Palmeiras’ Fall: What’s Going On?

It seems that the break for the World Cup did not sit well with Palmeiras, who has been facing difficulties trying to compete in three fronts at the same time. This assessment was made by Arnaldo Ribeiro on Posse de Bola on Canal UOL.

Performance Analysis

Arnaldo highlighted that the team has a smaller squad than Flamengo’s. This, along with planning for the second half of the year, may be the reason behind the drop in performance in the Brasileirão. After 19 rounds in first place, Verdão slipped off the top of the table following a draw away to Botafogo, being overtaken by the Rubro-Negro.

He summed up the situation with a clear criticism:

"Palmeiras didn’t prepare well during the World Cup break. Flamengo, on the other hand, knows it has only two competitions and is completely ready for that."

The commentator also added that Flamengo has a squad strong enough to make the necessary changes without losing quality.

Decisions That Matter

Arnaldo touched on an important point: the sale of Allan may end up costing Palmeiras, especially now that some players are injured and others are not at their best.

Danilo Lavieri also made his criticisms of Abel Ferreira. He commented on the team’s drop in performance and on the untimely moment of the coach’s speech, asking fans to "enjoy" the moment:

"The timing is bad. On the day you’re overtaken by Flamengo, having this conversation makes it seem like you’re saying: my job is perfect—and it isn’t."

Trying to Avoid the Issue?

Rodrigo Mattos brought up another criticism. He noted that Abel has been avoiding talking about on-field performance and instead chooses to discuss external matters, such as venting on the microphones, which could be interpreted as a form of "distraction." In his view, this doesn’t justify the disparity in investment between Palmeiras and Flamengo:

"Every time Palmeiras stumbles, we hear the narrative from the Portuguese coach being persecuted by the system. Now, it’s the microphones. He’s putting out very little, and whenever this happens, he comes with this distraction story.”

What Happens Now?

Palmeiras’ situation is definitely becoming an interesting topic to follow in the next rounds of the Brazilian league. Will the squad bounce back and fight again for the top, or will Flamengo continue to be dominant in this race?

Stay tuned and share your thoughts on Verdão’s performance!