Ben Boucher gives you his thoughts on how Inter should do after Militos injury
After witnessing the terrible incident which has left Inter short of one of their main protagonists thoughts will inevitably turn as to how they can succeed without him. With such a short turnaround before a vital game in Florence, Andrea Stramaccioni and his coaching staff will need to work immediately on a plan for life after Diegol. A recent knee problem for Milito gave Inter a glimpse of life without ‘Il Principe’ and in all honesty it didn’t make for attractive viewing.
When a monarch dies or is seriously ill, succession passes first to an individual’s sons, in order of birth, and subsequently to daughters, again in order of birth. Unfortunately for Inter, in football terms Diego Alberto ‘Il Principe’ Milito can not provide a direct replacement on the field to take his rightful spot at the head of the Nerazzurri table. The task for those left behind in this case is to carry the load left by their fallen hero. This problem is a complex one as It’s not only Milito’s goals that will be missed but also the characteristics that have made him such an integral part of the Inter front line over the last 4 seasons. A selfless and tireless work rate, the strength to occupy up to 3 defenders thus creating space for others and his rarely mentioned ability to dribble around a defender or two all come to mind.
The idea of finding a like for like replacement seems impossible, Tommaso Rocchi has yet to earn the coaches faith and two young alternatives (Longo & Livaja) are currently away from the Meazza on a loan and co-ownership respectively. So the term ‘more than one way to skin a cat’ springs to mind, Inter will need to adapt to the loss of their leading forward while finding a way to play and win without him. The answer to this in reality though may have very little to do with the strikers that will play in place of the Argentinian.
Inter’s use of a midfield diamond over the last two games has given the chance for recently acquired Kuzmanovic & Kovacic to stamp their personality into this team. A consequence of that has been the return to familiar surroundings for Gargano and Cambiasso resulting in a sense of balance being restored to the Nerazzurri engine room. The ability of the young Croatian and more experienced Serbian to retain possession has allowed the hard running style of Gargano and the tactical genius of Cambiasso to come to the forefront. With other options such as Deki Stankovic and Joel Obi on their way this revolution in the middle of the pitch could help Inter overcome the loss of their talismanic number 22.
The responsibility for linking midfield and attack appears to fall on the shoulders of Fredy Guarin. The Colombian’s game is built on a swashbuckling style that at times can lead to inconsistency, so it is encouraging to see the positive steps being made by Ricky Alvarez as he looks to become a useful piece in this complicated puzzle. A final word for ‘Il Principe’ himself who we wish and hope will have a speedy recovery and return as the champion he will always be for us Interisti.
