The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had conceded 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Fans from the Curva Nord were concluding their most recent demonstration in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.
The Campaign Falling Apart?
Was the team's progress falling apart, or had there never been a binding element holding it together from the beginning? They reappointed Maurizio Sarri as head coach in the summer transfer window, only for him to later acknowledge that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Rumours that he could resign were unfounded, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.
The Roman club became as messy on the pitch as behind the scenes, defeating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing their other first five games, featuring the derby della Capitale. From one game to the next, it has been hard to ascertain if they are improving or self-destructing.
The Youngster's Surprising Presence
At least one man kept smiling amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri had not been expected to remain with Lazio this year. He spent the last one at Parma as a loanee and, early this summer, Lazio were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The signing restriction necessitated a reconsideration. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.
Cancellieri arrived initially under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He accumulated 20 league appearances in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those coming off the bench. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left following that term, subsequently claimed Sarri of "promising everyone Cancellieri was destined for stardom only to bench him consistently."
Discovering His True Position
It's possible the coach was continuing to attempt to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Labeled as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri instead found himself the majority of that term as an unconvincing alternative to Ciro Immobile as center forward. During 63 outings on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he scored seven times. Shoehorn
