Once again we play at the most hated and disliked hour for me. Saturday at 6 PM. We once again open the Serie A week.

When we lost to Bologna in the first leg, that was one fo the most unexpected defeats for me, especially with such a large margin. Let me remind you that we were 3-0 down before half an hour had past. Also, Bologna were bottom of the table and we served as a team to bouce back.

Today, we meet Bologna after our last week win against Lecce and that gives me a dose of optimism. Bologna has so many ex-Lazio players and they will be eager to show to our management and us fans that we were wrong to offload them.

With regards to our team that will face Bologna today, it will be the same as the team that beat Lecce last week. There were writing in the papers that Delio Rossi finally found the right balance in attack when he fielded Foggia – Zarate and Pandev. Also, the come back of Matuzalem and his partnership with Ledesma gives some optimism. At the end, I really hope we continue with another win.

Probables

Lazio (4-4-2): Muslera; Lichtsteiner, Siviglia, Cribari, Kolarov ; Brocchi, Ledesma, Matuzalem, Foggia ; Zarate, Pandev. Carrizo, Rozehnal, Radu, De Silvestri, Dabo, Mauri, Rocchi.A disposizione: Coach: Rossi

Bologna (4-5-1): Antonioli; Belleri, Britos, Terzi, Lanna ; Valiani , Mingazzini, Volpi, Mudingayi, Bombardini; Di Vaio. A disposizione: Colombo, Zenoni, Mutarelli, Coelho, Amoroso, Bernacci, Marazzina.
Coach: Mihajlovic

I had no intention to post anything today as I am very busy at work and also, have many other things to do.
However, what strikes me is the following: the stubbornness by team president Claudio Lotito in defending our coach Delio Rossi !
To me it became clear after 5-6 match days that Rossi is no longer a coach that Lazio needs. Our ambitions have increased, we have better players and Serie A competition has also increased. As a consequence, we should have thanked him for the years spent with us and wished him all the best.
Now what happens: even after this horrible run of form and results, not only Lotito failed to warn him, but what is more he consistently defends him even saying that “….Rossi is the future of Lazio”.
I don`t know what to say. I remain with hope that we enter the next season with a new coach. My favorites would be Donadoni and current Cagliari coach, who has transformed a relegation team to a UEFA Cup contender.

I did not manage to watch the match, like the majority of Lazio fans. However, I am glad to do that as long as we win. There was a funny live stream by a guy at Justin.tv. At one point, he even showed his arse (hhahahaha).

Never mind, since I did not watch the match and I can not comment, I will post the match comment from Channel 4, in hope that I will be able to watch Lazio – Bologna and write my own thoughts. Let me just say that Delio Rossi started with the following line up: Muslera, Lichsteiner, Cribari, Siviglia, Kolarov; Brocchi, Ledesma, Matuzalem; Foggia, Zarate, Pandev.

Lecce hit the woodwork three times, but Lazio emerged with the points thanks to Pasquale Foggia and an Aleksandr Kolarov blockbuster.

Delio Rossi returned to face his former club and both were under pressure to get points. Lecce had lost two on the trot and were in 17th place, while Lazio plummeted down the standings after one point from five. Simone Del Nero, Mourad Meghni and Stefano Mauri were missing for the visitors, while Ndiaye Papa Waigo and Javier Castillo made up Lecce’s injury list.

The Aquile’s last win at the Via del Mare was in 2003-04 and they faced former Lazio defender Guglielmo Stendardo.

After just 18 seconds Lecce hit the post! Fabio Caserta threaded a through ball in for Daniele Cacia, whose angled drive thumped the base of the upright.

Lazio responded seven minutes later with Mauro Zarate smacking a drive from the edge of the box on to the crossbar with Francesco Benussi beaten.

The goal was in the air and Pasquale Foggia broke the deadlock with a bit of luck. The cross came in from the right and his volley from the edge of the box was impressive, but ultimately beat the goalkeeper thanks to a deflection off ex-Lazio defender Stendardo.

Goran Pandev put the ball in the back of the net from Cristian Brocchi’s cross as the ball ricocheted around the box, but it was disallowed for an offside position. However, replays show Pandev was behind the line of the ball and therefore the goal should have been valid.

Simone Tiribocchi managed to spin between three defenders just inside the area, but his angled drive clipped the base of the upright, as Lecce hit the woodwork for the second time,

Zarate’s first touch let him down, allowing Benussi to smother, while the Argentine also cut back from the byline to flash across the face of goal.

Nestor Muslera punched away Luca Ariatti’s left-foot effort, but Lazio doubled their lead straight after the restart.

Aleksandr Kolarov did it all by himself, cutting in from the left and smashing a fantastic strike across the face of goal into the far top corner from a tight angle.

Lecce were still in it, though, as Cacia got in front of Sebastiano Siviglia to nod on to the side-netting and Ariatti’s strike was charged down.

Both goalkeepers impressed late on, as Muslera anticipated Stendardo from point-blank range and Benussi parried Foggia’s counter-attack.

The Salentini were very unlucky, as late on Ariatti’s thunderbolt from 20 metres cracked against the frame of the goal for the third time.

Like I mentioned in my  last post, I no longer know what to expect from this Lazio team.

In this new year 2009, everything seems to go wrong. We can no longer create nor score. Like the majority of you, dear Lazio fans, I am totally devestated. We expected much more this season, in comparison to the last one which was a flop.

I really hope we manage somehow to grab a win against Lecce, though it will be quite difficult.

With regards to the line ups, it appears as Ledesma will make it and I am eager to see him alongside a healthy Matuzalem in the middle of the park.

I will post another one tomorrow with the latest regarding probable line ups. Until then, be safe and try to remain optimistic.

Dear Lazio Fans and all readers of this blog.

First of all I would like to appologize for being abscent for far too much. I will explain what happened very shortly. I have been enrolled for a Master`s programme in a EU country. In order to go there, I needed a visa and also a favorable ticket, in terms of price. This, as well as my daily duties and family made me have very little time to write about anything.

On my way to that EU country, I had arranged to go and see at Stadio Olimpico Lazio – Milan. But guess what, my flight was canceled and I only reached in Rome at 22;30, when the match was over. I was planning to write a special article on that match, but it just wasn`t to be.

However, considering the recent misserable form of our team, I doubt I would have something to say even if I had the time. The way Lazio played (save for Fiorentina match) needed little words. Given the fact that I am too busy now with my job and studying and in order not to close this blog, I will soon make an announcement and call for contributors. But I will do that on a seperate post.

So, forgive me for not writing and hope to start writing again.

I have received messages requesting from me not to write about yesterday`s match we lost to Cagliari. And I am ready to comply with such a request, because there is little one can say about that awkward match.

First and foremost, I want the entire defense that started yesterday to sit on the bench for the next few games. Especially Carrizo, who appears to be over-confident, while his capabilities are certainly not Buffon`s or other goalies who play in the elite. While we were excited to see Diakite develop (and me supporting him publicaly via this blog), I am afraid I have to say that he is not what I was thinkg he might become. This guy is average defender at best. We were ready to forgive his fatal mistake against Inter and than against Reggina, but yesterday, it became clear that he is unable to defend low balls and guard smaller forwards. With regards to Rozenhal, he has also proven that he is not as consistent as one central defender needs to be. He either prefers to team with Cribari or Siviglia or something must be wrong with him. We need him to be more confident and stable. About Kolarov, he is the most brainles player to ever play for us. It is a pitty to see such a powerfull left foot and overall amazing body defend so poorly and generaly read the game so weak. I said it from the beginning that he is no Lazio material. If he was good, he would have played for Partizan Belgrade or Stella Rosa (like all Serbia footballers do) before making an international move to Serie A. About Lichsteiner, he has lost the initial pace and focus he had, which impressed all of us. He also needs more defensive lessons. When Delio Rossi decides to field a formation with 3 forwards + Mauri, than De Silvestri should play I think. He is better defensively.

Based on all that I`ve said, it became obvious I guess that we need to sign an authoritative central defender these days. Just bring in Ayala and team him up with Siviglia and oponents will get scared away.

Today at 3 PM we face Cagliari at Olimpico.

Radu, who was suposed to play failed to recover from a minor injury, so Delio Rossi will obviously field Kolarov. The same goes for Mourad Meghni, who will be replaced by Stafano Mauri, to whom I wish to repeat his performance against Torino on Thursady. The other line up is anticipated.

Carrizo: Lichsteiner, Diakite, Rozenhal, Kolarov; Brocchi, Ledesma, Mauri; Zarate, Pandev, Rocchi.

Our players must win this one as by doing so we will overtake at least Fiorentina, who suffered third consecutive defeat. Also, if Napoli draws or loses to rioma, we may overtake them as well.

I usually don`t like to watch Coppa Italia matches, even when Lazio plays. However, last night I had decided to watch the match against Toro and I did not regret to say the least. I was surprised to see Ledesma, Rocchi, Zarate, starting as I expected them to rest. That meant that Delio Rossi took this match seriously, as he should.

The first half was what Lazio often displayed this season.  A pale dominance on the ball without making any serious chance to score. And of course, a small miss-calculation of Muslera in stretching caused the Toro goal, scored by their defender Natale.

And then in the second half, we see a totally different Lazio, fully determined to change the flow of the match. Pandev enters for injured Foggia (someone stepped on his hand) who scored after a fine pass delivered by Mauri. The latter than scores one of the best goals of the season. A strong left-footed shot from 20 meters. And again the usual Lazio: after the lead the players stop the pace. However, Torino could not score and when the match was coming to an end, Tommy Rocchi fired a shot from 17 meters which ends behind Calderoni`s back.

Man of the match: the much criticized Stefano Mauri. For the pass that lead to Pandev`s goal, for his own goal as well as for his involvement.

Through its web page, Chievo Verona just announced to have signed on loan our forward Stephan Makinwa. You can read here the official announcement.

With the arrival of Zarate and Simone Inzaghi scoring 2 important goals for us, Makinwa became out of favor and lost that status as Delio Rossi`s option for our attack.

Tonight we play Torino for the third quarter final match of the Coppa Italia. Sampdoria beat Udinese 4-1 after penalties while Inter last night kick out rioma 2-1. The fourth match is between Napoli and Juve, to take place on 4 Feb.

Delio Rossi is most probably making some changes. Muslera, De Silvestri, Siviglia, Kolarov, Matuzalem, Foggia are expected to receive rare starts, while the liked of Ledesma, Pandev, Diakite, Rozenhal, Radu and Carrizo will most probably sit on the bench or not be called at all. First it was thought that Makinwa would start the match, but it appears he will be a Chievo player by tomorrow.

What else to say, it would be good to pass this round and than make a run at the Coppa title. It would be nice to have a piece of silverware after a long time has passed.