Lazio – Levski Sofia
By: cathal |
2 Comments
I’m going to keep this preview brief because for one, this game is meaningless and two, the team is a bunch of second-teamers and youth thrown together for one night only. However, there are certain elements you should be aware of. Firstly, Muslera is expected to start and if this happens then we can conclude that Bizzarri has joined the Goran and Cristian brigade. Diakite’ will get a run out and keep a close eye on whether he lasts the ninety minutes as I feel he is in line for a start against Inter. Also, Scaloni will get his chance to prove his worth and it will be interesting to see if Eliseu or Makinwa can make use of rare starts. This may also be our first chance to watch the highly-talented but injury prone Cinque too. This tie is anything but predictable but there are enough talking points to make this game a must see. Forza Lazio!
Category: Team News
Silly Season Is Almost Upon Us
By: cathal | 3 Comments
That time of the year is fast approaching; the winter mercato. Speculation, for once, has been relatively quiet but with the opening of the market just two weeks away, rumours are beginning to intensify. In fact, I will stick my neck on the line and say something that may surprise you; Lotito has kickstarted the transfer campaign early.
In my honest opinion, we missed several of our targets over the summer for very simple reasons. Ultimately, Lotito wanted to draft in certain players for a certain price and in the end, it was the sum of the money that proved the stumbling block. This time around, I don’t expect him to make the same mistake twice and it looks as if much of the negotiations will centre around Palermo. There are several arguments to support this but the reason why it may blow out of proportion this time is down to the presence of one man; Delio Rossi. I expect Pandev and Ledesma to be at the higher end of Zamparini’s shortlist while we all know we would like to nab Simplicio off them and our interest in Edison Cavani has been confirmed.
I feel the state of play is as follows; Cavani wants to leave the Sicilian outfit and our president smells a bargain. Also in the running for his signature are Inter but Mourinho is more than likely looking for a short-term deal to replace Eto’o while he jets off for the African Cup of Nations. This is where it all gets incredibly complex. If Inter are genuinely in the race for the bright Edison, then that would suggest that Goran is not as close to the giants as some might have hoped. Also, there have been murmurings that Delio would like to hook up with Foggia again whereas Simplicio has been given a deadline to sign a new contract with the boys in pink by the end of the year. Thus, what you have is a mega game of cat and mouse between Lazio and Palermo with no indication as to who is the cat or who is the mouse. However, Inter could well be the ball of yarn that hinders the process.
While these interesting developments emerge, we are zoning ever close on Rever, the Gremio centre-back. The situation is clear; anybody can buy the Brazilian’s contract out for 5million euro and Lotito is happy to pay that figure. However, the contract can only be bought if that sum is stumped up by cash and in full. Guess what? Claudio wants to dish it out in installments. Therefore, Gremio are sticking to their guns; it’s 5million in one payment or our friend with the spectacles has to dig deeper into his wallet. The previous mercato became a matter of not paying enough and losing out as a result; the upcoming mercato could end up in us losing out over not paying the money quickly enough. Forza Lazio!
Category: Team NewsFinally…
By: cathal | 12 Comments
The most sweetest tone in music is often that high-pitched final whistle and yesterday afternoon was no exception. For the last thirteen Serie A games, it has been nothing but a distressed shrill but at last, we can rejoice in its glory once again. Beating Genoa has never felt better but we must bear in mind that it was only one game against what I described as schizophrenic opposition. We hardly have reason to get carried away but I saw much to be optimistic about.
Forgive the flowery language here but yesteday was, at least in my eyes, a tactical masterclass from a side that was patched together both before and during the game. The circumstances were trying but Ballardini’s boys delivered the goods. Although results haven’t been falling our way for months now, our performance in recent games has been fairly acceptable. The most striking improvement is certainly the defense and I attribute clean sheets to the following;
Stendardo’s integration into our starting line-up.
Ballardini’s 3-4-1-2 system.
The efforts of Kolarov and Lichtsteiner.
Guglielmo has never been Mr. Popular at Lazio but he is quickly changing our perceptions. He hasn’t added a new dimension to our game but several of them. We all know he is useful in the air and from crossed balls and set-pieces, he is clearing up. However, it has been his deployment in a Ledesma-esque role which has benefitted us most. Time after time, when the opposition are on the move, he storms out of defense, hassles the attacker and forces them into a position they are not too satisfied with. This was evident yesterday as Genoa’s final ball was often delivered with Guglielmo in close proximity and a bunch of onrushing midfielders supporting the defense. It is the 3-4-1-2 that makes this work along with Stendardo’s ability to read the game and thus, I feel we could finally have a system from the boss that minimises the loss of Ledesma. It was encouraging to see this work, even when Del Nero had to play in a less familiar left-back role which often involved him dropping into the centre. Kudos to the coach on this one.
If our defense continues this form, winning games and picking up unlikely points becomes the responsibility of the attack. Yesterday, it was Kolarov who discovered the magic, netting from an acute angle and in doing so, writing himself into Roman folklore with Lazio’s 3,000th goal in Serie A. It is an incredible achievement for him but we cannot expect him to conjure up something like this week in, week out. The sooner Zarate, Rocchi and co. start firing on all cylinders, the sooner we can launch ourselves up that table.
In recent weeks, Lazio have resembled a Tour de France cyclist who has crashed and needs to rejoin the chasing pack for fear of being left behind. Yesterday’s win illustrates the cyclist’s ability and desire to get back on track but with Inter next weekend, we have a potential puncture to keep him off the pace. Forza Lazio!
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Reaction:
“We have been playing well for a while but the result has been a long time coming.”
“We were without a number of players this afternoon and I have to praise Kolarov for his ability to adapt to the midfield role today.”
“I apologise for the protests but it is our duty to try and change the fans’ minds with positive performances on the field.”
“This result is very important given the manner in which it came and also for what it brings. It is a very close championship this year and I think everyone has the ability to take points off each other.” - Davide Ballardini
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Highlights:
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Pictures:
http://www.lazialita.com/VisualizzaSezione.asp?IdArticolo=6566
Player Ratings:
Muslera – 8; Another stellar performance from the Uruguayan between the sticks. Made two or three crucial saves to keep us in the game at key moments.
Kolarov – 8.5; He just didn’t stop, moved from one end of the pitch to another in a tricky midfield role. Scored what proved to be the winner and posed a serious threat all game long. Impressive.
Radu – 7.5; Not much to fault about Stefan’s performance, just as solid as he has been in recent weeks. He is starting to look very comfortable in his new centre-back role.
Stendardo – 8.5; The man of the match award is a coin toss between Aleksandar and Guglielmo. Since his first performance of the season, this defense has looked sturdy and yesterday, he exhibited perfect timing on a regular basis. Excellent stuff.
Siviglia – 6.5; He didn’t have a disastrous game by any means but if our defense was at fault for anything, it was for too many silly fouls in dangerous positions; many of which arose from Sebastiano’s errors.
Lichtsteiner – 7.5; Very few thrills or spills from the Swiss wing-back in a game where he was an absolute menace, terrorising the opposition midfield. Could maybe have did more in attack but given his role, he turned in a wicked display.
Firmani – 7; As you would expect, the die-hard laziale brought some much needed heart to the side. He was resilient and pestered Il Grifoni all day but he was most certainly guilty of some rather rash challenges.
Brocchi – 6; Substituted early on with what looked like a nasty injury and didn’t do a whole lot while he was on the field.
Meghni – 7; One of Mourad’s better games, he held the ball up well and gave the opposition the runaround. However, he offered too little in creativity to merit a better rating and seemed incapable of splitting their defense. Encouraging nonetheless.
Zarate – 6.5; He imposed all the usual mazy dribbles and linked up well with Tommaso but he was very quiet for large periods and is guilty of missing a sitter in the opening minutes which could have proved costly.
Rocchi – 7; Made Bocchetti’s life hell until the centre-back was sent off. He was sharp and caused problems on the counter but he never looked like scoring and faded dramatically late in the game.
Subs:
Del Nero – 8; Massively impressive. Had the pace and the skills to hunt down the opposition and kept his wits about him to play the ball simply and effectively. Could not have done anything more than what was asked. Very encouraging.
Scaloni – 5; Good to see him on the pitch and, um, yeah…
Category: Team NewsLazio – Genoa
By: cathal | 7 Comments
For many, another loss will be the final straw as Genoa are welcomed to the Stadio Olimpico today. Confidence is fragile, optimism is seizing to exist and many fans will probably tune out in dismay before they even tune in. This is Lazio at present and we can only hope that we pull something rather special out of the bag this afternoon.
For want of a better phrase, we can’t score in a brothel right now. We are waiting on our 3,000th Serie A goal and it feels as if we are destined to sweat it out. However, after all the anti-Lotito protests this week, I would like to think our Curva will be in full voice, cheering on the boys as much as they ever did. If we can make the Olimpico a place of fear, then that’s half the battle. With Genoa, you never know what you are going to get; they are usually on song but schizophrenia is a characteristic of their game and I pray Ballardini is behind the scenes, armed with an ingenious masterplan.
The problem with our ideas is that they are often hindered by a lack of health and today is no different. The now familiar 3-4-1-2 is set to be deployed again with the impressive pairing of Radu and Stendardo playing alongside the eternal liability in Siviglia. Our midfield is thin enough for Firmani to earn his first call-up of the season and perhaps even a starting place. Brocchi should sit alongside him while Kolarov and Lichtsteiner push up the field. Zarate and Rocchi will be responsible for bagging the goals with Meghni providing the supply. A strange line-up but one of the most passionate I have seen this season. Here it is again in full:
Lazio (3-4-1-2): Muslera, Radu, Stendardo, Siviglia, Kolarov, Firmani, Brocchi, Lichtsteiner, Meghni, Zarate, Rocchi.
As for Genoa, they will play as they always do, three at the back, three in attack and when needed, they will pack the midfield (apologies for the rhyme). However, they are missing the likes of Kharja and Jankovic which takes a little something from their game and I would be quietly confident that our defense will have the measure of them. I really think this game will be as simple as who can outscore who and although they haven’t been shining recently, Maurito and Tommaso are more than capable of delivering the goods. Forza Lazio!
Last Season: Lazio 1-1 Genoa (Milito, 69, Dabo, 80)
Previous Encounter: Genoa 0-1 Lazio (Zarate, 65)
Stream: http://www.mp2p.eu
Category: PreviewsFall Guy…Wait, Wrong Guy
By: cathal | 7 Comments
A group of die-hard laziali orchestrated a sit-in today and made their presence felt against the head honcho in Lotito. Criticising the glorious spectacles is nothing new but a demonstration of this magnitude signifies something much deeper; a sense of intolerance. While I’ve been told the head count was somewhere around the 5,000 mark, the president appears unflustered. However, as you may expect of him, he is quick to find someone to blame; Tare.
I can’t decide if I support the motion or not and I’ll reserve my judgement until tomorrow’s game. Frankly, I can’t see how it helps those who make the difference; the players. They have had to prepare for Genoa knowing the tifosi are less than satisfied and while I hope the fans communicate this emotion and passion to them, realistically, the bag of nerves can only get heavier. Last weekend was the ultimate demonstration of passion; I don’t see how this can give them any more impetus than a derby.
As for removing Lotito, I’m certain it won’t work. I would almost go as far as to bet my house on it and the fact Igli is now facing the exit door says it all; Claudio cannot be moved. I’d rather these guys who stood outside the Stadio Olimpico peacefully would devote a few hours of their time to the stands tomorrow and lend their voice to the eleven men on the field. I would do anything to have that chance. Forza Lazio!
Category: Team NewsRome Moves On
By: cathal | 13 Comments
Apologies for the distinct lack of posting over the weekend. A freak power outage hit my town and left me without power, internet, the works. An unfortunate event, an event that left a bad taste in my mouth but the worst was yet to come as I sat browsing Livescore with a friend’s hideous mobile internet waiting on what seemed like the inevitable. There is nothing in life like an omen and following an abundance of passion and effort, the inevitable struck. A sad day in our history but you cannot win them all and as ever, we bowed out gracefully. Unlike some…
I had no means of seeing the derby so I can’t comment on it specifically but everything about the result was to be expected; a game where a goal either way, if it came, would prove to be the decider. And so it was. Despite the result, having read up on our performance and listened to many a friend, my pride in this side has been restored. It is now a matter of getting a win under our belts before the winter break and coming back in 2010 with a fresh attitude. If we can do that, relegation is not an option but I am still very afraid. It’s not that we don’t have the quality and contrary to popular opinion, I have some belief left in the coach (even if he shouldn’t be here) but the atmosphere is the problem and until we go on a run, it can only get worse. Fan protests are planned for the week ahead and while I encourage the tifosi to have their say, attempts to drive Lotito out of Lazio will do us no good whatsoever. Firstly, he is staying until his ‘work’ is done and secondly, an already frail side who showed immense pride in representing our colours this weekend could do without being unsettled any further. We are clear of the relegation zone, we have been in this area for a number of years now, there is no need to make a mountain out of a molehill. Sure, we have issues but Rioma did as well and you only have to look at their league position to know how easily things can change.
Honestly, I am buzzing about 2010, the sooner we get there the better for 2009 is forever going to be remembered as a year of highs and lows for our team. Forza Lazio!
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Highlights:
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Player Ratings: http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/2009/12/06/1665718/player-ratings-roma-1-0-lazio
Category: Team NewsLazio – Bologna
By: cathal | 197 Comments
Lazio will be looking to end their remarkable winless streak with a good result over lowly Bologna tomorrow in a game where both sides need to prevail. With the derby fast approaching, this our last chance to get a shot of adrenalin to the arm and there can be few excuses for not coming out on top. Unfortunately, we may lose this game before we step on the field.
This week has been crazy and two key issues have been spoken about at great length. On one hand, you have the permanent absentees, Pandev, Ledesma and co. and on the other hand, you have those who are one game away from suspension; Zarate is the main protagonist of that plot and of course, we also have Julio missing for 3 games after taking on Rinaudo in a spot of vampirism. We have had the worst preparation possible and could well have one of the worst line-ups imaginable. Not looking good to say the least.
However, taking into consideration the definite list of casualties, I think Ballardini will risk suspensions to pick up what should be a comfortable win. Thankfully Muslera is still around and Stendardo is back. I reckon Radu and Diakite’ will be helping that pair out. In a similar formation to last weekend, Kolarov should assume his place on the left with Brocchi on the right and the fragile duo of Baronio and Matuzalem in the middle. Foggia should play in the trequartista role with an Argentine who needs to be on his best behaviour and a Rocchi who needs to find his goalscoring touch again ahead of him. Here is the line-up in full:
Lazio (3-4-1-2): Muslera, Radu, Stendardo, Diakite’, Kolarov, Baronio, Matuzalem, Brocchi, Foggia, Zarate, Rocchi.
As for Bologna, I reckon they are stronger in attack than last season but are more than exploitable at the back. I expect a cautious opening half from both sides before we launch into a frenzy but we will have to be on guard, Di Vaio and Zalayeta are too talented and experienced to be ignored and the likes of Adailton always pose a threat. A game we should win but could lose all too easily. Forza Lazio!
Last Season: Lazio 2-0 Bologna (Zarate, 36, 81)
Previous Encounter: As above.
Stream: www.myp2p.eu
Category: Team NewsPulling Power
By: cathal | 3 Comments
Napoli were kept at bay last weekend by a plucky Lazio side but unfortunately for us, calcio is generally about outscoring the opposition and when you can’t hit the net whatsoever, you don’t win. Soccer is such a simple game but life in Rome is getting increasingly complex and the aim now is surely to sneak a win against Bologna, keep as injury and suspension free as possible and head into the derby with minor levels of confidence at the very least. We may have nothing to shout about and frankly, I would say quite a few of us never left our seats but a good result came our way on Sunday and we can now hope quietly that the corner is turned. Has it? Probably not.
I can’t get overly enthusiastic about a 0-0 scoreline but we went to Naples, played a very decent, in-form side and emerged with a point. Perhaps we could have squeezed a goal or two out of the game but to say we deserved a win would be pushing it. Our attack is completely impotent at present and I can only put that down to a severe lack of confidence; we know Zarate is a class act, Rocchi has been banging in goals for years and Cruz has been notching them up for what seems like eternity. When people suggest Serie B, I can’t help but think that these guys will eventually dig us out of that hole; the same orifice that our defence has dropped us down on many an occasion. However, Ballardini has taken a big step to getting that one right. Stendardo’s performance makes him somewhat irresistable now and Radu is becoming a class act while Cribari looks more at home with a defender or two who can actually defend alongside him. It may have been a temporary solution but it worked and with Ledesma making an appearance in proper training, the fire in our belly may be about to return at the perfect time.
Not the most entertaining game you’ll ever see, not exactly an ideal result either but in terms of performance and result, it was sufficient. Forza Lazio!
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Highlights:
Category: ReviewsNapoli – Lazio
By: cathal | 18 Comments
Our boys are in Naples today to take down a fast-improving Napoli side who will be looking to keep their good run going with three points. Considering our league position, we are also likely to throw caution to the wind here and go for the win. It should be an attacking free-flowing game of football so I’m salivating as I type. My fingers and toes are crossed.
The preview is deliberately late because with a few injury concerns, it was impossible to guess what Ballardini would put out there and if you have tuned out in recent days, this line-up is going to shock you:
Lazio (3-4-2-1): Muslera, Radu, Cribari, Stendardo, Kolarov, Mauri, Baronio, Brocchi, Zarate, Foggia, Cruz.
A huge but necessary risk is being taken as Guglielmo is reintroduced into the side. The midfield looks fragile but if Kolarov bombs up the field to support Zarate and Foggia, it could be lethal. I’m expecting big things from Cruz now too; his fitness has been the primary concern all season and that excuse is beginning to war thin. We need to see him on the scoresheet. All in all, this is a side that has potential but it also looks highly vulnerable. We will need to keep our wits about us.
Everybody knows the score with the home side’s dangermen but I’ve watched numerous Napoli games this season and while they tend to play some good calcio, finding the back of the net can be a struggle for them. I sense they’ve turned that all important corner with Mazzarri but if we can get stuck in and make our presence felt, we can make things incredibly tough for them. I assume a home win is expected by most but I’m not convinced. Forza Lazio!
Previous Encounter: Napoli 0-2 Lazio (Rocchi 57, 65)
Last Season: As above.
Stream: http://www.asiaplatetv.net/watch_tvu.php?id=2902
Category: Team NewsPlayer of the Decade: Alessandro Nesta?
By: cathal | 8 Comments
Sorry for the lack of posts in recent days, I got rather embroiled in my home country’s Henry-incident which you may have read about (still hurts) and spent much of the last few days voicing my opinions on matters that may not be closer to my heart, but matters that certainly turned that way over the course of the week. I’m working on quite an exciting project for the blog too which I hope to unveil next week. Keep your eyes peeled for that. For now, I’m posing a poll with a difference to you. A fortnight or so ago, the Offside bloggers were asked to give their opinion on the top 20 players of the decade that is soon to be passed. I put forward a potentially controversial candidate for my “Player of the Decade:” Alessandro Nesta. Call me biased, but he just so happens to be an ex-laziale. Am I an idiot? You will decide.
Firstly, I would like to point out that compiling a list of this nature is no easy task and it took numerous hours of thought. One of the main problems I had was how I should judge the players; on their ability? On their achievements? On their personalities? On their influence on the game? There are various slants one could take. However, as I considered all these factors, I quickly realised that Ale’ ticked all the boxes. As the likes of Zidane, Messi, Ronaldo and Henry (angry face) top the majority of people’s selections, I ask myself two questions; have they delivered for a 10-year period and are they regarded as being among the best in the world? Well, the aforementioned names are similar in that they are all attack-minded players who will rarely be mentioned in the same breath as a certain Brazilian and an overweight Argentine. On the other hand, if I asked you all to name me the best defender of all time, many of you would say Nesta. I know you would and therein lies the difference.
He is quite simply an astonishing act; a defender who can read the game like a book, who delivers every time he sets foot on the pitch and a guy who rarely makes a mistake of any importance. We are not talking about someone who has yet to peak here or a man who likes to headbutt his opponents in World Cup finals or even a player who can destroy a reputation with sleight of hand. We are talking about a model professional, a true great who has achieved as much as anyone in the game. He has almost literally won everything, having been Serie A Defender of the Year on five occasions, in UEFA’s Team of the Year on four occasions and he is one of an illustrious bunch in the Fifa 100. Did I mention his Scudetti, three Coppa Italias, the UEFA Champions League or the World Cup? I think I’ve proved my point.
The rest is up to you. Does anyone out there dare to disagree with me? Do you think another ex-laziale would be a better candidate? Or do you believe my bold choice is the correct one. Vote below and let me know. Forza Lazio!
Alessandro Nesta: “Player of the Decade?”(polling)
Category: Polls
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