The front of Tuesday’s Corriere Dello Sport read ‘Vola la Lazio di Klose’ – Klose’s Lazio fly. Seven matches in twenty two days. Key players missing throughout the opening stages include il Capitano Mauri, Biava, Stankevicius, Matuzalem, but the Bianoceleste somehow seem to be grinding out result after result.
“It’s very nice to be so high in the table. We went beyond the most optimistic expectations. It’s best for us to stay up there. I have a solid group that knows its qualities and flaws,” Edy Reja said after Sunday’s home win against Parma.
“Today we also improved defensively, even though we struggled as we were pressed badly, they (Parma) have created many difficulties for us.
“We have spent great amount of energy between the games in Europa League and serie A, but when you win such games it’s a good sign, because winning is never easy.
“The European tournament is taking its’ toll. We should play on Monday when we have a game in midweek so we have one more day to recover.”
It is a tough task for any team playing in the Europa League on a Thursday, and then having to prepare for league action again at the weekend. But while perched on top of the serie A pile albeit along with Udinese, Lazio can go into the International break very satisfied with their points tally so far. And as many fans of their team would be very happy sitting joint top after ten games, there is a concern for many fans of the Biancoceleste, Lazio are winning their games, but are they actually playing well?
Apparently not according to most Laziale. After being unbeaten on the road and finally getting two wins on the bounce at the Stadio Olimpico last week, many of the Lazio Tifosi are still quite concerned about the way Lazio are playing.
For a team with new players introduced this summer including Marchetti, Konko, Cana and Lulic and Cisse and Klose, and players leaving the club in the summer, I for one did not expect Lazio to be top at this stage. It takes time for teams to adapt and while getting used to playing alongside each other Lazio have been grinding out results left right and centre.
I think in the up and coming games against Napoli and Juventus we will see a better Lazio, as they seem to always step it up against the top teams, they can only get better and I cannot see a decline in the way the team are learning from each match.
People could argue that they haven’t come up against a good team yet, Milan opening game, a brilliant two all draw at the San Siro, and wins away at the Artemio Franchi and the Stadio Sant’Elia are the stand out performances so far. Not forgetting a fantastic win in the Derby, which although Roma were down to ten men for the second half I thought Lazio played extremely good football, creating many opportunities.
Lazio were in the same position at this stage last year going into the international break although this year it is evident there is more talent in Edy Reja’s squad, and more depth. And while the team are still adapting to each other’s style of play, I don’t think the fans should be complaining too much.
It must be the way of the Roman’s, to always need something to criticise about their team, but one defeat out of the first ten matches is beyond most laziali’s pre season expectations surely?
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