Palermo boss Bortolo Mutti prepares for a tough test against Lecce and won’t be distracted by “the usual” talk about his job being at risk.
The Coach is thought to be hanging by a thread after three consecutive defeats and could be axed if he loses at the Stadio Via del Mare on Sunday.
Palermo boss Bortolo Mutti prepares for a tough test against Lecce and won’t be distracted by “the usual” talk about his job being at risk.
The Coach is thought to be hanging by a thread after three consecutive defeats and could be axed if he loses at the Stadio Via del Mare on Sunday.
“I am not remotely interested by the usual talk that my bench could be at risk in case of a negative result. It’s the same thing the media keep trotting out through the week,” moaned Mutti in his press conference.
“I only tried to work with the team in a relaxed manner, even if as always I had to deal with a series of players who are unavailable.
“We are going to Lecce for an organised and tight match. Doing without the likes of Matias Silvestre, Eros Pisano, Edgar Barreto and Fabrizio Miccoli allows me to find a response from those who until now have not played as much.”
The tactician tried to stand up for Ezequiel Munoz, who was under fire for his performance against Roma.
“He made a few mistakes in the last game, but I am convinced he must be considered an added value for this team and not an understudy for the first choice players. In any case, the number of unavailable players should not be used as an alibi not to do well.”
Miccoli’s absence against his hometown club due to a ban could prompt a change of tactics for Mutti.
“I am still undecided whether to play two trequartisti and Abel Hernandez or to include Igor Budan. Abel will start and we all have great faith in him.
“Lecce had a strong run of positive results and we’ll have to take a slightly different approach against them, focusing on the defence.”
Palermo squad: Brichetto, Tzorvas, Viviano; Aguirregaray, Balzaretti, Labrin, Mantovani, Milanovic, Munoz; Acquah, Bertolo, Della Rocca, Donati, Ilicic, Migliaccio, Vazquez, Zahavi; Budan, Hernandez, Mehmeti