Cagliari Calcio

By: Jeremy | Add Comments

Cagliari heads to Florence very fortunate not to need points to ensure their survival. With 42 points, Cagliari again limps home following a season of ups and downs that again saw early season potential go by the wayside as the result of various factors. Now we get to play our final game where the result matters little and good or bad, the issues will still be same heading into the offseason.

The Juve game was interesting as we basically laid an egg when we really could have made their Scudetto clinching result a little tougher. Check out the highlites…….

The first goal was offside and the second goal was just an unlucky own goal. Kind of sums it up but other then Pinilla and Agazzi, this team shows no sense or pride or urgency and does only what it needs to do to stay in Serie A.

Fiorentina mirrors Cagliari in that it had higher expectations but coaching and player volatility caused it to sweat survival as well. They will look to rebuild and solidify in the offseason and Cagliari fans will be interested to see if we can get Lazzarri to return as we still own half of him and he did not fit well in Florence.

Analyzing Cagliaris future will continue after this game no matter the result, but Pinilla’s future must be determined before we can create any realistic expectations going forward. The hope is we can keep him and with some added players combined with Ribeiro and Ibarbo being much better because of this years experience, we can have higher expectations. While Pinillas option to purcahse from Palermo will no doubt be picked up, the question is will Cellino flip him for profit rather then understand how important he to this club. We need to build around him rather then make money off him as we have a new stadium and restless fans that will see allowing him to leave is not good for the long term future of this club.

Yet another ending to a season of ultimate indifference but with all that has gone on, celebrating safety is not a bad thing. Enjoy the scrimmage in Florence and hopefully the Offside and I will be back next year.

Does anyone read about Italian Soccer on Sports Nation?

By: Jeremy | Add Comments

Are you excited for another year in Serie A Cagliari fans? With another stellar performance midweek against Genoa, combined with some other results, we have achieved mathmatical safety with 42 points. Hooray!! Seriously though it has to be torture for others besides myself to watch this team as it has real talent but a lack of cohesion and team unity which leads to inconsistent results. Atleast when players are getting subbed, they are not insulting the coaches dead family members so things could always be worse.

Not that I have anything against Genoa, but Cagliari really should have done more to put pressure on them to face their relegation fears but instead in an empty stadium they did what they had to do. There could not have been a more perfect opponent then Cagliari for a team like them that needed the win. Check out the highlites……

Bosko Jankovic saved this teams season but they clearly deserved to win as they created more chances. Lets move on.

With the team safe by the skin of their teeth, they get to face Juventus who holds a one point lead over ex Cagliari coach Allegris Milan side. If you think many players were indifferent last week, this week will be even worse as Cagliari has nothing to play for, wouldnt mind seeing their old friend Matri win a Scudetto, and there would be nothing better then seeing Allegri squirm as anything less then a Scudetto will cause Gallani to twist the knife into his almost fired ass. As soon as Juve gets that first goal the flood gates will open and they know they must not allow any hiccups like they did last week against a motivated Lecce. Anything less then two wins in these final two weeks will cause their Scudetto dreams to go down the wayside.

Juventus has been the best team in Serie A from beginning to end and deserve to finish first. However, the team is still prone to too many bouts of indifference against inferior opponents and if Cagliari had something to play for, this could be an interesting and enjoyable game as the first half match was when Cagliari could have easily won.

With the players not motivated and safety achieved, combined with Ficcadenti’s lack of popularity throughout the club, there is simply no reason to watch these last two games. The travel contingent to Trieste for our last home/road game of the year will be minimal and focus will now totally shift to the operational problems of the club and certain personel decisions that must be made. We wont see a mass resting of our top players but with few exceptions the players will be more concerned about making it through the rest of the season without getting injured then impressing the boss to solidify a spot.

While the game will be on TV for us to see in the USA and I likely will watch because I prefer Juve to win the Scudetto, focus must now shift on getting our home venue locked in for next year. We have been very lucky to survive this year despite talent that should indicate a higher finish. While Cellino thinks there are different rules for teams like Juve, he needs to get his own house in order, make nice with the city of Cagliari, and create an environment where the players are valued, the coach is respected, and only then will the wins come. Cellino is so bad right now in his mindset that there is fear that he will exercise his option on Pinilla and then immediately flip him to a bigger club for a profit. Sadly Cellinos mindset about being cheap in the summer and a spender in the winter will not only cost him money this year, but undermine the overall talent level of the club. Pinilla is a player we need but who can be sold for a nice profit so he may go yet Nainggolan is a player whose value has dropped since the winter, but a time when he was trying to improve the club, he failed to make a deal that needed to be made to add to Pinilla giving us a real chance to move into European contention. While the players did not help the situation during their spring performances, the firing of Ballardini ruined any progress the club thought it was making. At a time when everyone was blamed, Cellino should have rallied around everyone and even if it meant no better finish, he would have created the stability and maybe some team unity coming in to the summer. Instead its back to square one and the cheap Cellino appears in the summer and it could cost us big time next year.

For now, lets see if something strange happens in Trieste to throw the Scudetto race into flux. After the game with Genoa, I cant see it.

By: Jeremy | 2 Comments

Yes it was another boring game in Trieste against Chievo, but Cagliari did what they needed to do. They methodically played out a game in which Chievo had no real interest in and got the needed point that should secure safety even if last weeks win did not already seal the deal. If anyone sees any highlites in this video, let me know…….

I still dont understand why Ibarbo, Ribeiro, and Pinilla are not on the field at the same time for 90 minutes as even with an aging Cossu, that is a nice group of offensive talent. With all the risks and assumptions made by Cellino this year, part of me thinks he has instructed the coach not to play Ibarbo regularly in order to keep his value down so he will not demand a transfer. While that might make sense for a team that is secure in where they are, it has been too up and down of a year to leave talent on the bench just to keep him from wanting to leave. Ibarbo will be back next year absent a ridiculous offer and he should be unleashed with Pinilla every week and hopefully with Ribeiro and maybe even Cossu on the field as well, the team could be dangerous especially if we can bring Lazzarri back as he would be perfect in a midfield with Cossu and Ribeiro.

For now though we have to look at the remaining games to make sure we are safe. After Genoa and Lecce just gave it up in games they could have won, they have made Cagliaris worries that much less by failing to get points in games that they had to see as must wins to stay up.

With Lecce at 35 points, in the last relegation spot, and 7 behind Cagliari, with a midweek clash against Juve who needs to win to take the Scudetto, Lecce is not winning this game on any analysis. This would leave their max result as 41 assuming they can even beat Udinese. Sorry Lecce but you are not passing us although you should be applauded for your effort to stay up. If Lecce can beat Juve and all the other games and teams fall in a perfect way, then and only then can Cagliari be relegated. The Chievo point made things mathmatically that much easier.

What can you say about Genoa? They have failed to win in something like 14 straight games yet still are one above Lecce and sadly have to be considered the favorite to stay up despite the loss to Bologna.

Genoa might have gotten lucky in that this game with Cagliari has been moved to Brescia away from fans who have been on them for so long that they have cracked under the pressure. I dont see how they can win another game in that stadium and will be better off at a neutral site where the empty stadium will allow them to play with tranquility. Add Cagliari’s likely indifference and the expected Juve/Lecce result, if Genoa cant see how this game all but makes them safe, they deserve to be relegated if Cagliari can beat them.

While any Cagliari fan has to be pleased that we have gotten 4 points from Catania/Cheivo, there is still the underlying frustration that comes with being a fan of this team. While dealing with the relegation issues has kept my interest in the team peaked a bit more then it would otherwise. There is no reason for this team not to be top 8 and while there is really a small difference between 8th and say 16th, the mindset of the fans would be so much better if we were looking up at Roma doing some math rather then looking down at Lecce doing the same calculations.

While I have clearly spelled out my opinions on who should stay and go in the offseason, next question is who will be available via transfer that we can honestly look at a possibility to come in. Will Cellino have more money or will be be tight and look for transfers on the cheap?

For now, I think the best course of business would be to bring Lazzari back and see if we can purchase Acquafresca out right for a cheap price to be there if Pinilla and Ibarbo are hurt or not getting it done. Say goodbye to Nene and Larrivey and have Acquafresca and El Kabir be some enthusiastic youth ready to start or come in as subs and it could be a very exciting strikeforce.

Do we need another midfielder? If so, who could we get? Our big purchase needs to be a star defender to replace Agostini and add him to Astori, Canini(if he stays), and Ariaudo, and that could be a good workable lineup.

What do you couple of readers think?

I say that jokingly but even after 5 years of doing this blog and watching the Offside die out, I am glad there are some who still check this place out.

By: Jeremy | Add Comments

Does it get any more exciting then back to back home/road games when you are fighting for your Serie A life? If you are in Cagliari the answer may not be so obvious but while we are still in celebration mode after the MUST win home/road game that was Catania, there is still likely a little work to do and what better game then to finalize our safety against a Chievo team that has nothing to play for.

Did I say how important that win was versus Catania? The win not only helped point wise but it gave us another taste of the talent that is on this team and how a little tweeking with the roster, a stable manager, and maybe even a schedule that allows our home games to be in Cagliari next year, could lead to a real push for European football. While Ibarbo Pinilla and Ribeiro showed they are the key figures of the team, I still believe that Catanias over achieving streaks do not fit well with Cagliari on the other side. Despite their performance this year, that does does not strike me as a threat and we handle them like we should. Why we cant do the same with teams like Siena and this weeks opponent Chievo, I dont know, but this is the week to get atleast one point to hopefully finalize safety.

While it would be preferable to play in Cagliari, playing in a stadium that is empty is something we are used to and the fans are really not a factor in our home games and the players seem to want to please the fans that have made the trip so far away to Trieste. For all the joking about us unable to play in our own city, the logistics of Trieste have made these games as winnable as they would be if they were in Cagliari. With a small crowd and an apathetic Chievo I cant see any worse then a draw.

While the final push for safety is not a time to evaluate players, it is still obvious who has a place hear next year and who seems to be playing out the string. While Ibarbo and Ribeiro along with Pinilla continue to increase their value, players like Nainggolan and Nene have seen their value drop. While many thought this year would be more of a transition to younger players, that has not taken place and it may be next year before we see the final shift to players like Ariaudo and Ekdal with Conti and Agostini being pushed aside. For now their leadership is helping Cagliari with that final push.

As important as this game is, I would make a strong suggestion for fans to focus on Genoa who play Bologna and Leece who hosts Parma. Bologna and Parma are in similar situations in that they have achieved safety and have nothing to play for. While they like the idea they have nothing to lose and may play with more confidence making the road to safety even harder for Genoa and Bologna, I think it will be the opposite and it will be Genoa and Lecce who win and keep the relegation race tight. While Genoa is on the road, surely they let this streak go on any longer and will find some confidence from last weeks game with Milan. Lecce will get back on track even if it will be road game with Parma who has met their objective and will reward Donadoni with a new deal. This weekends matchups show just how important that win was over Catania. I think Cagliari will lose their last three games so we need a point this week and a win resolves all stress.

Speaking of coaches, Ficcadenti is saying all the right things but he is a man without a future. He knows he is gone but it goes to his professionalism to be sacked after starting out ok and then recalled only to be put under more scrutiny as the team slipped down the standings following his return which only came because our best player got injured. He wont be fired becuase of his coaching ability but instead his lack of ability to manage relationships which in a way is sad because he has been given the reigns of the team twice where it was almost a no win situation for him. The ability to relate to players and a crazy manager will keep a coach employed here even if the results are mediocre. We will be looking for the replacement this summer hopefully with our Serie A status secured. Enjoy the Saturday football in Trieste.

By: Jeremy | 1 Comment

Rumor has it that Cagliari chairman Cellino decided to play our remaining home games outside the city for fear that the Cagliari ultras were going to cause a problem similar to what we saw in Genoa on Sunday when a group of Genoa ultras caused the game with Siena to be stopped early in the second half when their team, already in freefall, goes down 4-0 to Siena, one of the smallest and worst teams in Serie A, in a game they needed at home to win to make staying in Serie A a little easier. Not only were they losing, but they were getting destroyed and whether the actions were planned once it became clear the team was going to lose or if the performance was so bad that the plan was suddenly organized by just a few is unclear, but it happened and it seems far too many are saying this was a disgrace. I disagree as it was the perfect protest with the perfect result, all without any real violence and no arrests. Dont think for a moment that there are not a group of Cagliari Ultras that want to make it clear they are not satisfied with another year of late season apathy where we struggle to survive.

While the focus was on what happened in Genoa, Cagliari was trying to play its way in to the drop zone with a miserable performance away to Parma. Check out these highlites……

This was a typical Cagliari loss. Momentary lapses on defense with some bad breaks and no offensive fluidity. Add the loss of Agazzi and it could not have been a worse result even it seems like Cagliari was the more talented team. With the focus on Genoa, Cagliaris crisis slides under the radar and at 38 points, with Lecce getting a spirited draw against top team Lazio, does anyone think that Genoa or Cagliari wont be one of the teams who goes down. Add the fact Cagliari gets to make up a home game on the road against a confident yet uncertain Catania. There is a real recipe for disaster for this game.

For all the talk about the frustrated fans, Cellinos inability to save his relationships causing hardship on his team, Catania is a team I would want to face when I need three points especially when they are not facing pressure to win. I like them as a team and root for them but I still cant believe they are still in Serie A. They are like Siena’s big brother but they should be in a relegation battle and still dont have Cagliaris talent. All you can do is put the talent on the field and let them play. Where Ficcadenti gets so much criticism is his inability to put the talent we have in a place to do their best. He still cant seem to get Ibarbo on the fields as more then a sub. Today he comes on and solidifies a win to support good performances by the whole team including Pinilla and Ribeiro. Check out the highlites of our 3-0 win…….

This was the must win game and the players stepped up. Catania playing like you expect them to certainly helps. While I do not think Ficcadenti starts next year as coach even if the team stays up, the coach who can figure out how to get Pinilla, Riberio, and Ibarbo on the field at the same time from the opening kick off will last as this threesome offers different talent and can be dangerous. It may be we add another striker and let Ibarbo and Ribeiro dominate midfield. I would love to see if we can get Acquafresca back and pair him with Pinilla and put Ibarbo and Ribeiro on opposite wings on the midfield. While Acquafresca is like a Giorgio Chinaglia in that he cant do much else but score, if he has great teammates around him, he can score a lot as he is a finisher. Ibarbo is turning into that type of player and Pinilla certainly is, but the potential is huge if we can get the players in the right spots. Cagliari fans are so frustrated because these results are so inconsistent and we need to get these players, most of which we have, to be in the right spots and we are a top seven team. With winning comes excitement and the players are not going to be enthusiastic until they are all put in the right spots. Today showed glimpses of that and these three points were huge.

Dont assume we are now safe on 41 points but with Genoa likely to lose to Milan and Lecce facing a tough Napoli, if they both lose then we are all but there. We will likely need to get one more point which wont be easy in the remaining four, but things could play themselves out quickly. The good thing about getting Catania without any other known results really gave us an edge and now it is Genoa and Lecce facing real pressure. Genoa is a step away from total implosion but they may gave Milan a better game then you expect. Lecce certainly cant keep this up forever and they have no room for error if they are going to get Cagliari into a real relegation fight.

Its been an exciting few days. Cagliari is a more settled place, and while you dont want to see Ultras be the focus of any game in Italy, there was something about that whole sequence that reminds us why we love Serie A and soccer in Italy more then any other place. The culture puts soccer above almost everything and it is still the only place where fans are really valued by even the players. Could you imagine a bunch of protests by fans of an NFL or NBA team in the USA. While most fans of these teams are social climbing bandwagoner types who buy jerseys after a Super Bowl win and jump off the bandwagon when they have a bad year, those true fans who would protest the players performance and ask for a jersey would likely see players come into the stands and beat them up. As much as the world has turned into an Eff You culture, there are still small pockets in Italy where fans truly have value to everyone in the game and Cagliari is one of those places as is Genoa.

While I would not be overly upset to see Genoa relegated, they have some of the best fans in Serie A and they did what they had to do this weekend all without the violence of England and the apathy of Spain. Lets see how their team responds while Cagliari tries to find the one final point in four games that likely makes them safe. With the teams we are playing, its not going to be so easy but enjoy the win over Catania as it keeps us where we need to be…safe.

By: Jeremy | 3 Comments

After a postponement of last weekends home/road game with Catania, we hit the road/road to play Parma in an edgy game with many subplots. Both teams are on 38 points, by no means safe, and with a real chance to put the other in a much more stressful position then they are in now.

Parma is now coached by ex Cagliari boss Roberto Donadoni. After being let go last summer by Cagliari, before a game was even played, he was a midseason replacement for Parma who needed something to keep them above the relegation zone. While he has not been an overwhelming success, he has put them in a position to survive which is all anyone can ask. While he liked Cagliari and the players, like many ex Cagliari coaches, he left too early with a sour taste in his mouth and a lot of hate for Cellino. You can bet Donadoni would love to see Cagliari go down.

Other being a little more rested, Cagliari still has the same plots as last week as they will play a game outside Sardinia knowing they need to get 3-4 points in these next 6 games to achieve safety. There is still strife between Cellino and the local government as he tries to angle for a new stadium while severely underestimating the problem of playing your last 8 games outside Sardinia. Despite some talk of Europe, the goal has been safety and Cellinos antics have only made it tougher.

As for the players, Dessena is still missing but he is about it. If Pinilla plays we have a chance and we have done well against Parma at home and on the road in recent years. He should partner Thiago Ribeiro up top but Ficcadenti has yet to show he has learned anything about putting the players in the right spot to create goals. He really has not done a better job then Ballardini but neither coach seems to have the majority of the dressing room on his side. Even if Cagliari survives, expect him to get fired this summer.

Parma has won a couple of nice games against Lazio and Novara to put pressure on teams like Fiorentina and Genoa who saw Parma as the team Lecce might catch. Now they are essentially a home win against Cagliari from safety. Delaying the Palermo game to play Cagliari at home will likely give them some confidence and the odds are probably in their favor for a win. The weak schedule would make relegation a shock for their fans. They are lead by Giovinco who with Lucarreli and Flocarri will have all the players at the top of their game as this is a huge opportunity for them in so many ways.

Logic says this will be an exciting draw as both teams feel like they can win but for different reasons. We are more talented but they are better organized, at home, and seem to be playing lately with the passion we lack. That being said, Pinilla can win this game single handedly with his play so watch him.

With a Saturday evening start locally, we get to put the pressure on our relegation rivals or create added pressure ourselves by losing and then watching Sundays games to see who passes us. There are still a lot of scenarios for many teams as it relates to relegation, but both of these teams will feel this is a golden opportunity to take away most of the stress that comes with trying to stay safe.

Enjoy the game and check us out on Twitter @cagliarioffside and leave some comments about the team or suggestions on how to get Cagliari fans more involved in giving opinions about what needs to be done to get this club moving forward.

By: Jeremy | 3 Comments

It is that time of year Cagliari fans where we must analyze the relegation battle because not only are we totally in it, we again seem to be limping home praying we have done enough to remain in Serie A for yet another year.

If you watched yesterday’s debacle in Bologna, you remember why Ficcadenti was fired and why Mauricio Pinilla is Serie A’s most valuable player. Ficcadenti was let go after the decent start that comes with a new coach which turned into a lethargic offense where each week Cagliari’s best hope was a 0-0 draw. We had the likes of a pre injury Nene, a lost Thiago Ribeiro, a talented but disappear when goals matter Larrivey, an injured El Kabir, and a still unwrapped Ibarbo to lead the offense. So much potential yet so few goals. Ficcadenti was rightly fired and Ballardini brought in with the latest Cagliari hero, Mauricio Pinilla, who gave the offense hope. A dramatic change in results made the change seem like another brilliant move by Cellino. Pinillas timely goals and inspiration had us moving up the table with an easy part of the schedule coming. Then Pinilla gets hurt and he misses a couple games and Ballardinis tenure blows up as quickly as it started. Now we should never be so dependant on the likes of one player to the point we are firing our coaches because we cant score, but that is what we were pre Pinilla and have become with him missing. Without Pinilla, this is a Serie B level team. We simply lack players like Alessandro Diamanti who scored the goal for Bologna…

Like Pinilla, his presence uplifts his team and he won the game for them on so many levels yesterday.

While we should not lose to teams like Bologna, Lecce, and Siena, with or without Pinilla, something does not seem to work for this team without him. His arrival has kept us afloat but there is still work to be done and we head home to face Catania where we will need Pinilla to score if we are to win. He will return after missing the Bologna game through suspension. If you remember the first game with Catania, it was Ibarbo who scored a brilliant goal and announced his arrival. He is just ready to get going yet still seems to be on the bench more then he should be. Remember this….

If Ficcadenti still has a brain, he puts a strikeforce of Pinilla and Ibarbo up front with Thiago Ribeiro in midfield with Cossu, Nainggolan and Ekdal. I think Conti should be in for his leadership, but his pace is gone and I am always fearful of him committing some bad fouls to make up for lack of pace and then getting ejected. The back line is fine but Ariaudo should be in for Agostini. Agazzi has made some brilliant saves lately but without the offense, the momentary lapses that seem to happen in defense are costing us points.

Lets look at the relegation battle with 6 weeks to go as we are by no means safe. There are 6 teams for one relegation spot and the current point level is as follows:
Siena 39
Cagliari 38
Parma 38
Fiorentina 37
Genoa 36
Lecce 34

Lets look at each team and their issues regarding relegation as a case can be made for each team to be relegated. I assume 42 points gets a team safe and it may be 41 that does it.

Siena
One win in their final game should lock their safety. This team is nameless and has very little talent yet they have done just enough this year. With a schedule of Bologna(H), Genoa(A), Milan(H), Lazio(A), Parma(H) and Napoli(A), they have a tough road. If they dont dont beat Bologna this weekend, they face a desperate Genoa side on the road and their only other realistic win left is Parma at Home. Surely they beat Bologna or Parma at home and secure another year of Serie A.

Cagliari 38 points
They have to be the most talented team still fighting for safety but they are the most unorganized, least passionate team in Serie A and certainly amongst this group. Take Pinilla off this team and I would bet they go down as they cannot score without his presence. With games left with Catania(H), Parma(A), Chievo(H), Genoa(A), Juve(H), and Fiorentina(A), there are a lot of tricky matches left and they could lose them all even if these teams minus Juve are some of Serie As worst. You do not want to face teams fighting for safety this time of year and the most winnable game is this weekend at home against Catania. Lose this weekend and the run coming in combined with the added pressure might be too much for Cagliari to get to 40 points.

Parma 38
Donadoni has done a good job to keep this club from dropping off the map and Giovinco does for them what Pinilla does for us. They have a very favorable schedule in they play Palermo(A), Cagliari(H), Lecce(A), Inter(H), Siena(A), and Bologna(H). Minus Lecce, these opponents will likely have very little to play for the weeks these games pop up on the schedule and with no games against the top teams coming in, Parma fans will have to be shocked if they cant scrape 4 points needed to survive. The key game will be the home match against Cagliari next weekend.

Fiorentina 37 points
A very disappointing year and with some occasional heroics they have stayed just above water. With games against Roma(A), Inter(H), Atalanta(A), Novara(H), Lecce(A), and Cagliari at(H), they mirror Cagliari with their schedule problems and this team could very easily get relegated. Despite their recent performance against Milan, I can see them getting no points the next 3 weeks and they could be in the relegation spot with three weeks left needing to beat Novara at home to set up a big match with Cagliari the final week. I think at this point they would be happy that safety would be achieved if they beat Cagliari the final week. Could be in real trouble.

Genoa 36 points
Another team whose talent expected them to fight for Europe but instead they have upset fans, scared players, and a streak of no wins that has continued to inspire Lecce and they are likely in total denial that they could finish 18th. My good friend Davide Biondini couldnt wait to get out of Cagliari, but he is now stagnate for a team that could be back in Serie B next year. I never understand players who make lateral moves after quitting on fans who love them unless they realize that their talent is on the decline and they want to hide elsewhere to prevent any more negativity. With a schedule that includes Milan(A), Siena(H), Bologna(A), Cagliari(H), Udinese(A), and Palermo(H), they have the most immediate pressure of any team still fighting to be safe. The pressure will amp up after this weeks expected loss to Milan and probably the must win of the season for them will come the following week at home against Siena who they will be fans of when they host Bologna this weekend. They will likely need points against Cagliari and it could very easily come down to a tricky match with Palermo the final week to be safe. This team should not be where they are but they have dug themselves such a hole with their recent performances that they may not be able to fix it and the pressure could suck them down to Serie B by default.
You still have to think their talent and three very winnable games following Milan should get them safe.

Lecce 34 points
The only reason we are even discussing relegation for any of the above teams is the brilliant leadership of Serse Cosmi and the never give up style of players who talent wise are clearly bottom three. Lecce have turned around a dreadful season and have pulled to within 2 points of suicidal Genoa. Totally unexpected but they are winning games against teams whose talent level is not that much better. Cagliari could take a lesson from these guys. That being said, they probably have the toughest schedule coming in with Napoli(H), Lazio(A), Parma(H), Juve(A), Fiorentina(H), and Chievo(A). They are praying that they do enough or results fall in a way that the game with Fiorentina in week 37 means something. It may be that even a win there will not make their final road match mean anything but Im guessing they will be watching Fiorentina’s matches as much as anyone. Still favorites to go down.

Each of these six teams has real concerns but with each passing week, the favorite may change.

Safety should be achieved by the following teams in this order:

1. Siena
2. Parma
3. Cagliari
4. Genoa
5. Fiorentina

This leave Lecce going down but only because of the brutal schedule in the 6 games remaining.

This is yet another frustrating year for Cagliari fans and it has been one roller coaster the whole season. The only positivity that can be taken as I see it is if we stay safe, get Pinilla locked in to return next year, bring back Ribeiro and Ibarbo just so we can say we arent giving up on them. Beyond that, other then Astori and Agazzi, every player can be moved(including Cossu) and the team is not going to be worse. We need a rebuild with a foundation of Pinilla, Agazzi, and Astori and the profits from the sale of others to bring other difference makers that can help get Ribeiro, Ibarbo and the other youngsters we may keep to take that next step. Ficcadenti needs to be gone as he is not the coach for this team.

How do you think the relegation battle shakes out these final 6 weeks? We better not even think about losing to Catania this weekend and I expect a big win with maybe 2-3 goals from Pinilla.

By: Jeremy | 3 Comments

After Saturdays exciting but disappointing draw with Inter, Cagliari’s dream of a 6th place finish and a european place is pretty much gone. While the chances were slim to achieve such a final finish before the game with Inter, after the gain in confidence from the Atalanta win, there was still something to play for. After the draw with Inter, Cagliari sits in 12th place with 38 points, seven points above the drop zone, with the focus being able to finish safe and hopefully as strong as possible.

If you saw the Inter game, Cagliari showed again that if Pinilla is on the field, the offense is on another level. In addition to his own scoring, he makes the players around him better and inspires them to be confident in their own ability. While his post goal celebration cost him a yellow card and an ultimate dismissal, its hard to criticize his enthusiasm and he seems to clearly want to involve the fans, especially a group that traveled 600 miles to support the team. Once he was dismissed, Inter got the equalizer and was frustrated they didnt get another goal with all the time left with the man advantage. Check out the highlites……..

Even if the results sometimes dont go your way, things are so much better when the team is exciting to watch and there is a real goal scoring threat on the field. The success of Cagliari’s offseason will be determined by their ability to get Pinilla to return. Hopefully he understands he needs to build on his sucess which will eventually lead to a move to a bigger close. Lets just hope that does not come until summer 2013 at the soonest.

Now that the goal is to earn safety, the team has a little work to do and it starts with a midweek game against a similarly situated club in Bologna. They are one point behind us and have overcome a bad start with a nice run to be followed by some disappointing results which has left them where many expected they would finish which is safe but just above the relegation group. Like Cagliari they probably expected to finish higher but will be satisfied with another year in Serie A. They expect a home game with us to push them to the 40 point level. With DiVaio, Ramires, and the still untapped potential of Acquafresca, this team has some talent. It lacks Serie A quality depth so too many mistakes are made which cause points to be dropped.

Cagliari despite all its ups and downs this year, has to feel fairly stable on the field. They played well against Inter who still has a lot of talent even if they missed much of it on Saturday. Cagliari really should be in a higher place and it would be interesting to see what they could do with this same group for a whole year. If we can get Lazzarri back this will be an even better team next year and part of me hopes Acquafresca’s lack of time in Bologna will drive his price down and he can be brought back at a bargain price. He would be an ideal second striker for Pinilla at a reasonable cost and could allow Thiago Ribeiro to move more into a midfield role to replace Nainggolan who will likely leave this summer.

With Lecce the key team to watch, there is still time for them to escape the relegation zone. Teams like Genoa and Parma are under real stress but they get the two relegation certainties this weekend so they will have to get wins and if Bologna beats Cagliari and Lecce can beat Catania, there will be some real pressure. Ultimately its likely Lecce goes down, but we still have to watch the games and get 3-4 points to be sure. This should be able to be done in 6 matches but with us, you never know. This year really seems like a repeat of last year and ultimately Cellino will have to dig deeper into the pocketbook to get this team to the next level. We have become a team that seems to just edge out the relegation group and while this is better then being a yo yo type club, the fans want more.

While Cagliari and Cellino try to work out the stadium issue, one has to wonder how a new stadium is going to make sense when we cant even fill the Sant Elia. I would rather have a small stadium full then a big stadium where it seems like it is empty because of its size. Until the fans can show they can fill up the Sant Elia, why are we looking at investing in another stadium. If sponsorships etc make money great, but if it is empty, I am not sure how it makes sense.

There are still lots of questions to be answered but the team most focus on earning its safety so we can look toward the future. With Pinilla expected to miss this game because of suspension, I dont expect much on this road game as teams below us seem to improve their play once they realize their safety is an issue. Bologna will likely step up and do what they need to do while we regroup and look forward to the next match.

By: Jeremy | 3 Comments

Another week, another final meaningful match as Cagliari travels to Trieste for a home game with an Inter that is in transition but still
feels like Champions League qualification is in their grasp.

Cagliari probably earned its safety with a solid but not spectacular win at home against Atalanta. Check out the highlites..

These are the games won in the fashion they need to be won if Cagliari is going to stay safe and maybe push for Europe. The fact
Atalanta did not have a full squad keeps things in perspective a bit, but we have lost games like this before so the result and play shows there is still some fight left this year for the team.

The win over Atalanta keeps our faint hopes for Europe still alive and while the next loss will likely end the season in terms of meaningful
games, we still have something to play for. While a win over Inter would be great, it will still leave an uphill battle to
finish seventh to qualify for Europe. A loss will likely put an end to any
ambitions for the season and the rest of the games will mean little. While we still likely need three points to be safe, we
should get them with little to no inspiration but for now there is still
something to play for and expect the players to come out and show something to its fans.

Despite this being a home game for Cagliari, it is Inter who has the shorter journey to the stadium as we travel to Trieste to play the game because the Sant Elia is in disrepair and there is a dispute with the Cagliari government over many stadium issues. While the Sant Elia
wont collapse any time soon, it is only safe for 17,000 people which is under Serie A’s 20,000 requirement. If we keep playing
there we could have points deducted and Cellino has decided to eliminate that concern by playing home games in a stadium that qualifies from a capacity standpoint. There will be more fans
of Inter at this game so it is a shame that we have a home game that will feel like a road game. We need all the help we can
get to win this game and it would have been better to play the game at the Sant Elia so Cellino and the city of Cagliarineed to get this issue resolved and the locas need to turn out better as there is no excuse for not putting 20-30 thousand people in the stands at every home game.

Coming in to this game, we will see the return of David Astori and Michael Agazzi who missed last week which can only help as we need their experience to hold off an Inter team that pushed 5 goals past Genoa last weekend in an exciting game. Despite the return of
these two, we are really a team whose performance is now determined by the play of Mauricio Pinilla, our throw in from Palermo
during the winter transfer window who has made his presence known in attack in a dramatic way including the clincher last weekend. His presence cannot be understated as his absence from two games against bad teams cost Ballardini his job because the team cannot score without him and seems to move slower because of a feeling of hopelessness. His dramatic arrival made Cellino and Ballardini seem like
geniuses. He is the latest example of a coaches job only being as secure as the play of a couple of players. Pinilla will need to play a heavy role if Cagliari is going to beat Inter. The hope is Thiago Ribeiro or Ibarbo can help him with some improved play but they are still trying to show they are more then just complimentary players despite their obvious talent. With a healthy midfield and defense this will be our best chance to beat Inter in some time. A win pulls us within 4 points of them for seventh and despite other clubs having the
same ambition of seventh place that we do we will be in that mix if we can win in Trieste.

Inter is having a disappointing season and they have replaced Rainieri hoping there can be a push for third as the Scudetto has been out of reach almost since the beginning of the season. Allowing Eto’o to leave has set this club back 2-3 years while they try and find replacements that can get them back to the top. They are not even close to Juve and Milan right now which has their fans very upset. While Schneider will miss this game, Milito, Forlan, and Zarate will cause the Cagliari defense real problems. Their talent in the other positions is strong also when compared to ours but they lack cohesion and are constantly looking for a lineup that plays together. For
now their talent is not being fully utilized and this problem can only help Cagliari. Despite the change and confusion as to which lineup is best, they still showed spirit holding off Genoa even if they should
have put the game away without so much stress.

As we wind down the last quarter of the season, Cagliari still has unfinished business so they should come out along with Inter and play a good game. The stadium dynamic is not ideal but we may see some locals in Trieste come to the stadium just to pull for Cagliari against the big bad Inter so we could get an unexpected boost. Its not like the Sant Elia is packed when we play there. It is certainly a winnable game and the team will feel good as safety has all but been achieved.

Dont forget the game is on Saturday and not Sunday and with a local time start of 3pm, it should be some beautiful weather in Northern Italy for a game. Lets hope Cagliari can win and bring us another meaningful game next week.

By: Jeremy | 1 Comment

Are you ready for what might be the final game at the Sant Elia? This might be the case as the condemed stadium will see Cagliari host Atalanta in a game where both clubs still feel that their European ambitions are still atleast somewhat alive albeit on life support. While Atalanta would be much more ambitious had it not been for the early season penalty, they are still very close to overachieving Catania and indifferent Inter for the last european place. This is probably the surprise team of Serie A this year despite Catania’s performance. While their play has leveled off since a great start, to put themselves in this position at this stage of the season where safety is a foregone conclusion is nothing sort of remarkable. Their recent unbeaten run is on the line in Cagliari and they have slowly put themselves in a good position.

The good news for Cagliari is that German Denis, Atalanta’s top player, will not make the trip to Cagliari. His injury combined with Marilungo’s long term injury will put pressure on young Gabbiadini to lead the offense which will be a tall order against the defensive minded Cagliari side. Atalanta has put themselves in a spot to finish very high in the standings relative to the prayer for safety they had in August.

What can you say about Cagliari? Because of the stadium issue, Cellino is threating to play the rest of the home games in northern italy which may not be that big a deal as our home fans in Cagliari are not turning out. Until he and the city get the new stadium in place, the fan base and home field advantage will be non existant which is not good in such a closely balanced league. While Ficcadenti has returned and Ballardini is being fought over wages, the team still faces the same problem, no offense. While they may have deserved better in Rome against Lazio, Agazzi’s excellent goalkeeping could only hold them off for so long and they eventually got their goal sending us home with nothing. The enthusiam seems to be there, but enthusiasm does not win games. Check out the highlites…….

Thiago Ribeiro or Ibarbo simply must emerge as they cannot rely on Pinilla to score every week. Put Ibarbo up front with Pinilla and let Thiago Ribeiro and Cossu feed them. On paper this looks like a goal scoring team, but it is not happening. I cant explain it as Pinilla, Ribeiro, Cossu, and Ibarbo seem like a great base for scoring goals. Will El Kabir ever return from injury or will be shipped out?Remember him? Ultimately whether it is Ficcadenti or Ballardini, the players have to play and we need some stability in our coaching ranks no matter who you prefer. With the stadium and coach issues, the players seem distracted very easily but it may be the talent beyond Pinilla is overhyped, undeveloped, and simply not good enough to get fans too excited.

As well as Atalanta has played, I think at home we win this game. Atalanta relies on Denis the way we do Pinilla and they are about as bad without him as we are without Pinilla. Yes there is some talent on their squad such as Bellini, Brighi, and Capelli, but none of them may play this weekend.

Cagliari will be missing Dessena and Astori so there will be a lineup switch which could be to our benefit causing Ribeiro and Ibarbo to both be on the field most of the game. This will seem very much like a reserve match with so many important players missing and an empty stadium, but it is a big game. Ultimately Cagliari’s goal is survival. Its not likely to take as many points to be safe as it did last year, but Cagliari still need to get to 40-42 points but at 34 and with Lecce possibly on 30 by the end of the weekend, a win at home against depleted Atalanta has to be counted as three points. While they are 7 points up on Lecce with Parma and Fiorentina amongst others in crisis, they are not in immediate danger of a relegation battle. However, a loss eliminates any thought of Europe that may still exist and with Lecce looking to get an easy three against bottom club Cesena, this week can change a lot and the ultimate mindset will be simply what is needed to be done to survive.

Look for another week of home Pinilla heroics whether it is a penalty goal or a spectacular play that gets the team the three points. This is a can and must win game and three points will only keep the fans even more so on the hopeful level but with no clear direction going forward.