Reports from Formello suggest that Delio Rossi may well have to be without 2 more important players: Rozenhal (fevers) and Foggia (muscle injury). When you add to that Pandev and Siviglia, we enter this match with almost without half of our team.

As things stand for the moment, we may see the following formation:

Carrizo; Lichsteiner-Diakite-Cribari-Radu; Brocchi – Ledesma – Manfredini; Mauri; Rocchi and Zarate

What is important today is the fact that Delio Rossi will most probable return to 4-3-1-2 and it appears he finally listened to me. hehehe.

All right, let`s see what this match brings. Avanti ragazzi.

vs.   

After 2 weeks without a win, we travel to Bergamo to face Atalanta, who are always very dangerous at home. The latter team is having ups and downs so far this season, but I expect a tough encounter, as Del Neri`s teams always cause difficultys for us (see last season`s defeat 2-1).

As for the team that will face Atalanta, there are minor and expected changes. Ledesma returns to his position in the central midfield, accompanied by Brocchi and most probably Cristian Manfredini(!). If the latter starts, it will be Delio Rossi`s another surprise which would most probably translate into another weak performance by midfield. Since Pandev is having some difficulties this week, I expect him to rest this match, giving Foggia, Zarate and Rocchi the starting places. In defense, only Radu may step-in for Kolarov.

All in all, I don`t know what to expect from this match. This season, we have played consistently bad in the first 45 minutes, only to wake up after half-time. I really want Lazio to score early and then strike back on the counter attacks with Foggia and Zarate playing wider than usual. Also, I wish Rossi fields a classic 4-3-1-2 with Foggia a trequartista, rather than 4-3-2-1, which leaves Foggia and especially Zarate too far away from the oposition goal.

After this match, we face Inter at home and other strong teams like Juve, Palermo, Udinese, therefore a win would be much welcomed.

Quite a blog title a ? I was forced to write regarding this issue as it is all over the Italian and international sport web sites, including goal.com and channel4.

As usual, media had made this issue much bigger than it actually deserves to be. But journalists like these things when a player critisizes his coach/team or vice-versa.

Nevertheless, even though in principle I dislike when players go public speaking instead of resolving issue personally with the staff, this time I tend to sympathyze with our captain, as I think (and you could notice in my latest blog posts) that Delio Rossi is quite confused latetly as to his first team choices. Fact of the matter is that Rocchi was tipped to start from the beggining with Zarate and Foggia because Pandev had a mid-week match with his NT and was rightfully considered that he would be more tired. He was coming back only later Thursday and available for training only the next day. Meanwhile, Rocchi was in the training all the week and fully fit. So far so good, but on Saturday, Delio Rossi changes his mind and inserts Pandev into starting 11 leavig Rocchi on the bench! That is why I completely understand his outburst or an honest conversation with the media (call it as you wish).

I really hope such situations don`t repeat anymore cause instead of concentrating on matches, now the team is focused on this issue. Delio Rossi must have better ideas regarding what he wants. Rocchi has been our best striker in the last years and he is capable of scoring at any given chance. Therefore, I don`t mind if Zarate or Pandev have to sit to make room for him.

In what was another poor performance by our team, we hardly managed to grab a draw against Genoa. I can freely say we were the lucky side yesterday, as Genoa was denied a goal and Milito missed a penalty. On the other hand, we continue to walk in the pitch for 45 minutes, and play only the onle half of the match. Delio Rossi once again made a strange call with regards to the starting 11 by including a tired Pandev instead of Rocchi who was there all week and trained hard for this match.

The match was a bit awkward, with Lazio trying to do something in the first half, but achieing nothing except for a nice run and dribble by Meghni which ended with a nice shot but just wide. The second half was by far a better match (Rocchi replaced Pandev) but brought nothing in terms of concrete chances of scoring. It is not that Lazio did not have the initiative, but Genoa must be given credit as a well organized team and always dangerous. Gaby Milito is the best striker in Serie A this season for a reason. The latter missed a penalty, but moments later scored a terrific goal making the team forget his miss.

And as usual, it is only after we concede that we start to play. Chances kept coming but Genoa was tight in defense. And somewhere on the 77th minute, Ausmane Dabo stroke a bounced ball which Roubinho failed to grab properly and ended in the net. Then the team tried again but to no aveil. Draw was a more just result, considering Genoa missed a penalty and also a clear goal which was dissallowed to them.

  vs.          

After that derby defeat which was one of the hardest defeats for me to swallow for the reasons I provided in blog posts following the match, we face Genoa in our 4th straight math at Olimpico. Italian media report what I suggested yesterday: that Pandev will most probably start from the bench and Pasquale Foggia is expected to start alongside Rocchi and Zarate. In the middle, Dabo will replace Ledesma and will be accompanied by Brocchi and Meghni, who is preferred this time over Mauri who wasn`t that good in the derby. However, knowing our coach`s sympathy for Mauri, I won`t rule our his start once again. Kolarov will replaced suspended Radu on the left flank while in case Siviglia misses this match, Diakite is reported to start. All in all, I expect this line up:

Carrizo: Lichtsteiner, Rozenhal, Diakite, Kolarov; Brocchi-Ledesma-Meghni; Foggia, Zarate and Rocchi.

On the other hand, our defense faces quite a challenge from the best scorer in Serie A this season: Diego Milito, who is powerful and dangerous. In general, Genoa is having a positive season and I expect a tough match. A win would be very welcomed and would help the team to bounce back from derby defeat.

Delio Rossi calls for all of us to forget about the derby and concentrate on other upcoming matches. But somehow, I can`t do that. At least until the kick off against Genoa, this Sunday at 3 PM. Defeats or wins in derbies include just too much emotions to forget them easily. For instance, when we lost 5-1 in a derby few seasons ago, I suffered a trauma, I could not concetrate at work and my boss noticed that. I was devastated to say the least. It took me a week to get over it. The oposite happened the last season`s derby when Behrami scored in the last minute to clinch a win. I was just too happy for the whole week. Never mind, I guess you have had enough of it with me this week.

On other news, it appears that Siviglia got injured and could miss the Genoa clash. The same goes for Ledesma and Radu who will miss through suspensions. Also, Rossi is thinking of resting Pandev and playing with Foggia-Rocchi-Zarate upfront. It will also be interesting to see our midfield without Ledesma. Dabo is expected to replace him. Brocchi and Meghni may start as well in the middle of the park. And if Siviglia doen`t make it, Diakite may see some playing minutes.

In an interesting story at corrieredellosport.it, it says that Lazio is trying to sign Javier Mascherano from Liverpoo. According to the same papers, the contacts with his manager have already been established. However, given his salary demands, I doubt he would join us. If he was available, I think many clubs would be after him.

The fears that I expressed in my previous posts related to Delio Rossi starting with tridente became reality last night. Just like in the first half against Catania, tridente was unable to create let alone score.

Everyone who has watched Lazio this season could see that we lost the match because our coach tried to play offensive football while making attacking players play in the midfield. How stupid. It rarely happened to me that I get furious with coach like it happened last night, when I was totally pissed off with coach Rossi, who seems too much to rely on certain players/tactics knowing that such players/tactics proved wrong in earlier matches.

It was so painful to see Pandev last night, who had to play in the right wing and pick up balls in the middle of the pitch, thus became totally isolated. Something similar happened with Zarate as well. And when the latter two were isolated, Rocchi was in the same situation as well. Hence no threats for rioma defense at all.

Blaming players would be so unfair, as they tried and run and everything. But even the best soldiers in the world are doomed to lose the battle if they are commanded by a poor general. And that is what happened last night.

We had all prerequisites to win last night: better prepared players, in a better psychological condition, better standings, better offense and defense. And despite all these things going in our favor, we manage to lose.

I could go on all day writing, but I guess I have to stop now. I don`t want to see Delio Rossi`s face at least for a couple of days now. He pissed me off.

Latest reports from Formello indicate that Delio Rossi may include Stefano Mauri in midfield instead of Ausmane Dabo, who was initially supposed to start. With Mauri and tridente, the team would be too offensive oriented and they may catch us in the breaks.

Nevertheless, as both Udinese and Napoli lost today, a win in the derby would have a double impact: would send us third on the table just one point shy of Milan and 2 of Inter. We would surpsass Napoli and Juve. The other effect is that the win would send rioma third from bottom.

So, avanti ragazzi and give it a push tonight.

I apoligize for not writing earlier, but as I keep this blog only by my self, I sometimes find it difficult to update it as  I would have wanted.

Nevertheless, tomorrow we have one of the two most important matches in a season for us as Lazio fans: the derby against a club call roma, who happen to share the same city and football ground as we do.

I have been a Lazio fan for quite some time now and I frenkly don`t recall that we enter the first match of the season with already being 14 points ahead of them.

However, given their position in the standings, if we beat them it is sure that they will be in the bottom 3 teams that relegate and will be a massive knock down.

So far it appears that that Delio Rossi will go with tridente, for which I am not condident at all. I would like to see Pandev Zarate and if something goes wrong we field Tommy Rocchi in the second half. But, as usual coach has his own plans and I can only hope that they materialize, especially tomorrow night.

I will for sure write something more regarding line ups tomorrow. Until then, hold on your nerves and pray that we win.

Forza Lazio.

I was inspired to write this blog entry mainly for our new star Mauro Zarate who has started to gain recognition.

In an editorial at Goal.com regarding the Top 10 Serie A signins for the current seasons, Mauro Zarate tops the list, in front of the like of Milito, Amauri, Gilardino, Ronaldinho, Zambrotta etc etc.

Considering the strength of Serie A, as well players arriving each season, just being on this list represents quite an achievement. Let alone standing on spot no.1

The entire list and justifications can be found on this link.

Despite this, Zarate has been included on the team of the week for the last Serie A matchday. However, he is accompanied by our two other players: goalkeeper and his co-patriot JP Carrizo and Swiss newcomer Lichtsteiner. Serie A team of the week can be found here.

So, what else is left to say: avanti Mauro and all other players. The fact that you are getting inlcuded in such lists means that we are being watched carefully and more then any other seasons since post-Cragnotti era.