REDIRECTION

I realise this blog was a bit of a fail, but I've now put money into making my own site which is www.olimpia-calcio.co.uk

Please have a look, as that marks the end of this blog!

Thanks for reading, Alasdair

Delirio Lazio

Such was the headline of Monday's Corriere dello Sport and general feeling among laziale- absolute delirium. This was the first derby I've attended and I'm now quietly starting to consider myself a bit of a lucky charm in the Olimpico, having witnessed two last-minute winners in the two matches I've attended. This was something special though. Having narrowly missed out on the rush for cheap tickets, I found myself left only with the 110 Euro option, Tribuna Monte Mario. Being a poor student I initially considered this too much, but as derby day edged closer I realised this wasn't something I could miss, and took the plunge.

Great decision! After only 4 minutes the Italo-Argentine enigma Osvaldo puts Roma ahead as Andre Dias plays him onside with a delayed attempt at an offside trap. Immediately Roma respond to their lead by going down like they've been shot at the most minimal contact, and Dutch no.1 Stekelenburg takes plenty of time over his goal kicks. Lazio come out fighting for the second half, Lulic's introduction providing a much needed attacking presence down the left flank, replacing the disappointing Radu. Brocchi storms into the box and goes down after contact from Kjaer. Admittedly, the contact is minimal but enough to merit a penalty and, as a result, a red card. Hernanes steps up to calmly place the ball in the bottom left corner. 1-1. Now it's all Lazio, surging forward but unable to make a breakthrough. Klose hits the crossbar from a corner. Cisse is denied a goal of the season contender by the post. The crowd begin to get restless. Is this ever going to happen? Roma occasionally threaten on the break, but spend most of the half behind the ball, looking for the point. With 5 minutes remaining, several fans around me begin to get up and leave, to my horror. They've seen enough to believe it's not our night. Deep into injury time Lazio attack and the ball is cleared. More fans get up to leave, but there's time for one final attack. The ball comes to Matuzalem, who shows fantastic vision by lifting the ball into Klose, who controls well and finishes. The Olimpico erupts, at least one end. I'm hugging strangers; fans are falling over each other. The players sprint to the Curva, the whole scene is filled with colour, noise and emotion. Only calcio could create such a picture, only the Derby della Capitale. As the full-time whistle blows, the players rush to celebrate under the Curva. Reja looks liberated having finally broken his taboo, never beating Roma in his career before. I don't want to leave, and I'm not the only one. I just feel sorry for those who left with five minutes to play.

As I walk back home through the streets of Rome, cars fly past beeping their horns frantically, Lazio flags and scarves waving from the windows. It has been two and a half years since laziale could experience such ecstasy, and all I can think to myself is: I was there.

Now, when's the next game? An agonising ten days to wait before I can again experience the attack to the senses that is the curva in full flow. There's a voice in the back of my head saying 'this could be the start of something really special'. Let's hope so.

FORZA LAZIO!!!

Collapse

One of the wonderful things about football is its ability to spark a plethora of emotions within the narrow time span of 90 minutes. Yesterday was one of those games that took any given fan of Lazio or Napoli on an emotional rollercoaster, from which laziale were ultimately left disappointed after tasting delirium, contentment, frustration, anger, and desperation. It was one of those games where it is impossible to not be on your feet throughout, screaming at your television as you helplessly watch events unfold. The loss is a bitter one to swallow. A much improved performance was let down by two almost identical set piece catastrophes, a dodgy penalty, and a moment of magic from the annoyingly good Cavani. Reja summed up events rather well- 'you can't score 3 goals at the San Paolo and lose!' If anyone doesn't know what I'm talking about, they had better watch this now. I don't particularly want to dwell on the result or rant too much, but I need to get certain things off my chest.

1. Stefano Mauri. What a man. His tremendous season continues with a simply brilliant solo goal, dodging round defenders to prod home our opener. Deserves his place in Prandelli's Italy side. Just a shame he couldn't have extended our lead as his second attempt dribbled agonisingly wide.
   
2. Brocchi's goal. Because it simply was. How the linesman and ref didn't see it, I'll never know. Maybe they were the same two who officiated England vs. Germany at the World Cup. I try to avoid blaming officials for results, but this time it's unavoidable.
   
3. Biava's red card. Fair enough, it seemed a penalty. Cavani made the most of minimal contact but you just can't charge in from behind in the box. But a red card? Surely not. The 'clear goalscoring opportunity' rule seems to get vaguer every week. I had understood the rule as: if a player is clear through on goal, a cynical foul to prevent an attempt on goal merits a red. I agree with this. But a clumsy and awkward challenge in a crowded penalty box? It isn't the same thing. His sending off ultimately lost us the game, and has lost us a key player for some vital games ahead.
   
4. We didn't deserve to lose. It just needs to be said. It is painful to lose a game of this magnitude anyway, but in this style it is torture. It just seems like we need a lucky break once in a while, like Napoli got yesterday.
   

Fortunately, other results went our way which means our quest for Champions League football is not yet completely over. Udinese lost for the first time in 2011, highlighting their weaknesses. And thank you Juventus for keeping Roma at a safe distance. Meaning the top of the table now looks like this:

Milan	65
Napoli	62
Inter	60
Udinese	56
Lazio	54
Roma	50
Juventus	48
Palermo	43

 

An automatic qualifying spot now looks unlikely, but the battle for fourth is still on. It is essential to get maximum points from the next few games, particularly home games, and hope Udinese and Roma continue to slip up. Next week at Parma would be a good start.

As for the current Champions League, tomorrow night is looking very tasty indeed. Real Madrid take on European rookies Tottenham Hotspur at the Santiago Bernabeu, missing Marcelo and Benzema, with Ronaldo also a doubt. Spurs are so unpredictable this season that it's impossible to predict their performance, but after knocking out A.C Milan and beating Inter to top their group, Mourinho must be sure to treat them as genuine contenders.

Wednesday evening sees the all-English quarter final commence at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea face Manchester United. Another tough one to call and both teams will be seeking revenge for different reasons. Chelsea for their penalty shoot-out loss in the 2008 final in Moscow, and United for their more recent controversial loss in the Premiership.

With the international break over, club football is certainly beginning to build up to an almighty climax. Be sure to be a part of it!

Forza Lazio

Business resumes...

First of all, I have to apologise for my lengthy absence from posting. My focus in the last few weeks has been very much on an array of essay deadlines, so I've not found the time. I do realise that regular posting is the foundation of a good blog though, so from now on will hope to keep the posting at least weekly!

So much has happened in my absence that it would take a dissertation for me to review it all, so let's just have a look at how things stand. This is the current top 8:

1.Milan	62
2.Inter	60
3.Napoli	59
4.Udinese	56
5.Lazio	54
6.Roma	50
7.Juventus	45
8.Palermo	43

 

For the first time this season, we have slipped out of the top 4. This is mainly down to two factors; the incredible form of Guidolin's Udinese side, and our own lame and unconvincing performances. The international break makes our last game seem very distant, but I'll remind you that it was a 1-0 win at home to struggling Cesena. I've discussed our lack of firepower before, and the situation has not improved. I think everyone at this point will be in agreement that our objective must be Champions League qualification, but we are going to need a big finish to pull that off. The good news is our rather comfortable 9-point lead over 7^th placed Juventus, meaning it would take a catastrophic dip in form to completely surrender at the very least a Europa League place. But to stand any chance of playing Champions League football next season, we must get a result this Sunday in one of the toughest fixtures Serie A can offer: Napoli at the San Paolo.

This match is decisive for both sides involved. For Napoli, a win would reignite their Scudetto push, for Lazio a win would put us right back into the competition for a Champions League place. Both managers have underlined the importance of this match, and it will carry extra significance for our man Reja, who took the Vesuviani up from Serie C1 to Serie A and has not faced them as an opponent until now. The expected line-up for tomorrow is this:

Muslera, Lichtsteiner, Dias, Biava, Garrido, Brocchi, Gonzalez, Hernanes, Mauri, Sculli, Zarate

We are expected to be trying a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Brocchi playing between the lines. This may seem a little negative and defensive, but bearing in mind Napoli's devastating trio of Hamsik/Lavezzi/Cavani, it doesn't seem a bad idea, at least to begin with. My only slight worry is Zarate playing as a lone striker. I'm not convinced he has the work rate or physique to be effective in this role, but perhaps being given this opportunity will give him the confidence to pull off a big performance. I don't want to say any more on this topic, as we all know the importance of this match. Let's just hope it's our day.

FORZA LAZIO!

 

Looking good...

Two solid victories against sides that were essential to beat have put Lazio 4 points clear in fourth place. I mentioned the importance of getting results in this run of fixtures earlier and there have been many positives to take from these two fixtures. However, I'll focus more on yesterday's encounter against Bari.

Result: Lazio 1-0 Bari

POSITIVES

• Dictating the play: Lazio showed absolute dominance, particularly in the first half, with impressive passing and movement restricting Bari to very little time on the ball. When they did have the ball, Lazio's pressed well and tireless running from the midfield left them no option but the ineffectual long-ball tactic. The defence held firm, and there seemed an improvement on the link between midfield and attack. The stats back this up: We enjoyed 60% of possession and managed 21 attempts on goal to Bari's 3.
  
• Matuzalem & Ledesma: I have to say, I had worries that these two wouldn't be compatible. However, the last two games seem to have proved me wrong. Accurate, incisive passing whilst in possession and tenacious tackling and pressing when off the ball made these two stand out for me. They are by no means the finished article yet, but with more time playing alongside one another they could become a real force for us.
  
• Hernanes: Our Brazilian maestro was back to his best yesterday. His goal was fantastic, a sublime volley that showed his real class to finish a smooth attack from the biancoceleste. For the rest of the match he was at the centre of all our attacks, constantly threatening from range and spraying passes around the pitch beautifully. Perhaps should've passed on a couple of occasions rather than gone for goal, but it is good to see him playing confidently and with real flair.
  

NEGATIVES

• The scoreline: This is, by far, the biggest worry. Everything I've mentioned so far has shown the dominance Lazio enjoyed during this game, yet we only won due to a moment of magic from Hernanes. At any point Bari could've sneaked an equaliser (Chievo?) and seen all our good work go to waste. The biggest worry here is that if we can't manage to capitalise on our chances against Bari, Brescia and Chievo, how are we possibly supposed to be confident of results in our vital ties against Roma, Juventus, Napoli, Inter etc?
  
• Reja?: Now don't get me wrong; I'm not here to criticise Reja. I think he has done a great job and it would be wrong to have a go at him after two wins on the trot. However, laziale have expressed frustrations over the continued absence of Zarate and Floccari in the side. Kozak's record has been good lately and he is a handful for defenders, but a goal machine he is not. Granted, Floccari hasn't exactly fitted that description either this season but I would still prefer to see him start, with the option of Kozak as an impact substitute. Zarate, however, is more of a dilemma. The problem for me is seeing where he would fit in to this side at the moment. For the last ten minutes against Bari he was ineffective, wasting possession by refusing to pass. The most obvious idea is to drop Sculli for him but I think Giuseppe has been performing admirably out wide and Zarate's selfishness on the ball wouldn't allow him to play the same role. However, there is no denying that Maurito is capable of turning a match by himself, something Sculli can't really claim, so Reja will need to sort this out himself. I think we need to unleash Zarate in the big matches, make him prove a point.
  

CONCLUSION

Two good wins, and a vital six points. However, things look like they will become more complicated. We need a more incisive attack, and the longer Zarate and Floccari stay benched, the more likely there will be unrest in the dressing room and amongst the fans. Also, the imminent return of Mauri may be a turning point. Hopefully he will return the player we saw at the start of the season, but I really want the Ledesma/Matuzalem pairing to be given time so I hope this isn't disrupted. My solution? Try this at Cagliari and see what happens:

Muslera

Lichtsteiner Biava Dias Radu

Ledesma Matuzalem Mauri

Hernanes Zarate

Floccari

 

Just an idea. There are several problems with this though: Kozak would arguably be a more effective hold-up striker. Dropping Sculli would lose our width and risk letting Hernanes and Zarate be marked out of the game. Also, dropping the tireless Gonzalez would reduce our effectiveness down the right flank, putting a lot more importance on the running of Lichtsteiner.

However, this could be countered with either Ledesma or Matuzalem anchoring while Lichty breaks, and telling Mauri to stick more to the line than usual could create problems for the opposition. This midfield three would be one of the finest in Serie A in terms of passing and creativity, and the danger they pose themselves would hopefully allow Hernanes and Zarate to roam between the lines and draw out the defence, making through balls/ balls over the top to Floccari a very real danger. I believe this system would work given practice, and possibly go some way to finally making us more incisive in front of goal. 21 shots against the worst team in the league and only scoring 1 goal isn't good enough. Let me know your thoughts!

 

FORZA LAZIO

Apologies...

First of all I need to apologise for my lengthy drought of posting, I've found myself rather busy lately but hopefully will be back on track now. During my absence a lot has happened in the world of Lazio. I'll briefly summarise:

Roma 2-1 Lazio (Coppa Italia): Incredibly frustrating game in which we dominated possession but could find no killer finish, Roma relying on luck alone to bring them through.

Bologna 3-1 Lazio: The less said the better; a result that underlined the holes in our squad and the dip in our form.

Lazio 2-0 Fiorentina: A much more pleasing performance. Still not great, with Ledesma playing worryingly badly, but a good result and a great brace from that man Kozak. Bear in mind, however, that this is a Viola side with a lot of problems, and in the midst of a minor crisis.

AC Milan 0-0 Lazio: A backs to the wall job that saw us rather fortunately escape from the San Siro with a point. Ibrahimovic hitting both posts with one shot says it all. A promising defensive performance though.

Lazio 1-1 Chievo: The first of a string of fixtures in which we must rediscover our form. Frustratingly, we dictated play but struggled to find a goal. A fine strike from Hernanes set us up well before a lapse of concentration let the Flying Donkeys back into the game. There was a worrying lack of invention up front as we struggled to cope with Chievo's impressive pressing game, often resorting to long ball tactics. This needs to be remedied, as although we are currently without Floccari or Rocchi, I doubt their return will suddenly spark a barrage of goals. If we have aspirations of a top four finish this season, this is the kind of game we need to be taking three points from. Don't get me wrong, Chievo aren't a bad side as they proved by beating Napoli last Wednesday, but Serie A is extremely competitive this season and we must get maximum points from our next two fixtures against Brescia and Bari.

The transfer window also shut, with our only major signing being Giuseppe Sculli. I have liked what I've seen so far; he always looks dangerous from the left flank and is an extra creative force in a side lacking flair. However, he isn't a striker, and going into this transfer window it can't be denied that our one objective was to get a new striker. Thankfully, Kozak has stepped up rather well and although still very raw, he is a talent and uses his height and strength well. Perhaps a little too well for Milan's defensive line who had a torrid time on Wednesday, Kozak smashing Bonera's cheekbone before clashing with Nicola Legrottaglie so badly that he said after he had feared for his life. Perhaps a little too physical, Libor...

It seemed to be the January of extortionate spending, as Juve dished out a casual 18 million Euro for Cagliari's Alessandro Matri and Inter signed Ranocchia, Kharja, and Pazzini. Luca Toni also moved to the black and white side of Turin, and AC Milan boosted their already stellar attack with the signing of Antonio Cassano, before strengthening their squad with the additions of Urby Emanuelson, Nicola Legrottaglie, and Mark Van Bommel. The latter, predictably, was sent off on his debut. Ronaldinho waved goodbye to Serie A to return home with Flamengo, and to balance their squad Juventus shipped out Amauri to Parma. Sampdoria attempted to recover the loss of their Cassano-Pazzini strike force by bringing in Manchester United's ex-Lazio man Federico Macheda and Palermo's experienced Massimo Maccarone. Not quite the same though...

How Matri is worth 18 million is beyond me, but this is before I have even looked at the goings on in the English Premiership. It began with Man City's signing of Edin Dzeko for £27 million. Fair enough, he is a sought-after striker who was successful in the Bundesliga but relatively unproven otherwise, making this seem like a bit of a gamble. However, it's not like they can't afford it... Deadline day was eventful to say the least. After Fernando Torres had his initial transfer request rejected, Liverpool decided they had better cash in with Chelsea bidding. Cue a £50 million transfer to London for a player who was certainly worth that a couple of years ago, but surely not on recent form.

What ensued is the most ridiculous bit of transfer business I've ever witnessed. Liverpool, desperate for a replacement and with only a few hours to find one, seemingly gave a blank cheque to Newcastle United as they agreed a fee of £35 million for Andy Carroll. Yes, Andy Carroll. Carroll is now the most expensive British footballer ever and comes eighth in the list of all-time record transfers, above players like David Villa, Gigi Buffon, and Andriy Shevchenko. I'm not saying he is a bad player but this is absolutely crazy money, he has minimal experience in the Premiership and has been good, but by no means exceptional, for Newcastle. It is truly sickening that football has got to this stage, and if I were a Liverpool fan I doubt I would be very happy to have sold Torres to make a £15 million profit and replace him with Carroll. Anyway, enough ranting, I'm sure this has been talked to death already by most football fans!

So what have we got to look forward to? Well I certainly know what I'm excited about, Scotland vs. Northern Ireland tomorrow in the first game of the Home Nations Cup. After witnessing games like Newcastle's incredible comeback to 4-4 against Arsenal and Inter's 5-3 demolishing of Roma this weekend, I'm expecting this to be no less entertaining. Ok, that may be fairly ambitious but it is good to have the Home Nations running again, as it will prove useful match practice for the Tartan Army before we continue our march on Euro 2012. Other interesting international matches tomorrow include Denmark vs. England, Germany vs. Italy, Argentina vs. Portugal, and France vs. Brazil. I'll forgive you for not watching the Scotland game just this once.

That is all for now, so until next time...

FORZA LAZIO!

And..... FORZA SCOZIA!

 

A quick word...

Just thought a post of anticipation ahead of tonight's Derby della Capitale was in need. After a much more convincing performance on Sunday against a strong Sampdoria team, we have every right to feel confident ahead of tonight's cup tie. It seems that there will not be a completely first-string side starting for us tonight, with Berni stepping in, joined by Gonzalez and Kozak, replacing Muslera, Mauri and Floccari. A boost is the return of Biava and Radu, who can reclaim their places at the expense of Diakite and Scaloni. I'm particularly excited about Gonzalez being given this chance, a start in the derby may be just what he needs to start to make his mark at our club. Diakite deserves praise for his performance on Sunday, although not the best with the ball at his feet he put in a solid defensive display and looked good when bombing forward in a way reminiscent of Lucio. Hopefully he will be given a chance to realise his potential.

I'll be back to report on tonight's clash later in the week, but for now we can be assured that although it's not a first-string team tonight everyone out there will be giving it their all to claim bragging rights in the Eternal City. For now.....

 

FORZA LAZIO!

NON MOLARRE MAI!