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The feeling at the Stadio Olimpico was anything but joyful on Saturday afternoon. The home side was losing against Torino, a side that had allowed a total of 10 goals while managing only two goals in their most recent five league matches. Ultras from the Curva Nord were wrapping up their ongoing dissent in a long-running conflict with president Claudio Lotito.

A Season Coming Unstitched?

Was the team's progress coming unstitched, or did there exist any cohesion keeping it intact from the beginning? Lazio reinstated Maurizio Sarri as head coach this summer, before he admitted that the board had failed to disclose a ban on new signings they were about to receive for financial irregularities. Speculation that he might quit were not true, but he did say that Lotito had "deceived" him.

The Roman club became as messy in their performances as behind the scenes, beating Verona 4-0 and Genoa 3-0 but losing the rest of their opening fixtures, including the Rome derby. Throughout this period, it's been difficult to tell if they are improving or imploding.

The Youngster's Unexpected Comeback

A single player continued to smile through it. Matteo Cancellieri wasn't originally meant to remain with Lazio this year. He spent last season on loan at Parma and, at the start of the off-season, his parent club were pushing for him to stay there a while longer. The transfer ban led to a change of plans. Lazio could not afford to weaken their team without replacements.

He signed in the first place when Sarri was last in charge, back then just 20 years old alumnus of Verona's academy. He made 20 matches in the league in Lazio colors in that campaign, all but one of those as a substitute. Their former sporting director, Igli Tare, who left at the end of that season, subsequently claimed Sarri of "informing all Cancellieri was destined for stardom then never playing him."

Finding His True Position

Perhaps the manager was still trying to determine the exact type of his skill set. Originally described as a flank player when he joined, Cancellieri instead found himself most of that campaign as a struggling deputy to Ciro Immobile at No 9. Across 63 games on loan at Empoli and Parma during recent campaigns, he netted seven goals. Shoehorn