Lazio look to build on their 2014/15 success but the Serie A landscape has changed drastically while they have stayed the same.
Last season was a tumultuous one for Lazio. Entering the campaign there was significant criticism of the selection Stefano Pioli to manage the team as he was coming from a relegated Bologna side. Thankfully Pioli had much more support in the transfer market at Lazio where the team closed the mercato early but was efficient in their purchases.
They identified players both domestically and abroad that filled significant roles within the roster. Marco Parolo and Lucas Biglia were brought in to anchor the midfield while defensively Lazio secured one of the top performers in the 2014 World Cup, Stefan de Vrij, to anchor the rebuilt defense.
During his first season as manager Stefano Pioli struggled to find success until Felipe Anderson hit his stride. The Brazilian was arguably the best player in the Serie A during a two-month stretch that saw Lazio climb up the standings all the way to second place. The team eventually finished in 3rd place, just one point behind eternal rivals Roma but not without a struggle in the final game of the season against Napoli.
Summer Transfers – Who’s in, who’s out
The focal point of Lazio’s mercato has not been the acquisitions but instead the lack of departures. The team did not lose a single core player from last season.
The lack of sales caused the team to focus on adding depth but without breaking the bank. Lazio continued to do their shopping in the Netherlands by signing the highly touted Ajax winger Ricardo Kishna for €4M. To go along with Kishna the team picked up former AZ defender Wesley Hoedt on a free transfer.
Lazio are hoping that lightning strikes twice in the form of Barcelona product Patric who like Keita before him joined the team for free. The team also rolled the dice on extremely talented but troubled Englishman Ravel Morrison. The former West Ham man was once regarded as the top prospect in the Manchester United system however his off the field antics has caused him to bounce around England. It is yet to be seen if a change of scenery will bring a new attitude for Morrison.
There was a power struggle between Lazio and Fiorentina for Genk starlet Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The talented Serb was a standout performer in the U-20 World Cup and seemed destined for Florence however he had a change of heart and told his handlers that he wanted to come to Lazio. Milinkovic-Savic was the team’s most expensive signing, requiring a €9M fee.
Lazio’s mercato is still incomplete. With the recent injuries to both Djordevic and Klose the team is severely lacking a striker. They have converted Keita to that position and he proved himself scoring in the first leg of the Champions League Play-off however he is a short-term solution to a long time problem. Look for Lazio to make another addition prior to the window closing to fortify the attack.
Looking ahead to 2015-16
The campaign started poorly for Lazio as they lost all their pre-season games and then were shut out in the Italian SuperCoppa where they looked flat and were unable to mount any sort of an attack against Juventus. This all changed on August 18th when they took on Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League Play-off. The team struggled at times however were able to win 1-0. The win was important as the team looked dangerous going forward and regained confidence going into the domestic campaign.
The capital club will have to deal with teams above and below them that have undergone significant lineup reconstruction. Couple that with the possibility of playing in 3 tournaments Lazio manager Pioli will need to be selective with how to manage his roster.
An advantage of retaining core players is that Lazio will have a team chemistry that others will be missing to start the season. This should allow Lazio to get off to a hot start and provide some wiggle room in balancing tournaments. Something else to consider is the schedule. Lazio do not face a top 4 opponent from year prior until week 4 against Napoli. If Pioli wanted to integrate a new player or two into the starting XI this gives them ample time to acclimate to the line up against weaker opponents.
Here’s how the biancocelesti could line up this season: (4-3-3) GK – Marchetti LB: Radu CB: De Vrij, CB: Mauricio, RB: Basta, CM: Parolo, CM: Biglia, CM: Cataldi; LW: Anderson, ST: Klose, RW: Candreva
Key Player To Watch: Felipe Anderson
Anderson was a surprise superstar last year in the Serie A and it will be vital to Lazio for the Brazilian to pick up where he left off. It seems as though Anderson is ready to take on a larger role with the team as he has elected to wear number 10, which is a significant responsibility.
We will see if Lotito made the right decision in declining the numerous bids for Anderson that could have been used to add a legitimate striker to take over after Klose calls it a career.
Predicted League Finish: 3rd
Predicted Coppa Italia Finish: Quarterfinals
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