The mood at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while netting just two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Coming Unstitched?
Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or did there exist any cohesion holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the management had failed to disclose the transfer ban they were facing for financial irregularities. Rumours that his departure was imminent were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club became as messy in their performances as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but falling short in the rest of their opening fixtures, featuring the derby della Capitale. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to determine if they're getting better or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Unforeseen Presence
One individual continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He was on the last one at Parma as a loanee and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The signing restriction forced a rethink. They were unable to reduce their roster lacking backup options.
He joined originally during Sarri's previous tenure, at that time a 20-year-old alumnus of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 Serie A appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those from the bench. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."
Finding His Natural Fit
It's possible the coach was still trying to work out the nature of Cancellieri's abilities. Originally described as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent much of that season as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. During 63 outings while playing for Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn
