Inter will shortly depart for the U.S. to take part in the Champions Cup tournament. Having survived a tough training camp orchestrated by new coach Walter Mazzarri, I thought this would be a suitable opportunity to discuss the sides progress under the ex Napoli tactician.
The right is still wrong.
Despite numerous attempts to acquire Mauricio Isla from Juventus, Jonathan remains the only true right-sided option that Walter Mazzarri can call upon. I realise Yuto Nagatomo can also cover this position but the Japanese international appears far more comfortable on the opposite side of the pitch. Wing play is such an integral part of Mazzarri’s tactics it is vital Inter give him a player that can operate in this role. Anybody who watched Napoli for a significant period of time over the past few seasons will be aware of how involved Maggio and Zuniga were in both the attacking and defensive third of the field. For this Inter side to reach its full potential a solution to the right flank problem is imperative.
The elephant in the room.
Whisper it quietly but Mateo’s Kovacic’s injury is starting to become a concern. Inter will obviously take all the time that is needed to get their star man ready for action, the last thing the Nerazzurri’s medical staff would want is any kind of reoccurrence similar to last year’s catastrophic injury problems. However, what started out as a ‘7 day absence due to a strain’ has now ruled the young Croatian out of Inter’s U.S. tour. Not only does one worry about Mateo’s health but also what affect this is having on the team’s preparations for the upcoming season. Mazzarri has stated that Kovacic will operate in a more advanced position, this will require a significant amount of work on the raining field and also regular match practice. The longer Inter’s young starlet remains on the sidelines, the louder the whispers will become.
Samir Handanovic is ready to rock.
It is often said that the best deals can be those that you don’t make, Interisti could be screaming this from the Curva Nord before this season is out. Inter’s determination to keep their Slovenian shot stopper should pay off splendidly if his preseason form is anything to go by. Spectacular again on Saturday in Germany, Handanovic is the rock that Inter’s foundations will be built upon.
Mind the gap!
When Jose Mourinho departed the Giuseppe Meazza in 2010, it appeared much of the organisation and attention to detail regarding Inter’s defensive shape walked out the door with him. After Thiago Motta was sold to PSG in January 2012 the cat was well and truly out of the bag. Now susceptible to conceding goals on a regular basis from counter attacks, the Nerazzurri midfield lacked any kind of balance whatsoever and the defence was often left to fend for itself. To his credit Mazzarri has already addressed this subject and was extremely unhappy after the 3-1 win over Vicenza in Pinzolo. Slowly but surely the team has begun to look more compact and despite Hamburg causing Inter some problems out wide there seemed to be a better understanding of who should be doing what when the Germans had the ball.
Striking up a partnership.
Walter Mazzarri has opted to start Mauro Icardi and Rodrigo Palacio whenever possible in the early preseason games. Partly due to Ishak Belfodil’s understandable inability to play the full ninety minutes (The young Algerian is currently observing a fast during Ramadan) but also a clear signal that he is looking for his top two available strikers to build a relationship on the pitch. The early signs are good, both have scored goals and more importantly on Saturday, we saw the first signs of Palacio reading Icardi’s flick ons and making moves based upon the young Argentinians hold up play. It’s very early days but hopefully this progress will continue as these two have more opportunities to play together in the upcoming tour of the U.S.
