Lazio did well this year. A second place and qualification in Champions League was probably the maximum the team could have achieved, though for some fans the glass will always be half empty.
To note is that Lazio have only come second three times before, 1936-37, 1994-95 and 1998-99, so this year’s result is a positive rarity in Lazio's history.
What worked
Defence: 21 clean sheets, enough said. What a difference compared to last year and this difference is certainly due to the change of players, more suitable for Maurizio Sarri.
Luis Alberto and Felipe Anderson: A big leap forward for them that helped the team considerably especially since Lazio really missed Ciro Immobile due to injury and Sergej Milinkovi-Savic who did not play well.
Maurizio Sarri: Our leader on the bench and off the pitch.
What did not work so well
Black outs: Less than last year but still inconceivable for a team that has ambition. Lazio need players with strong personalities who can keep the team together in difficult moments.
Ciro Immobile: Loads of injuries hindered his year and therefore Lazio scored less. Not his fault nor Lazio’s but the lack of a valid alternative meant that Felipe Anderson had to be adapted as centre forward and Pedro had to play more, meaning that they were less effective than they could have been.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic: Should I stay or should I go? This may have been a factor in his under par post world cup performances. He just has to decide what to do. Once the decision is made he will surely go back to playing as before the World Cup break.
Little depth in the squad: Lazio are an excellent team but have, de facto, 14-15 players. If you want to be competitive, you need greater depth.
Team final ratings
Ivan Provedel 8
Voted best Serie A goalkeeper and quite rightly so. A safe pair of hands and a step up compared to the recent goalkeepers we’ve had.
Luis Maximiano, unrateable
His season lasted 6 minutes. His sending off against Bologna in the first game opened the doors to Provedel and he stayed on the bench for most of the season. He obviously needs playing time and perhaps sending him on loan somewhere could be wise.
Adam Marusic 7.5
Left back or right back it’s the same. Another good year for Adam. His confronting the Roma players alone at the end of the second derby was typically Laziale and he has certainly become a fan.
Elseid Hysaj 7.5
His best year in Italian football. He may not be one of Santos' Djalma and Nilton, the best right and left back of all time, but he put in a lot of quality and exiled Manuel Lazzari to the bench.
Manuel Lazzari 6
He started off very well but then lost himself and never came back. He has enormous potential but cannot cross a ball and as a consequence is never able to give that added value that he is capable of. Perhaps it is time to go.
Luca Pellegrini, unrateable
He arrived in the winter transfer window but did not play enough to reach a rating though he did show quality and is a lifelong Lazio fan which helps. In the last game at Empoli he showed what he could do for the team and deserves to stay.
Mario Gila 7
A surprise. He did not get much playing time once the Alessio Romagnoli-Nicolò Casale duo took charge of the defence, but he showed some good qualities. A very valid alternative.
Patrick 7
With the departure of Stefan Radu, Patrick is now the longest serving Laziale. He is the player who has improved most over the years and remains the first defender to send in if one of the central duo has a problem. Reliable.
Nicolò Casale 8
One of the best defenders in Serie A (even if Roberto Mancini prefers Francesco Acerbi, Leonardo Bonucci and Rafaele Toloi for reasons beyond comprehension). Great year for him.
Alessio Romagnoli 8.5
The added value of the season. Calm, always knows what to do at the right time, Alessio' departure is probably one of the reasons Milan did not perform as well this year. He has given a lot of quality to the defence and allowed the others to perform at their maximum level.
Radu 9 (on principle)
Did not play much, but what else is there to say. The Boss is one of us and will be missed.
Danilo Cataldi 7
Another reliable player who has blossomed under Sarri. An excellent year, despite a few games not up to par.
Matias Vecino 6,5 (half a point less for those goals he missed)
Vecino was signed to be a valid midfield alternative and he has been exactly that all year. He missed a lot of goals in some matches that even a child could have scored, but then was decisive in many others.
Marcos Antonio, unrateable
One can see that there is potential but Marcos Antonio did not play enough, through no fault of his own. The games against Milan and Lecce clearly showed that you can’t have a midfield made up of him, Luis Alberto plus Milinkovic-Savic. Perhaps he too needs more playing time elsewhere.
Toma Basic 6
Did not prove to Sarri that he could be a good alternative at midfield. He is the player that in Campionato was the prime substitute in all cases and as a consequence did not get many starts. When he did come in he never really gave the impression of being a valid and reliable alternative.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic 7 (average 8 first half, 6 second half)
Excellent until the World Cup break, not good after. It is well known that the World Cup saps strength and this is what happened to the Sergeant. But he still managed to score some very important goals.
Luis Alberto 8.5
When Luis Alberto started to train like Sarri has always asked him to, the Magician took Lazio up a notch. He is one of the star players to thank for the second place.
Pedro 7
Always reliable though at times one can see why Felipe Anderson is better on the wing. Capable of changing the game in a second but can no longer provide a defensive contribution.
Felipe Anderson 8.5
Another of the protagonists of the season. Reliable everywhere, left wing, right wing, centre forward, goals and assists, in defence. He should shoot more from outside the box, but I’ve been shouting at him for that reason his entire career. Another Sarri miracle.
Matteo Zaccagni 8.5
Fantastic season for Matteo. Goals, assists, most fouled player in Serie A, a thorn in the side of every opposition. He certainly has improved and still has room to do even better.
Immobile 7 (but not his fault)
He’s had more injuries this year than in his whole career put together. He did what he could and is always our King.
Matteo Cancellieri 6
At the beginning everybody thought he could be a useful alternative on the wing or even for Immobile. It turned out he could do neither. Mind you, if you don’t allow players to start in the first 11, if not very occasionally, it is difficult to show your skills. But he has a timid approach and maybe should play elsewhere, even on loan.
Luka Romero 6
He is young, has great potential, needs playing time, and is leaving because his agent wants 5 million to renew his contract. We will remember him particularly for his goal against Monza
Maurizio Sarri 8
At times I still have the feeling that Sarri’s Lazio resembles Zeman’s but this year we did very well and he has been our commander in chief. He defended the players, fans, club, he says what he feels and is the complete opposite of José Mourinho. The team has improved immensely and the outlook for the future can only be optimistic.
Other statistics
Most minutes played overall: Ivan Provedel, 4361
Most minutes played Serie A: Provedel, 3687
Most appearances all season: Felipe Anderson, 50
Most appearances Serie A: Felipe Anderson & Provedel, 38
Best goal scorer overall: Ciro Immobile, 14
Best goal scorer Serie A: Immobile, 12
More assists overall: Luis Alberto & Mattia Zaccagni, 9
More assists Serie A: Luis Alberto & Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, 8
Most substituted player overall: Danilo Cataldi, 27
Most substituted player Serie A: Cataldi, 23
Most sub ins overall: Matteo Cancellieri, 26
Most sub ins Serie A: Toma Basic, 21
Most booked player overall: Zaccagni, 13
Most booked player Serie A: Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, 10