Ben Boucher @sportsnut1908 continues to deliver editorials for SempreInter.com. This time about the mercato:
Two of the hottest names on new Inter coach Walter Mazzarri’s wish list appear to be his former player Valon Behrami and talented Cagliari midfielder Radja Nainggolan. Last season I stated on many occasions that the Belgian had given one of the outstanding midfield performances I saw at the Meazza as Cagliari secured a 2-2 draw in Milan. With that memory fresh in my mind I wanted to avoid what intellectuals would call an ‘availability heuristic’ when comparing the two players in question. So if Behrami or Nainggolan were to come and play the role of well, errr Behrami in Mazzarri’s Inter: who is the better choice?
A good starting point is that Behrami is 28 while Nainggolan is three years his junior at 25. The Belgian international started 33 times in Serie A while Behrami started just one game fewer, this should work out nicely in terms of respective sample sizes for their performance data. With Mateo Kovacic operating the ‘steering wheel’ in Mazzarri’s midfield and Fredy Guarin widely tipped to take a more advanced role akin to Hamsik in Napoli’s 3-5-2, the role of ‘ankle biter’ looks up for grabs.
When not in possession Behrami seems to have the clear advantage, he makes an average of 4.9 tackles per game to Nainggolan’s 3.9, 1.8 interceptions a game compared to 1.2 by the Belgian. The Swiss national team player also holds an edge in the amount of clearances that he makes per 90 minutes. A closer look into the numbers however reveals a slightly different story. Not only does Behrami commit a greater number of fouls but he also allows opponents to consistently dribble around him more frequently. Combined with Nainggolan’s superior ability to block shots this leaves one wondering if Behrami could fill the duties Mazzarri would require him to perform.
Nainggolan’s mobility in getting around the field is one of his standout characteristics, he provides key passes, takes shots on goal and even dribbles the ball with greater regularity than his Neapolitan counter part. To Behrami’s credit his pass completion rate coupled with a lower number of turnovers are superior to Nainggolan but further scrutiny provides a simple explanation for this anomaly. The Belgian hits almost quadruple the amount of long balls, attempts more passes in a match which includes a larger quantity of through balls, he takes shots and dribbles around opponents which comes with a greater risk but in my opinion this only serves to further highlight the limitations of Behrami’s game.
If Inter are to rekindle dreams of winning the Scudetto or at worst a top 3 finish, a midfield consisting of Kovacic, Nainggolan and Guarin feels like a pretty good start.
