The feeling at Lazio's home ground was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The Biancocelesti found themselves behind against Torino, a side that had allowed 10 goals while managing only two goals in their previous five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in an ongoing feud with president Claudio Lotito.
A Season Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress unraveling, or was there ever a thread holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri to lead the team in the summer transfer window, but then he to later acknowledge that the club had omitted to inform him about a ban on new signings they were facing for fiscal problems. Rumours that he could resign were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "deceived" him.
Lazio were just as chaotic on the pitch as they were off it, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their first five games, which included the capital clash. At any given moment, it has been hard to determine if they are improving or collapsing.
Matteo's Unexpected Comeback
At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri was not even supposed to remain with Lazio this season. He was on the previous campaign with Parma on loan and, during the summer break, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there temporarily. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. They were unable to thin their squad without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived in the first place under Sarri's first spell, then a 20-year-old product of Verona's academy. He recorded 20 league appearances with the club in that campaign, almost all of those from the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, whose tenure ended at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri would be a star only to bench him consistently."
Uncovering His Natural Fit
Perhaps the manager was persistently working to determine the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Originally described as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn