A report from today’s paper edition of the Rome based newspaper Corriere dello Sport has compared Antonio Conte’s first 17 games of the season as Inter coach compared to previous Nerazzurri seasons.
The report begins by highlighting that Conte’s 42 points after 17 games is not a record, as the Nerazzurri have sat on higher points on two previous occasions. The first of these was under the guidance of coach Roberto Mancini in the 2006/07 season, when the Milanese club sat on 45 points after 17 games. The second time was in the following season, when the Nerazzurri had achieved 43 points after 17 games, again under the guidance of Mancini.
In Inter’s history, only three times have the club closed out the calendar year without a defeat the report highlights. Whilst the Conte’s squad have only lost one game since the start of the season, in the 2004/05 season, the 2006/07 season and the 2007/08 season all ended the calendar year without a single defeat. However, the 2004/05 season is a slight anomaly, due to the fact that the Nerazzurri only sat on 24 points, due to the fact that Mancini drew 12 out of the 16 games played.
The calendar year ended with only one defeat in both the 2008/09 season under Jose Mourinho and the 1997/98 season under Luigi Simoni, the report continues. Conte’s squad also has a formidable defence, conceding just 14 goals in 17 games. This figure is one better than the 2006/07 season, but five goals worse than the 2007/08 season. The club under Mourinho in the 2008/09 season conceded only 11 goals, three better than Conte’s current team, but also scored five goals less – 31 goals compared to 36.
