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The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was decidedly gloomy this past Saturday. Lazio were trailing against Torino, an opponent that had allowed 10 goals while scoring only two in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their latest protest in a long-running conflict with club owner Claudio Lotito.

This Year's Efforts Falling Apart?

Had their campaign coming unstitched, or did there exist a binding element maintaining its structure to start with? The club brought back Maurizio Sarri to lead the team during the off-season, before he to later acknowledge that the management had not mentioned a registration embargo they were facing for accounting issues. Speculation that his departure was imminent were without basis, but he acknowledged that Lotito had "misled" him.

The Biancocelesti became as messy during matches as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but being defeated in the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. From one game to the next, it's been difficult to tell if progress is being made or imploding.

Cancellieri's Unforeseen Presence

At least one man continued to smile amid the chaos. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to feature for Lazio this year. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, Lazio were pushing for him to extend his stay a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to reduce their roster without replacements.

He joined originally under Sarri's first spell, back then just 20 years old product of Verona's academy. He made 20 Serie A appearances with the club in that campaign, the vast majority of those as a substitute. The ex- sporting director, Igli Tare, who departed after that campaign, subsequently claimed Sarri of "telling everyone Cancellieri had superstar potential only to bench him consistently."

Uncovering His Best Role

Perhaps the manager was persistently working to identify the specific characteristics of the player's talent. Billed as a flank player on arrival, Cancellieri nevertheless spent the majority of that term as an ineffective backup to Ciro Immobile in the striker role. Across 63 games during spells with Empoli and Parma over the last two seasons, his tally was seven goals. Shoehorn