How four days can change the fortunes of an entire season. Only a matter of days ago, Lazio looked a decent outside bet to grab an unexpected European spot for next season as they faced AC Milan, possibly the only Serie A side in a worse state of crisis than the Biancoceleste, and a Genoa team in the process of seeing out an indifferent season in mid table.
Fast forward a few days and only one point from a possible six has been collected. Milan managed to force a draw at the Olimpico thanks to a combination of a misfiring Lazio forward line and the apparently prolific goalscoring abilities of Abdoulay Konko’s face.
A reaction was needed and expected at the Marassi, an arena that Reja’s team could be said to be more comfortable playing in than their ground due to the ongoing protests by the Ultras against Claudio Lotito’s ownership, which led to most of the Curva Nord being left abandoned for the second half against Milan.
The performance against the Grifoni was unacceptable and abject. A flurry of chances for the hosts in the opening five minutes could easily have given them an early lead, but fortunately they squandered the opportunities. Lazio had to learn from their errors and appeared to as they grew into the game during the first half and demonstrated a trait that has been ever-present all season: controlling possession and making regular forays into the final third without managing to create any clear goalscoring opportunities.
Edy Reja, like most laziali, was most disappointed by his side’s reaction after Alberto Gilardino’s opener. The team crumbled and surrendered a second, looking utterly incapable of mounting any sort of comeback.
So where does this leave us now? The only advantage is that while Lazio were busy embarrassing themselves home and away, their challengers for the elusive top six spot were not faring much better. Torino and Verona have faded after their rampant early-season form and even the mighty Parma could only pick up one point from their last two encounters, in the process finally surrendering their lengthy unbeaten record against Juventus.
In the meantime, sneaky Atalanta and Sampdoria have emerged to stake their own claims for a surprising late-season rush into European contention. Five points now separate Lazio in eighth from Parma in sixth.
This may seem like an almost insurmountable tally with so few matches remaining, but then you look at the fixture list and see that next up is Lazio vs Parma at the Olimpico. This truly is the last chance for Reja’s team, a defeat will cut them adrift completely, whereas a victory would close the gap and offer a glimmer of hope once more.
This is probably the best time in the season to play Parma, as they have finally lost a game for the first time this year and could be vulnerable. However, the Lazio side that was beaten by Genoa would inarguably be no match for the Parma side that was beaten by Juventus, so Reja has his work cut out to fashion a competitive side in such a short time.
In the meantime, the Ultras of the Curva Nord have released a statement saying that they will leave the Curva empty for the remainder of the season, meaning that if Lazio are going to move up the table they will have to do it without the backing of their most influential fans. In their statement, the Ultras have also said that they won’t buy any official club merchandise and that they are united in their bid to ‘reclaim our Lazio’.
The turbulence off the pitch will not be settled by anything that happens on it this season, but less than a year from the dramatic and historic Coppa Italia triumph over Roma laziali need something to cheer from this season of frustrations and disappointments. Sunday’s clash with Parma is the last chance.
Follow Alasdair Mackenzie on Twitter: @olimpiacalcio
