PESCARA. Squizzato disqualified, Aloi still in doubt. And Merola who could stay in the pits to be at the top again in the play offs. Cascione is studying the moves to take full spoils on the last day of the regular season and secure seventh place which, despite being a consolation prize, would guarantee playing the first game of the playoffs at home with two results out of three in the 90′ (the play-offs could be postponed by a week, to Saturday 11 May, if Taranto were to appeal to the Coni Guarantee Board to try to get back the 4 points deducted from a penalty). In midfield, one shirt is to be assigned and one is still uncertain. Dagasso is a candidate to return to the field from the 1st minute in the role of point guard in place of his former Inter colleague, but the coach is also thinking of the Aloi solution at the bottom. The Calabrian midfielder, however, after missing Ancona to recover from a knee contusion, is not yet fully recovered and today he will be visited by Doctor Tavolieri to try to speed up his return, scheduled for Fermo. If the former Avellino player were to make it, and play as a midfielder, as he has almost always done this year, Pianella’s 2004 player would take his place in front of the defence. The other shirt, at the moment, is occupied by Georgi Tunjov, who did not shine against Ancona, overwhelmed again by a colorless, collective and personal performance. The Estonian still has three days of training to convince Cascione to give him a starting shirt again and not prefer one of Meazzi or Franchini. Pescara must beat Fermana to be sure of at least seventh place, the last one needed to play the first preliminary play-off round at home with two results out of three in the 90th minute. An unpredictable situation until some time ago, when we were fighting for fifth place. «We hoped to have continuity and improve our performances», says Tunjov, a talent who has no longer been able to be decisive for months. «Now let’s think about Fermo. What happened against Ancona? She was simply better. We will have to make fewer mistakes against Fermana to win.” The former Spal midfielder started off strong, but he got lost until he lost the national team and the spotlight of the insiders who looked for him in the January transfer market. “I expected more from myself, I could and should have done much more,” admitted Tunjov. «I always try to do better, sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don’t. The national team? Not being called up to the European qualifiers weighed on me. The future? First I want to think about Fermana and the play offs, then we’ll see. I’d like to get to the end.” Tunjov on the pitch with Cascione after a first Sunday in “punishment”, in the stands, against Pontedera. If with Zeman he had the freedom to attack, now he also has to take care of “chopping wood” in the middle of the pitch to provide balance. «I learned from Zeman and I’m learning now from Cascione».
Merola. If doubts persist in midfield, in attack we are moving towards a painful but logical and predictable decision: stopping Merola for the last match of the championship and allowing the Delfino’s best scorer to play the play-offs in top form. The striker wasn’t supposed to play against Ancona, but he decided at the last minute to take the field even if he wasn’t in perfect condition. Muscle discomfort is almost overcome, but caution in these cases is a must. If he were to remain on the sidelines against Fermana, Cascione would almost certainly replace him with Sasanelli from 1 minute, while at the center of the trident Vergani and Cuppone are in the running for the starting shirt. I’ll definitely go to a place on the left. Pellacani is back in defense, but he will start from the bench. Brosco and Mesik favourites, with Floriani and the possible return of Milani on the left.
Orlando D’Angelo
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