Although Inter have had a positive start to the season, Richard Hall highlights where Simone Inzaghi’s side needs to improve to go to the next level.
Inter secured an important win against what could have been a very ‘Inter looking’ banana skin. The game against Sheriff in the Champions League was never going to be an easy one. The discipline and guile of the Moldovans had already seen them breeze through the group stage with a magnificent win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Despite the relief in the black and blue camp, there are still issues that need addressing. The loss to Lazio exposed these and they will have to work on these problems before the Derby D’Italia this weekend. The team are developing nicely under Simone Inzaghi but he knows the process will be a long one.
Clinical finishing isn’t something that has only affected Inzaghi, far from it. In fact, this was a constant frustration for Antonio Conte. The former Inter coach bemoaned his squad as they played attacking and powerful games but often didn’t take enough of their many chances.
Inter are suffering this again this campaign and yet that sounds bizarre as they are the league’s top scorers with 23 goals. Only Napoli come close with 19 goals to their name. Admittedly, in the Champions League, they have floundered but they have had the opportunity in Serie A. Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez sit joint second and the latter joint fourth in the goal-scoring charts but this still doesn’t mean that this is good enough. Inter do concede a lot of possession, so these figures need to be lifted, even Dzeko himself admitted after the Champions League game against Sheriff, that he is capable of scoring superb goals but misses too many easy chances.
Technical mistakes against teams sitting deep are also something gleaned from the Sheriff game and something that Inzaghi gets frustrated about. He made his feelings clear that one thing he hates most is Inter being caught in possession. Much of Serie A will do this to the champions and he cannot tolerate being hit unnecessarily on the counter-attack.
This is still something that resonates from the Conte era. Sitting back and allowing teams to come onto them just so they could strike back with pace. This worked in Serie A, but it is a disastrous method in Europe, especially against elite teams who can keep the ball. Just like when Max Allegri took over from Conte at Juventus, Inzaghi has to come up with a plan B that is very different.
Perhaps, Inter would not have these problems in such a way had they not been missing their creative spark in Christian Eriksen. Once Conte reneged last season and allowed the Dane to play, Inter found a plan B, no, they fell onto a plan B. Irrelevant to how and why this occurred, it worked and the Nerazzurri found themselves able to break down opponents as the creative magic from Eriksen, both from delivery on set pieces and his outrageous range of passing, unlocked teams who sat deep and he helped them keep possession with more frequency and confidence. Nobody can replace him and it seems as though Serie A legislation will see him not feature again for Inter.
One thing that has been a constant for Inter is that they have consistently shown that the club offers a lack of opportunities for younger players. After an impressive pre-season, the explosive Uruguayan striker Martin Satriano hasn’t seen any action and the likes of Sebastiano Esposito, Darian Males, Lorenzo Pirola, Eddie Salcedo, Andrea Pinamonti and the excellent Lucien Agoume have all been loaned out.
This article wasn’t supposed to get into Inter’s financial state. There have been so many of these but under the circumstances, this feels like an opportunity wasted. Yes, Arturo Vidal and Alexis Sanchez still push on but is this forward planning?
Inzaghi is doing an incredible job at Inter and his style of management and demeanour are appealing to many as he plays good football and is a gentleman. Inter have a bright future with him, but they are not without their problems. One can almost feel sorry for Inzaghi. He could solve the issues mentioned above had the investment been there to help, but alas, it is not. Now he has to address this with what he has and that is the difficulty between keeping competitive and going to the next level.
Good article! “Economically” was my first thought after reading the title. It does seem unfair that Inter are being penalised, when it’s not for mismanagement, but for FFP, Covid + for something which happened in China, while the EPL’s big boys can buy whatever they want! It’s not an un-level playing field. It’s an Intergalactic gap of light-years. Italian football is criminally undervalued atm, with all due respect to a club like Leicester City, they aren’t a more popular club than Inter worldwide but I bet they earn + probably spend far more, despite Inter being in the UCL! How can Inter progress when they’ve been forced to sell some of their best talents?
In the long run (joint)ownership of a new stadium would benefit. I love San Siro. I so wish they could find a way to upgrade it. But they need to find a solution somehow. Those young players not been given a shot does seem to be a bit of a missed opportunity too. They could be learning from the likes of Vidal + Sanchez. Look at how Bastoni was a revelation. The plusses are, they did well in the market to “strengthen” + after Conte the players seem to be adjusting to Inzaghi’s similar 3-5-2 system OK. Now I think his goal is to make them braver + to impose themselves on the opposition a bit more. They do look a bit open at the back, especially on counter-attack’s, but it’s necessary atm if they want to change their style slightly. Calhanoglu can play a creative role, as can Correa further forward, I think Sensi can help in that respect too. Then it is just about taking the chances, Lautaro needs to step-up. Inzaghi has the same strong defenders too, even if Handa is slowing down a bit now, so as the new guys get used to each other’s movements more + Inter learn how to move better as a team unit, then I’m sure they’ll tighten up at the back too.
Where they can improve? CHAMPIONS LEAGUE! Do you know that Inter currently has the Italian record as the only team from Italy that has failed to pass the champions League group stage 3 years in a row ? did you know that this record is still current so if they do not pass the Champions League group stage they will extend it as the only team from Italy that has failed to pass the champions League group stage 4 years in a row!
But if Inter repeats last year’s performance they will set a new italian record: “the first italian team in POT A to ever finish last”
and i suppose failing to pass the Champions League group stage where the group was so weak that even 2 games would get you through with Hakimi, Eriksen, Lukaku and Conte makes money the problem? the problem is that Inter Jersey – once you put it on you suck in Champions League – that’s all there is to it !
Do you know that RuBenturds currently hold the record as the team which choked the most times in UCL finals? Yes, 7 fumbles in the finals and 1 Serie B title to make up for it! Amazing!
I made the point after the Fiorentina game, when Inter were being praised, that it’s too soon and they can only be considered title contenders if they can make it out of the 3 games against Atalanta, Lazio and Juve with a minimum 5 points. Only 2 points from all 3 games, which included 2 home fixtures would indicate that even a top 4 finish is not a foregone conclusion.