signings. The Italian centre forward is the newcomer who's played best so far, though we should mention defender Edoardo Goldaniga as well. He joined from Perugia and played well especially at the start of the season. Palermo needed to bring in some experienced heads in January but instead the club opted for youngsters – midfielder Bryan Cristante, Brazil-born Poland defender Thiago Rangel Cionek and Hungarian forward Norbert Balogh, while striker Accursio Bentivegna returned from his loan spell at Como. None of the new faces have seen much first-team action though apart from Cristante, which just goes to show that they needed a different type of player. We'll see how they do between now and the end of the season.”

Who has been Palermo's most consistent player so far?

“Goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino has been their best performer without a doubt. He's been decisive in a number of games – the opening match against Genoa, their second game against Udinese and when they beat Verona away in January. He's single-handedly earned Palermo at least seven or eight points for sure.”

What has been Palermo's best performance of the season and why?

“The 4-1 home win over Udinese on 24 January, when Palermo managed to impose their game on the opposition and produced some good football, dominating the visitors from start to finish. They managed to score four goals that day – through Robin Quaison, Oscar Hiljemark, Achraf Lazaar and Aleksander Trajkovski – something they've only managed one other time this season, against Frosinone, but when the football on display was less impressive.”

What has been the worst match and what went wrong?

“Losing 2-0 at home to AC Milan on 3 February – Palermo just didn't turn up that day. They let the Rossoneri run riot and Sinisa Mihajlovic's side could easily have scored another two or more. The really worrying thing was that Palermo showed no bite whatsoever at the Barbera. They were completely lacking the sort of fight you need if you want to stave off relegation. It infuriated Zamparini and that was when he started considering the idea of bringing back Iachini.”

Which area of the team has been the strongest so far and which has been the least effective?

“Apart from Sorrentino, who as I said has been Palermo's best player, up front is where they've been doing fairly well. Franco Vazquez and Alberto Gilardino seem to work pretty well together and they've weighed in with 11 of the team's 27 goals so far. The defence is not as solid as last year and they've already shipped 42 goals. Giancarlo Gonzalez, the side's defensive linchpin, isn't performing at the same level he was last season. But if I have to be honest the midfield has been the weak link this season as they never seem to be able to make a big difference helping out in defence or in attack.”

From what you’ve seen of all the teams in Serie A this year, which side has impressed you the most so far?

“I think Juventus are the best team. They came here and waltzed to a 3-0 win. They have incredible strength in depth and a winning mentality, as they showed by beating Napoli in the head-to-head match last Sunday. They soaked up the pressure when they needed to then struck when Napoli seemed happy to settle for a point, even if they did get a spot of luck on the goal. Napoli have played some wonderful football and look to be a great team but I think Juve are still a notch above them with the mentality and solidity they have.”

What do you think of Roma under Spalletti?

“The change of coach has certainly done them good – the results speak for themselves. I must say Roma seem to have rediscovered their identity and they've started playing some nice stuff too. They still have their weaknesses, especially in defence where I think they need to improve a number of things, but you can see Spalletti has had an instant impact on a mental level too. I think the Giallorossi will qualify for next year's Champions League comfortably and finish at least third. They'll end the season on a high.”

Who is the Roma player most Palermo fans fear?

“I'd say Diego Perotti because I believe his signing in January was a decisive factor in Spalletti getting off to such a good start. He slotted straight into the team under Spalletti and has shown he's got what it takes to perform at a big club like Roma. If I can name a second player, I'd choose Edin Dzeko. He's a top striker and sooner or later he'll start scoring again.”

If you could add one Roma player to Palermo, who would you pick and why?

“I'd pick Radja Nainggolan because Palermo are crying out for someone like him in midfield – someone who can do a job at both ends of the pitch. He's a top player who holds the team together and chips in with his fair share of goals too. He'd instantly become the focal point of the team.”

What’s your score prediction for tonight?

“If I were a betting man, I'd say it has to be a home win or a draw. Roma are obviously favourites looking at the two squads but sometimes a team's advantage on paper can be overturned by other factors – for example the fact that Iachini returned this week or the after-effects of Roma's midweek Champions League match against Real, which no doubt drained them physically and mentally.”