“Palermo, the blanket is always… short”, headlines the Sicilian newspaper.
The change of technical leadership at Palermo has brought a clear reversal of trend compared to previous tactical approaches. With the dismissal of Corini and the arrival of Mignani, the team has adopted a style of play that places more emphasis on defensive security than the offensive unscrupulousness that had characterized the previous months.
Under Corini’s guidance, Palermo had shown a notable offensive propensity, which allowed many goals to be scored, but at the same time often left the rearguard exposed, making the team vulnerable to opposing attacks. This style of play had created many difficulties, even leading to the dismissal of the coach.
With Mignani, however, Palermo opted for a more cautious approach, focused on building a solid and organized defensive phase. The most obvious tactical change was the addition of an extra central defender, thus moving the center of gravity of the game further back, and a management of the flanks that favors defensive tasks rather than offensive contributions.
This transformation was reflected in the immediate results. In its first match with Mignani at the helm, Palermo conceded two goals from Sampdoria, but significantly limited the opportunities granted to their opponents. Despite the defensive blunders that led to the goals, Sampdoria finished the match with just three shots on target, indicative of a change in the team’s tactical approach.
The match against Cosenza further demonstrated the effectiveness of the new approach, showing improvements in both the defensive and offensive phases. This change in mentality seems to suggest that Palermo are trying to find a more sustainable balance that can lead to more consistent results in the long term.
In conclusion, Mignani’s “new” Palermo seems to aim to become a more balanced team and less inclined to concede goals, attempting to correct the defensive vulnerabilities of the past without necessarily giving up effectiveness in attack, but modulating its offensive ambitions according to of greater defensive solidity.
