As Lazio move into the 9th game of the season things are not looking as they once did any hope of winning a scudetto have completely vanished and reality has sunk in as we begin to fight for what is achievable and fitting for our team... a uefa cup spot.

The last 3 games have been nothing but bitter to watch where either we played horribly and lost, or like the last game dominated most of the game and lost to an unlucky goal. Last season we seemed to have difficulty with the teams at the bottom of the player and hopefully that pattern doesn't follow us into this year as we tied Lecce and lost to Bologna who are both in the bottom 10. We now face Chievo sitting in relegation zone next  in hopes that we can gain some ground.

From the general fans perspective on the forum we can all agree that some players are not performing well yet keep getting 90 minutes of playing time. Siviglia, Mauri and Ledesma all getting torn by fans and ratings EVERY game. The last game Mauri (5.5) Siviglia (5) and Ledesma(6) rated by Goal.com were among the lowest (zarate recieved a 6 but not a patter for the newcomer). Its apparent that Rossi needs to make changes as the problem players are becoming more visible which hopefully becomes remedied soon.

I would have loved to lean back and pray but unfortunately i dont have time just like the players and coach..........the game is in two days, for my own part i can still pray but i hope they have put that game behind them and reay to hit chievo so hard now.

Fogga and Mauri will both miss the next two games for mouthing off at the ref. The resiult is that Rocchi will probably play on Wednesday.

I dont think i will miss mauri but it looks like the coach will...........i wish matu was fit and meghni if fit will always do better with games...........he is never fit and i think we should sell him.
Foggia we will surely miss, he gives us options alot going forward.

This game I really like to see de silvestri start. Lich is a good guy but he is more good in the att his defending is little bit weak. Maybe to put him as a winger???

I agree with you, easy game put some young guys. As far as the tactic I would like to see something like this+

                                      Carizzo
    De silvestri - Rozendhal     -  Cribari/sivilla  - Radu/kolarov

    Lichtenchtainer  -  Brocchi - Ledesma - Zarate


                Pandev  -  Rocchi

Like this our att will get more useful balls and Zarate will learn how to play with some passes. Plus like this I think we will be more deadly, power wings plus Pandev Rocchi old buddies SPLENDID 

Pancaro Sees Lazio Turnaround
Giuseppe Pancaro was pleased with his former side's performance against Napoli, despite their narrow defeat, and feels the Biancocelesti will soon return to winning ways.
The ex-Milan full-back played for the Rome outfit from 1997 to 2003 and ended his footballing career this summer after a troubled spell at Torino.

Lazio have been stuttering of late, after a phenomenal start to the season, and have picked up just one point in their last three games, losing away to Bologna ten days ago and surrendering to the Partenopei at the Olimpico last weekend.

"I think the Aquile deserved more from Sunday's meeting," Pancaro told Lalaziosiamonoi.it. "You cannot say they had a bad performance, as the Azzurri did not create many scoring chances and I feel a draw would have been a fairer result.

"Furthermore, I reckon that the Vesuviani should be careful, as I see too much enthusiasm and they should not be making false promises, because they were in Serie B just two seasons ago."

President Claudio Lotito has recently stated that his current side are almost equal to the successful Pancaro's team that won the Scudetto in 2000.

"I don't think you can make comparisons between the two teams," admitted the 37-year-old, "we made history, but this is just a good and entertaining side for the time being."

Coach Delio Rossi's troops march to Verona tomorrow to face Chievo, and the former Italy international feels it will be a tough encounter for the Romans.

"The Bentegodi is traditionally a difficult ground, and Lazio will need to be on full alert, but if they keep playing good football, they will soon restart amassing points," concluded the ex-Laziale.

/10/2008 13:48
Serie A Preview: Chievo - Lazio
What: Serie A, Matchday 9
Who: Chievo (18th place, 6pts) vs Lazio (7th place, 13pts)
When: Wednesday 29th October 2008, 20:30 CET
Where: Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi, Verona

Serie A strugglers Chievo host an unpredictable Lazio side at the Bentegodi stadium this Wednesday evening.  The game could prove to be a turning point for either clubs’ fortunes after having both recorded defeats at the weekend.

The Veronese side will want to maintain their decent home record where they have picked up points on all but one occasion, whilst the visitors will be keen to return to victory after a run of three games without a win and to prove that their early season form was not just a flash in the pan

Learning to Fly

Chievo have had an indifferent start to the season and are well aware that it will be a long and hard season in their search for Serie A survival.  The Flying Donkeys recently lost 2-0 away to relegation rivals Cagliari, a game in which they will surely see as a missed opportunity for failing to collect not even a point.

Alarmingly for Iachini’s men is the fact that they have not recorded a win since the opening day victory at home to fellow strugglers Reggina. Since then, they have failed to produce the kind of displays required to keep them in the top flight, notching up only three draws and four defeats.

The Gialloblu will take inspiration from having only lost once in Verona so far this season and with some careful analysis of how Lazio have performed in recent weeks, Iachini will inform his men that if they are can hold out for long enough, they have every chance to take something from the game.With a tough run of games ahead the Flying Donkeys must give everything they have in order not to risk falling away from the teams around them in the bottom third of the standings.

Lazio Lacking Consistency

After an extremely bright start to the season the Biancocelesti have found it increasingly difficult to put points on the board, they travel to Verona after two consecutive defeats to Bologna and Napoli.  Delio Rossi’s side were scoring for fun in the first five rounds of the season, but in recent weeks the well seems to have dried up and this has certainly contributed to their downturn in form.

The Biancocelesti also appear to have a few defensive issues and have not recorded a clean sheet since the 3-0 drubbing at home to Fiorentina over a month ago.The promising sign for the Biancocelesti is that they continue to create chances and this was evident even in defeat to Napoli.

Although this was the first game where they failed to find the net this season, Delio Rossi underlined after the game that his men took a positive approach from the first whistle, producing a much better performance than in the defeat away to Bologna a week earlier.

Lazio will only have all three points on their minds as they make the journey north but will be quick not to forget the stern tests sides of equivalent calibre, such as Lecce and Bologna, have provided for them this season. A victory is also vital if Lazio are to stay in touch with the leading pack in their quest for a return into Europe.

FORM GUIDE

Chievo

26 October: Cagliari 2-0 Chievo

19 October: Chievo 1-1 Atalanta

5 October: Chievo 0-2 Fiorentina

24 September: Chievo 1-1 Torino

21 September: Sampdoria 1-1 Chievo

Lazio

26 October: Lazio 0-1 Napoli

19 October: Bologna 3-1 Lazio

5 October: Lazio 1-1 Lecce

1 October: Lazio 2-0 Atalanta (Coppa Italia)

28 September: Torino 1-3 Lazio

TEAM NEWS

Chievo

Giuseppe Iachini has been rather fortunate so far this season with injuries but he will have to do without the experience of Vincenzo Italiano in the middle after he picked up a knock away to Cagliari. Antonio Langella is still a doubt after missing the Cagliari game through injury.However, fortunately for Iachini, Chievo are suspension free.

Probable Starting XI: Sorrentino – Frey, Mandelli, Yepes, Mantovani –Marcolini, Bentivoglio, D’Anna, Pinzi – Esposito, Pellisier

Lazio

Delio Rossi will have to be creative as he deals with a long list of injured players against Chievo including Simone Del Nero, Fabio Firmani, Mourad Meghni, Francelino Matuzalem and Emilson Cribari.

There is a small glimmer of hope for the return of Tommaso Rocchi to the Lazio bench after his absence against Napoli due to a muscle strain; however he is still not fully recovered.What is more frustrating however for the Lazio tactician is the news that the creative pair of Stefano Mauri and Pasquale Foggia will both miss the game after both being handed two match suspensions for insulting referee Banti after the defeat to Napoli.

Probable Starting XI: Carizzo – Lichtsteiner, Rozenhal, Siviglia, Kolarov – Brocchi, Dabo, Ledesma  – Zarate, Pandev, Inzaghi

PLAYERS TO WATCH

If the Gialloblu are to start notching up some more points they will have to start finding the net on more occasions as 5 goals in 8 matches is not enough if they wish to fight off the threat of relegation.

Star striker Sergio Pellissier is yet to find the net this season, but with his proven track record it is only a matter of time before he is firing again, and the Frenchman will be highly motivated to open his account against a Lazio side that have a few defensive frailties.

Lazio forward Mauro Zarate was very lively in the defeat to Napoli although he failed to find the net.  After having been inspirational for the Biancocelesti in the early rounds he will be keen to get back to his scoring ways after three consecutive games without a goal.

PREDICTION
Chievo will take heart from the fact that Lazio find it difficult to break their opposition down when they get numbers behind the ball.  Should they manage to keep organised at the back it would a huge achievement if Iachini’s men could record another home draw. Lazio on the other hand will be intent on getting an early goal, and there may be no way back for the home side if everything goes to plan for the Biancocelesti.

Chievo 0-2 Lazio