Losing 8 points against middle-to-low teams such as Sassuolo, Torino and Parma hurts. Losing them in the first four games inevitably means a mini-crises that could boil even further if results are not improved. Here are five things that I believe Inter critically need to turn its fortunes.
1. Adapting to the game
Why play cross after cross if Inter have Keita Balde as our lone centre-forward, a player whose heading is actually one of his weaknesses? If you are unable to penetrate a 10-man defence this way for the first 70 minutes, what makes you think you can turn the result in the last couple of minutes? Inter needs to have more than one plan per game. If you have the misfortune to watch again Inter’s second half, you will even see some 40/50 metre crosses to one or two Inter players, against six defenders. This shows acute tactical awareness, lack of courage to try something else, or both.
2. Put fitness first
I repeated this factor in previous posts and Parma’s game has not shown any improvement at all. Inter’s condition is precarious. Inter cannot hold more than 60-70 minutes in demanding games, as was the case against Sassuolo, Torino and Parma. The pre-season ended more than a month ago, in the next 18 days we have another 6 games, and Inter still give the impression that its fitness is lacklustre, unfitting of a top Serie A side. The fact that Icardi, Skriniar, Vrsaljko, Lautaro and Nainggolan all had (or have) muscular problems continues to magnify this problem.
3. Make your voice heard
For the second time in four games, Inter’s game was heavily affected by a refereeing decision. Against Sassuolo, it was about a very generous penalty to our opposition and a non-given penalty on Asamoah. Against Parma, Dimarco is seen clearing the ball on the line with the help of his hand. That should have been a penalty and a red card. After the game, everyone was questioning why VAR did not intervene, and after such case, why does it even ‘exist’ at all under the new rules.
But apart from Spalletti, Inter did not make its voice heard on such obscene refereeing. And in order to do so, we desperately need a president who truly cares instead of an Indonesian businessman whose sole interest is making money. Be it Zanetti or Steven Zhang, anyone can make a better performance than Erik Thohir as long as they do not merely serve as a figurehead.
4. Support the technical project
Spalletti is the first person that needs to give a satisfactory answer to this grim period. To pull his sleeves and deliver. After all, all the players he requested were given to him. But it would be a huge mistake to fire him and erase the project after a couple of games, because a new coach would take even longer to deliver and understand players who were not requested by him.
Having said that, and having supported Spalletti on every occasion till now, Luciano does not have many more chances to waste. Results are needed already in both the Champions League and the Serie A. Failing to deliver immediate results can make his position untenable and truly challenge and question the future of Spalletti’s technical project, regardless of all the reasons why Inter would benefit more to keep him. We cannot throw away an entire season by September/October.
5. Demand more from players
I do believe in this squad. Despite the results, we have more depth and more talented players than the previous years. Who can complain about Asamoah and Vrsaljko instead of Nagatomo and Santon? Not to mention seasons where Inter had to see players like Taider, Kuzmanovic, Gargano, Belfodil and Schelotto wear the black and blue.
But better players need to give better results. Especially those we already know very well. That’s why we need to see more from players like Handanovic, Icardi and Perisic, who so far are still a shadow of their usual self. The buck does not stop with Spalletti, and it should not. After all it’s the players who take to the pitch. Great players at Inter have great responsibility, it’s time to deliver because time is running out… despite still being in mid-September.
James J Piscopo is a journalist based in Malta. 27 years old, he has been following Inter for more than two decades. He writes a weekly editorial exclusively for SempreInter.com
