Wear It With Pride, Sergio
By: cathal |
8 Comments
The 110th anniversary shirts have been unveiled and it looks like Sergio Floccari is set to give one an outing against Livorno in the next few days. Popular opinion appears to suggest that these kits are a massive improvement on our existing ones and the real question now is, how long will these bad boys be on show for? I’ve included some pics for you to see below and on this evidence, I’m not sure Kolarov, Rocchi or Diakite’ will be going anywhere this winter. Forza Lazio!
Category: Team News
Review of the Year: Part II
By: cathal | 2 Comments
The second half of 2009 as we all remember it. Enjoy and please check the end of this post for important updates on the blog.
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July:
The better half of Rome goes silent as we all wait on the squad to resume training with their new head coach, Davide Ballardini. When the boys do resume service, we notice Manfredini has the most enviable car. Puma launched the new shirts much to our astonishment. Matuzalem and Carrizo exchange clubs as the squad touches down in Auronzo. Almost immediately, the tactics talk begins. Rocchi and Diakite’ get physical in training before the squad is presented in impressive fashion. On the final day of July, we realise someone has Cruz‘d into the club while another has gone off on eRasmus. Highlight of the month? The spellbinding unveiling of the new side. Not those shirts.
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August:
Beijing, here we come. We land our first Europa League opponents before whisking some silverware out of China. We thought Diego Lugano was a laziale before it became clear that Pandev no longer wanted to be. My quote of the year can be found in my belief that Goran was “too chicken” to go to court (apologies for that one) as we warmed up for the Serie A season with another pivotal win against Elfsborg. We got off to a flyer in the new campaign, dispatching Atalanta with ease and then our turnips killed off the Swedes. We sink Chievo before Lotito sinks us by not bringing in a defender. Highlight of the month? The Supercoppa triumph.
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September:
Hurrah for a momentum-breaking International period. The true extent of the ‘dissidenti‘ situation is revealed before I predict some January loans. We are robbed by Juve and go on to have another “bad day at the office” which was ironically followed by many more. Pandev and Ledesma return momentarily as our season demands salvation. Highlight of the month? Seeing the back of it, probably. The only humour I can extract from the month is a reporter mess up Cribari’s name to the point where it’s cringeworthy. Seriously, Criscito?
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October:
We take on Levski and dish out a rare hammering before we frustrate the living daylights out of Fiorentina. Some big names are mentioned before a big name in Rome, otherwise known as the Mayor congratulates our boys. A euphoric, last-gasp victory against Villarreal fills us with hope before Bari break that into smidirines. Questions are immediately asked of Ballardini as the slump continues. Highlight of the month? Tommaso’s winner against the Spaniards.
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November:
Villarreal get their revenge in emphatic style. A wasp infestation forces me to miss the Milan encounter as we get stung before our attention rightfully turns to Gabbo.
The jury is out on Davide as we start talking replacements. I get decadential as I ask you if Nesta is the best player of the last ten years. We stop scoring and luckily stop conceding as Napoli find our backline difficult to break down. Highlight of the month? Getting as good a result as anyone has against the Neapolitans since the emergence of the Mazzarri era. Again, not exactly mindblowing, is it?
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December:
Derby fever sets in but unfortunately for us, we neither got the outcome we deserved or hoped for. Lotito comes under immense pressure from the tifosi and bizarrely, Tare becomes the fall guy. We break our hideous winless streak with a very decent victory against the high-flying Genoa before giving the reserves a run-out in the now meaningless Europa League. Inter deliver the inevitable, Pandev walks free from jail, Christmas comes not a day too soon, we find Floccari on the verge of a move and here we are. Highlight of the month? Eeking out that result against the Rossoblu with Kolarov securing our 3,000th goal in Serie A.
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Thanks guys for reading this and more importantly, for putting up with me for the year. On behalf of Sal and Franco, who have contributed indirectly to the post above with their work over the past two years, I’d like to wish you all a happy and prosperous 2010. For the new year, there will be significant changes. I will still be here as regularly as I have always been and Franco will be around with occasional posts but I intend and will have a third blogger in place early in the new year. If you are interested in working with me here, drop me a line. You can hunt me down on Facebook (if you can get beyond the strict privacy settings) or alternatively, you can send an e-mail to this address: cathal.d.mullan@hotmail.com. In your mail, simply explain why you want to blog, how often you can blog, what you would like to blog about and I will take it from there. The idea is for this blog to look as fresh as possible from tomorrow onwards and having another viewpoint will help me expand it and make it that little bit different. Also, I fully intend to keep our Facebook group up to date and if you’re a bit of a twitterer, you can always choose to follow my own personal tweets which I should be updating frequently with news on Lazio. Once again, thanks for your contributions this year and I hope for all our sakes that 2010 will see a return to winning ways. Forza Lazio!
Category: Team NewsReview of the Year: Part I
By: cathal | 3 Comments
It’s that time of year again, a time for reflection, reminiscing and in many cases, a time to forget. 2009 will be remembered forever as a year of highs and lows; success and failure. In fact, I could easily categorise the two entities by simply dividing the years in halves. Please enjoy the better half of the year today as I recap the months of January to June and if you dare, stop by tomorrow for the train wreck that has been July – December. Grazie.
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January:
We welcomed in 2009 in the same fashion as always; with transfer talk. However, this year was different, this time we were speaking openly about our European prospects and wondering if we were ready; not knowing, of course that we would get the answer to that question less than a year later. We got our hopes raised with the possible return of a legend before a certain Goran Pandev kickstarted the new year with his first and sadly, last hat-trick in our colours. Ironically, we also discussed the importance of the Coppa we went on to win before we were well and truly routed by Cagliari in what I can now look back on as the beginning of a downward spiral in our league form. Subsequently, Delio started feeling the heat. Highlight of the month? No doubt about it, those three goals from the Macedonian star.
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February:
We said hello to Milan and quickly waved goodbye again as February began with the most comprehensive of losses. Firmani headed for the Middle East and it wasn’t long before some were declaring the season over. At least Kolarov was showing some fight, unfortunately, that attitude was felt most strongly by a certain referee. Poor results forced many to continue jumping on Rossi’s back and the candidates start to line up (metaphorically) outside Formello. Highlight of the month? Aleksandar’s attempted beheading of Saccani.
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March:
The month started with me getting confident, perhaps overconfident of us progressing in the Coppa at the expense of Juve. Soon, many were rejoicing at the prospect of seeing the president go down. Things were looking good as Rocchi Balboa was back on song and Zarate was fast becoming the star of the season. Then came Chievo and we paid the price for being optimistic. Catania rubbed more salt into fresh wounds. The month ended on a high note as Pandev said he would be signing a new contract in June. He lied. Highlight of the Month? That crucial win against Juventus.
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April:
Siena sunk spirits and a pattern was becoming all too familiar. However, there is nothing like winning a Derby to restore some pride and having covered it live, I sit here eight months later and I’m still recovering. Delio and his boys were taking the brunt of the blame and hiding Lotito’s flaws but an impressive display against Genoa and an eventual triumph in Turin lead to a well-deserved “shot at glory.” A highlight of the season, for sure but nothing quite beats a Derby win, does it?
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May:
Full steam ahead to the Coppa finale as our league campaign caves in on itself with losses to Inter and Udinese. I cover the final with another LiveBlog having not learned my lesson from the Derby. After 120 minutes of enthralling calcio, we finally secure another trophy with an almost faultless penalty display. We did our best to ruin Rioma’s Europa League party before it was revealed that Pandev and Cribari were planning on leaving the club. We consigned Reggina to Serie B and then got cheesed off when our new strips were appearing to be second-rate also. Highlight of the month? No better moment than seeing Dabo finish the Samp job.
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June:
The season is over and the end of an era is marked as Delio walks out of Formello. The new version of the 2009-2010 strips had us all up in arms again. Bizzarri signs the deal which sees him on the bench. Ballardini nears Lazio and is soon confirmed. Zarate is named player of the season by a country mile. Eliseu moves into Rome unnoticed and he continues in that vain. Highlight of the month? Sadly, it has to be the departure of Delio Rossi.
Part II tomorrow. Forza Lazio!
Category: Team NewsBarreto Arrives In Rome, Floccari To Follow
By: cathal | 19 Comments
In the past 24 hours, it seems Lazio have bolstered their frontline with the arrival of the young, Gonzalo Barreto from Danubio and the confirmation of a loan deal (with a buy-out clause, seemingly) for Sergio Floccari of Genoa. The former was signed in the summer after impressing in his home country and at a young age, it would be surprising if he lines out for us anytime soon but the latter is an experienced goal-getter and if and when it becomes official, this is undoubtedly a massive coup.
Speculation has been rife that some of our more established and experienced players are on their way out (Rocchi, Cruz, Kolarov and perhaps more) however, while Lotito may be strict with the purse strings, I never thought for a second that he wouldn’t get the wallet out. More often that not, he is an idiot but even a fool can see this squad needs to be revamped and the addition of a quality striker of Floccari’s calibre is a solid start. There is more to be done and we must first wait to see if he arrives but this is the man I have wanted here for a good year now and my enthusiasm is back with a vengeance.
I was talking to Franco last night stating that our interest in Sergio and Preziosi’s pursuit of Foggia may lead us into negotiations with Genoa and that appears to be the case. There is nothing to suggest that any attempt has been made to sign Pasqualino but keep your eyes peeled on that one. It is common knowledge that the Rossoblu made inquiries on the final day of the transfer window and considering the Neapolitan has fallen out of favour, there could well be some developments on that front soon. In the meantime, rejoice in the fact that a dynamic, useful, Italian centre-forward has one foot in Formello. If Claudio is seeking the impossible redemption then he has an awful long way to go but forgive me for saying he has made the best start possible. Review of the Year: Part I tomorrow. Forza Lazio!
Category: Team NewsThe Lazio Offside Team Of The Decade
By: cathal | 20 Comments
As 2010 approaches and thus, a new decade, it is only correct that I follow in the footsteps of every other major soccer site out there and offer you guys the chance to select your team of the past ten years. However, unlike other sources, I want you to give me your Lazio team of the decade. I will keep the decision making process as free as possible and offer only a few guidelines. Firstly, your selections must have featured for Lazio in any of the years ranging 2000-2009. When you make your picks, don’t base it on what they may have achieved at other clubs or on any level of personal success; please base your decision on the time they spent at Lazio. Finally, how you qualify your choice is entirely up to you, it can depend on their playing ability, on their overall influence, or even one specific moment that changed our fate. It is well and truly up to you. All you have to do is post 11 player names in the comments box which contains the name of one goalkeeper and ten others who could fit into a sensible formation (don’t pick ten attackers or eight midfielders and two defenders, for example). Get selecting and I’ll post my team of the decade once you get the ball rolling. Voting will close on January 8th and I will then compile, in a special post, the “Lazio Offside Team of the Decade” based on who got the most votes. Forza Lazio!
Category: Team NewsBuon Natale
By: cathal | 2 Comments
Every Christmas is different and where I was in a mood for joking and festivities last year, this year, the mood for me at least is not even similar. I am very keen to have a quiet, low-key but most of all, an enjoyable Christmas. It has been a year of magnificent highs and unrivaled lows and in a sense, I am keen to get it over with and move on but it is often in such times that you find an inner strength you never knew you had. For one day, I’d like to leave calcio aside and concentrate on what really matters. So laziali, I would like to wish all of you who celebrate Christmas, and of course your families to have a wonderful and most importantly, a safe day and I will be back on Boxing Day asking you to give me your team of the decade. Once again, Buon Natale and I’ll leave you with this…
Category: Team NewsBREAKING NEWS: Pandev Leaves Lazio
By: cathal | 12 Comments
After months and months of speculation, the news that every laziale feared has been delivered; Goran is free to leave La Lazio. According to the Macedonian’s lawyer, Grassani, the verdict has been announced and the star striker can now speak to whomever he likes, whenever he likes. We were already coping with the loss of Pandev so in a sense, this news provides us with the relief that we can now draw a line under the whole saga.
I’ve paid my tribute to the man who was undoubtedly a player to behold. Today, I do not look on him any more disfavourably than I did 6-8 months ago. All I can say is that I am somewhat saddened by the verdict. Not that Goran didn’t have a case or that Lotito’s was stronger (let’s face it; it doesn’t look good for your club when the man in charge is expelled from the court) but rather that the president’s job is to preside over the club and by definition, exercise his or her right of authority and control. When Goran made a public declaration that he wanted to leave our club 14 months before his contract was due to expire, Claudius had the right to grant his wish and “nail him to the stands.” After all, he didn’t want to play for us any longer so why should he turn up for training? Why should he feature in matches?
Yes, we could have done with him on the field, we could have done without the tension, the controversy, the attention. However, regardless of what you and I think of the president, it is his right to make the decisions; not the player’s and certainly not the court’s. That is why I am not in the slightest bit happy. Anyway, it will be a momentous day in our history and one that will leave a bad taste in my mouth for a multitude of wrong reasons. Forza Lazio!
Category: Team NewsThe Latest In A Long Line Of Lopez’
By: cathal | 1 Comment
The surname ‘Lopez‘ has become somewhat synonymous with Lazio over the past decade. Who can forget the bright spark that was Claudio, a player who was never truly replaced and would push some of our recent forwards for a spot in our team of the decade? Who can forget the fellow from Barca who went by the name of Oscar and had more striking looks than he ever did performances? Two players who have very different spots in our history; now the question on everyone’s lips is if Maxi will be next in line and if so, which of his sur-namesakes will he live up to?
You might remember Maxi for two reasons; you may remember his Champions League goal against Chelsea or perhaps it was his blonder-than-blonde hair that caught your eye? I know I appear to be joking but in all honesty, the vast majority of you will remember him for nothing else. When he signed for the Catalans, he established a reputation overnight and at that, a reputation he was destined to never maintain. He didn’t find the going any easier at Mallorca and eventually he made an escape to Moscow, where he was dubbed a failure before returning to his home continent. This is where our interest comes in; as we have been watching Rever at Gremio, it appears Maxi’s ability to score in half his side’s games has attracted our attention. Time to get serious; how good is he?
I’d be lying if I said our dear friend, Pepe in the comments section had no foundation for his concerns. There is a time for taking risks and a year ago, Maxi would have been top of my shortlist for strikers. However, situations change and when you are staring relegation straight in the eye, gambling on a player who failed to settle on mainland Europe is needless. Don’t get me wrong, I like the guy and genuinely believe he is massively talented and when we consider how little he was bandied about for, I’m sure we will get a good price but I don’t think this particular gamble is necessary. We have attackers of proven quality; someone who can link them together could be useful. Just a thought there, Lotito.
I do like Maxi though. I guess if Claudius has a few spare million lying around, I’d give him the thumbs up. Forza Lazio!
Category: Team NewsThe Latest In A Long Line Of Losses
By: cathal | 3 Comments
It was to be expected. Despite improving in recent weeks and giving Inter a fight, if not a fright, Lazio succumbed to yet another loss. Considering our improvements in defense and our inability to create any noteworthy chances, a one-goal margin was always going to be enough for the Nerazzurri to pick up at least a point and sadly, it was enough for all three. The last game of 2009 and interestingly, the last Serie A game of the decade proved to be another routine win for the Milanese outfit and another toothless attacking display from the better half of Rome.
I’m not going to dwell on the result for too long as I would hope our boys can get over the loss just as quickly. However, it was the same committed performances from the same individuals that stood out. Yet again, Radu and Stendardo were defensive rocks and unfortunately for us, Muslera made the rare and fatal mistake of deflecting the ball into the path of Eto’o for the only goal of the game. The left side of our midfield is shaping up nicely with Del Nero and Kolarov combining solidly in defense and posing a significant threat in attack. The midfield and the likes of Lichtsteiner are also helping the defense adequately. We can be happy about this but you sense that we would get mauled if we were to adopt a more attacking style tomorrow and thus, I can only conclude that we simply need more useful bodies in our dressing room. When you start to predict scorelines and the flow of games, cracking the case will not be difficult for much longer. I don’t think we need a rocket scientist to work out the issues.
On the field, 2009 is over and we can move into the new year knowing that being a laziale cannot get any more difficult. However, we have experienced the good, the bad and the Lotito this year and my work wouldn’t be done if I didn’t summarise the main events, look to the future and wish you all a safe festive period. Bearing that in mind, I’ll be back later today in the first of what should be many transfer posts over the coming days and in the next fortnight or so, expect a Review of the Year, some in-depth analysis and a renewed optimism as we enter the next decade. Forza Lazio!
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Reaction:
“This is Lazio; the points total we have now is what we deserve. We have problems, but we will work things out together.”
“I spoke with Lotito after the game about what we need to do in the upcoming mercato.” – Davide Ballardini
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Highlights:
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Player Ratings: http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/2009/12/20/1699788/player-ratings-inter-1-0-lazio
Category: Team News
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