Inter Coach Luciano Spalletti believes “I have a perfect squad” and promises “we’ll show you”.
The Tuscan tactician joined the Nerazzurri this summer after his Roma contract expired, and despite a quiet transfer window he’s more than happy with the players at his disposal.
“We expected a different transfer market it’s true,” Spalletti confessed in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I was convinced I could cook with certain ingredients. Now though I’m 100 per cent satisfied.
Inter Coach Luciano Spalletti believes “I have a perfect squad” and promises “we’ll show you”.
The Tuscan tactician joined the Nerazzurri this summer after his Roma contract expired, and despite a quiet transfer window he’s more than happy with the players at his disposal.
“We expected a different transfer market it’s true,” Spalletti confessed in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I was convinced I could cook with certain ingredients. Now though I’m 100 per cent satisfied.
“When I said at Riscone that promises had been made and I’d speak out if they weren’t kept the transfer window wasn’t over and above all I still didn’t know all the players.
“The quality of the lads is very high, I’ve found them to be available, motivated, and true professionals.
“Being a professional means having expertise and passion for what you do, and 55-60,000 people will come to the stadium on Sunday because they’re convinced by what the lads have done so far.
“Players aren’t just cars and money, if they were like that we’d throw them out. But sometimes people confuse fragility for indifference.
“We’re starting 29 points down on Juve, 25 on Roma and 24 on Napoli, so we need seven or eight more wins in the league [than last season].
“Everyone has to improve but I have a perfect squad, and we’ll show you. We signed people who fit the bill.
“The strength of this Inter is that it’s still unfinished. We want a team which eventually takes on board the idea that the opponent is not the most important thing.
“First there’s the ball, then your teammates, then the space to cover. Only after that is the opponent.
“We’re working hard, and I’m lucky enough to have reach coaches working with me. My staff are an extension of myself.”
Spalletti was then asked to discuss some of those signings.
“Borja Valero and [Matias] Vecino are used to our football, our pace, our character. They punch their card every day and they never give so much as a centimetre.
“They light up right from the start and only turn it off when the game is finished. They give the results they need to give.
“Maybe there weren’t people like that at Inter, or at least that’s what I thought looking from the outside.
“As for Milan Škriniar, he’ll become a great defender. He has quality, desire and incredible margins to grow. In a year all the top clubs in the world will be asking for him, I’m sure of it.
“His eyes tell me so many things, he’s not afraid when the opponent attacks him. He’s not beautiful to watch, but he’s very effective and he really knows how to play the ball.
“Dalbert? He has a fantastic left foot, he gets up and down easily, he crosses well. He doesn’t defend badly, but he needs to learn how to fit into the position.
“He’s the Emerson Palmieri of this situation. Do you remember? When Emerson came to Roma hardly anyone believed in him.
“Can he and Joao Cancelo play at the same time? Sure! But don’t forget [Danilo] D’Ambrosio and [Yuto] Nagatomo, they’re not easy to beat. They give the right balance and they’re tough opponents for everyone.
“As for Yann Karamoh, he’s still a kid. You can see it in some of his reactions, for example when he has a shot at goal.
“He needs to be grown and guided carefully, but in any case he can burn through 70 or 80 metres with high quality. When he starts, the ground burns under his feet.
“He has good technique too, but he needs to improve on his choices in the pressure zone, close to the opposition goal.”