Once again the Nerazzuri have found themselves battling on European and domestic front which has brought them mixed success.

In what has been a superb start to life under Antonio Conte, this week has shown us a glimpse of what needs improvement.

Depth, Depth, Depth & More Depth..

A few weeks ago I mentioned that perhaps the defence was the area in the team that was its strongest and the rest of the team could do with a bit of bulk and this week proved that to be correct.

At different areas of the scale, the defeat to Dortmund showed that the squad needs more steel but the lackluster win over Verona showed that the team needs more creativity.

The team exploded in the first 45 at Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday, as it did at the Camp Nou against Barca, but the legs of the midfield that Conte demands so much from started to struggle to match the intensity of their German counter parts. Both of the aforementioned games have shown Inter can compete against top sides but in terms of energy and being able to rely on game changing subs, they are a little off it just yet.

Even up top the team needed a bit of support as Martinez ran himself into the ground but options up there are at a premium with Sanchez out.

We’ve heard whispers of Giroud, Mertens and even Mateo Darmian being on Conte’s radar. Watch this space.

Antonio Conte Is A Winner & He Will Be Backed

After the frustration of the defeat to Dortmund that leaves his side with a job on their hands to qualify for the knockout stage, Conte was massively outspoken post match.

The former Azzurri boss was full of praise for his players in the fact that they are ‘giving him everything’ but conceded that he needs players that aren’t from ‘Sassuolo or Cagliari’ in order to take the team on further.

What we know about Conte from his past work is that he very much likes to have a thick squad with players he knows he can rely on. Even more so, these players need to have experience and versatility.

We’ve seen him find use of Emmanuele Giaccherini as Italy boss and Juve boss and even with Pedro at Chelsea, Conte likes to have experienced players who can carry out the job he asks with a minimum of fuss.

His post-match tirade on Tuesday may well have been borne out of frustration but Conte knows 100% what it takes to win and that cannot be denied. In the summer Inter managed to secure arguably the best available manager they could have and if Beppe Marotta can work some transfer market magic as he did at Juve, the future is bright.

The players are doing great but to reach that next level Conte needs more and he will get it. Patience from everyone is key as it is a nice place to be in if you’re topping Serie A and want more. Gone are the days of Jonathan and Botta, Inter are signaling they want to eat at the top table again.

Creativity Needs To Be Taken Up A Notch

As a side chasing top honours, Inter are going to find themselves faced with resistant defences such as the one they faced in the shape of Hellas Verona on Saturday evening. Verona are no slouches and have made a very productive start on their return to Serie A, especially in the way they have shut teams out.

On the other hand though, given the gap in quality between the two sides and the aspirations of Inter, the blue and blacks need to be taking care of those types of sides with ease. Saturday evening proved that the side perhaps needs more creativity in terms of breaking down these defences.

Conte’s 3-5-2/3-4-3 makes traditional wingers redundant which has seen wing-back/winger hybrids created successfully in the forms of Antonio Candreva and Valentin Lazaro. However, with the departures of Ivan Perisic and Balde Keita and now a rather concerning looking injury to Mateo Politano, Inter need a cutting edge to open up defences.

Romelu Lukaku could be a real beneficiary to some wide service as could Lautaro, a winger with some direct running and trickery would be a real addition to this side when they need to break sides down to secure the points.

Be Patient With Biraghi

On Tuesday, the ex-Fiorentina man was welcomed to the Champions League with a true pummeling from Achraf Hakimi and Jadon Sancho. The duo had a field day down Dortmund’s right flank and their pace made it a miserable evening for Biraghi who thus far has yet to grasp the left wing back slot since his return to the club in the summer.

What is worth remembering is that in the past couple of seasons Biraghi has been relegated with Pescara and part of a massively inconsistent Fiorentina side.

He offers a threat going forward and plenty of running in terms of getting up and down the flank, not to mention he likes a long range goal.

Tuesday was a tough baptism for Biraghi and whereas Sensi and Barella have found the step up to a higher club a little easier, Biraghi has still yet to show what he can do in his return but it’s only November and as I’ve berated massively in this article so far, it is a squad game.

Biraghi needs time and needs games before we can assess whether he is up to the standard that a team pushing for the Scudetto and fighting on European fronts expects.

Lautaro Martinez Is Showcasing His World Class Potential

When Inter nipped ahead of competition and brought in the Argentine last summer, big things where expected and thanks to his slow integration last year, Martinez is starting to bear the fruits that fans hoped he would.

Playing second fiddle to Mauro Icardi for the first half of last season was massive for Martinez as it allowed him to adapt to the Italian game and way of life rather than straight away having the spotlight thrown at him.

As Icardi took his ball and went home, Martinez grasped the shirt in the latter stages of last campaign and almost single handled drove Inter on in the Europa League and in wins over Parma and over Milan in the derby, he showed his killer instinct added to his nonstop energy.

This term has been a coming of age for Lautaro.  No Icardi saga and the arrival of Romelu Lukaku has meant that he has almost become the sides senior striker. Lukaku has come with a big price tag and question marks over whether he can replace Icardi’s goals (which he is doing so far) so it has meant that now he has established himself in Italy, the Argentina international is Inter’s talisman.

His goal at the Camp Nou a few weeks back showed tremendous world class quality and he went one better with a goal at Dortmund on Tuesday worthy of winning any game. His understanding with Lukaku is getting better game on game and in him Inter possess a player capable of scoring and creating goals worthy of winning games across all platforms.

We are starting to see what player Lautaro can become and he’s only going to get better. Hands off Barca..