Lazio began the Serie A campaign with their heads held high and expectations aimed straight towards the summit, but have struggled since being eliminated from the Champions League.
Stefano Pioli was about to embark on only his second season with the side, whom he led to a third-place finish in Serie A and a closely contested 2-1 defeat to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final in the 2014-15 campaign.
Despite the lack of silverware in his first campaign in charge, the coach brought the Aquile to new heights and gave a real warning to the rest of the league about the stature that Lazio had built.
So far, all that was built by the capital club seems to have washed away by the tide of new challenges.
All looked well as the Serie A campaign kicked off, but injuries reared their ugly head early on as the side were kicked out of Champions League qualification against Bayer Leverkusen.
Things only seemed to get worse on the peninsula, with the side earning easy wins against the likes of Hellas Verona and Frosinone, but afterwards were dealt losses by nearly every team above 10th place.
Eventually the club fell from third in early October to 13th in mid-December, which inevitably led to training episodes in retreat and rumours of Pioli being given the sack.
Yet, there remained some bright spots during the dark times, as the Aquilotti never lost a Europa League match and topped Group G in impressive fashion.
The very best came last with the club ending a seven-game winless run with by advancing into the quarter-finals of Coppa Italia before managing a highly unexpected 2-1 victory away to Inter in the last match of 2015.
Best Player
The captain may not be the flashiest or most noticeable, but Lucas Biglia brings the most underrated qualities of all: heart, determination, focus, leadership, and consistency.
When injured he was sorely missed, and when present he always put his best foot forward. The Argentine has a knack for getting himself involved in game-changing changing moments. Whether he’s making assists, scoring penalties, drawing fouls, or putting in tackles, he is a prized asset.
Even though the Biancocelesti have been painfully inconsistent, Biglia has done his utmost to lead them back to former glory.
Highlight so far
It doesn’t get much better than beating Inter 2-1 away to end the year. Club icons united as Biglia turned provider for Antonio Candreva to score a peach from a well-worked corner kick only five minutes in at the boisterous Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
The Italian stole the show by completing his brace after Mauro Icardi found an equaliser by burying the rebound from his saved penalty kick late in the clash to stun the hosts into Christmas break submission.
Biggest disappointment
In an effort to motivate their team in the worst way possible, ultras left 10 bags of manure outside of the Formello training ground to protest the horrible run of form on December 11.
Only weeks prior, rivals Roma were under a similar type of agricultural anxiety, except they were left crates of carrots and called “rabbits” by disheartened fan protests.
Transfer hit
The 20-year-old Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was brought into the club for a hefty price considering his age, but was thrown into the centre of the pitch straight away to fill in for Biglia and he dealt with the pressure.
Whether he’s on or off the ball, the Serbian has an explosiveness that can force his opponents into mistakes. His involvement in the Europa League and single goal scored make his future look destined for more heroics with the Biancocelesti.
Transfer flop
The England Under-21 international and Manchester United youth product Ravel Morrison arrived on a free transfer from West Ham United and has only made one start in the club’s Europa League match with Rosenborg.
Whether it’s due to his refusal to learn Italian, or for reportedly storming off to England after failing to make Pioli’s starting lineup, the 22-year-old will likely part ways with the club immediately when another club dares to take a chance on him.
What next?
Sitting in 10th place at Christmas time is way below expectation, and Pioli can kiss any hopes of a Scudetto goodbye.
Lazio are far better off focusing on the cups, which have been their saving grace during a woeful Serie A campaign. In order to really grow, the club needs to address the need for victories on the road, which are hard for any club to come by, but if they can do it against Inter then the sky is the limit.
The January transfer window brings other concerns for the club, as Antonio Candreva and Lucas Biglia have been consistently eyed up by teams across Europe.
