Following a season that started with Juventus crushing them in the Super Cup, Lazio never really got going, finishing a disappointing ninth and seeing the end of both Vladimir Petkovic and Edy Reja as coaches.
In a campaign in which the Aquile’s longest winning run was two games, one of few bright spots included the form of Antonio Candreva, who scored twelve goals – a Serie A record for a Biancocelesti midfielder. In truth, the campaign will be remembered for the sale of Hernanes, which has proved just another brickbat with which the fans can hit chairman Claudio Lotito.
The Laziale’s disapproval of the way Lotito is running their club has been one of the under-currents of the summer, and ticket sales are down, and expectations amongst fans tempered as a result. In those times of trouble, Lotito has turned to former Bologna coach Stefano Pioli, brought in to steady what looks to be a rickety ship, all the while casting envious glances across the city.
Pre-season has seen Pioli’s side looking good, with a victory – such as it is – over Hamburg the stand-out result, along with a 10-0 win against Asagio that saw Mamadou Tounkara net four times. With no Europa League this season, Pioli’s campaign should be unimpeded in terms of training (although following European matches, Lazio won four of eight Serie A games and drew two, so there was no noticeable hangover).
Transfers
With Hernanes having left in the winter transfer window, there has been no major outgoing in the summer, with only Gael Kakuta and Helder Postiga (both loanees) returning to their parent clubs after fairly inconsequential loans, with a combined six starts.
The arrivals of Filip Djordevic and Stefan de Vrij should raise spirits a little, while Dusan Basta and Marco Parolo add a little quality in the middle of the park. Djordjevic looks to have settled quickly and bagged a goal in the friendly against Hamburg.
The Coach – Stefano Pioli
Stefano Pioli earned his reputation with Bologna, helping the Rossoblu avoid relegation twice in a row, all the while having to dispense with his best players while he went. When, last winter, he was removed from his post it came after a horrible run that saw him switching formations almost weekly as he tried to shore up a porous defence and kick-start a blunt attack.
The 3-5-1-1 he eventually settled on only succeeded in the former of those two tasks, yet the variety of tactics he tried to get there show a man comfortable with change and with an ability to think outside the box to get the best out of his team.
In contrast to his new employer, Pioli is a calm and level-headed man which should stand him in good stead to deal well with the turmoil he finds at the Stadio Olimpico. In the veteran Miroslav Klose and Filip Djordjevic, he has an interesting partnership and the likes of Basta, Candreva, Sergio Floccari and Felipe Anderson should ensure there is no shortage of creativity coming from behind the forwards.
One of the main tasks he will have is to ensure that the defence, which conceded 54 times last season (more than all but seven Serie A sides) is more stable this time around. Last season’s experimentations to that end suggest that Pioli is able to improve defensive play, and de Vrij’s arrival will help greatly in that regard.
Season Expectations
The minimum Laziale will be hoping for is improvement. Improvement on ninth place, improvement in defence, and improvement in attack. The departure of Hernanes and the saga that went with it clouded a lot of last season, so to be free of that distraction should ensure that they’re able to make some sort of progress.
Only one season removed from a Coppa Italia win, such a triumph would not be out of the question again – nor would bloodying the noses of a Roma side who look set for an even better fight for the title this season; it is always dangerous defining yourself by your rivals, but with Lazio set for a ‘season of transition’, a few sucker-punches may be the highlights.
Prediction
The steadying influence of Pioli will slowly win the fans over as Lazio lift themselves a little from last year, inspired by another stellar season from Candreva. Measured progress sees the Biancocelesti spend part of the season in the top four, before a late season dip – for Lazio’s is not the deepest squad – sees them finish just outside the Europa League spots.
Where will they finish? – Sixth, because I like Pioli.
