In this latest edition of things we learned from Inter, the prospect of Inter’s title charge will be analysed and discussed.
After a solid win over Cagliari in the Coppa Italia in midweek, Inter travelled to Serie A minnows Lecce. Inter were victorious in the return fixture at San Siro on matchday one but this test proved far less fruitful.
If Inter Want To Win The Scudetto They Can’t Afford Drawing Against Teams Like Lecce
Inter will not win every game that they play, fact. However, champions beat teams at the foot of the table both home and away, so one can’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment at a paltry 1-1 draw with Lecce. What makes it worse is that Inter took the lead in the game too.
Every game is tricky and even more so going on the road against small sides who are up for the big games but on paper and in terms of mentality Inter should be having enough. Antonio Conte will not be pleased and although it will be a source of frustration to him in terms of dropped points, it might strengthen his argument for reinforcements in this window.
Lazio Are Serious Title Contenders
At the start of the season, it was said that Inter may challenge Juve and some even expected recent contenders Napoli to be up there also. No one said Lazio, especially after their poor perfromance in the Europa League where they failed to advance beyond the group stage.
However, at the time of writing their league form is nothing short of outstanding. They have won their last ten league games on the bounce and haven’t lost in league action since Inter beat them by a goal to nil at San Siro in late September. They have also beaten Juventus in the Super Cup final and posses the league’s top marksmen in the shape of Ciro Immobile who has once again broke the twenty goal barrier in less than half a season on this occasion.
In dropping points against Lecce, it means that Inter can’t afford to drop points as easily in games against the Lazio’s and Juve’s. If they were beating bottom sides they could afford maybe the odd draw which would be a good result at the Allianz or Olimpico. Lazio may have less depth and might need to stay injury free to avoid hitting the buffers but they are proving that at this current rate they will be challenging for the Scudetto. What a job done with the Sky Blues by Simone Inzaghi.
Ashley Young or Valentino Lazaro?
Inter shocked the footballing community with the rather bizarre £1.5m signing of Manchester United veteran Ashley Young. The 35-year-old adds some experience to the back line and should be capable of fulfilling Antonio Conte’s need for a wing-back in his fabled 3-5-2.
A massive shock but a sensible low cost short term move seems to the verdict but what of Valentino Lazaro?
Signed in the summer to little fanfare but more a sense of intrigue, the Austrian has yet to convince in his short amount of gametime.
The winger or wing-back adds pace and dynamism to the alternative’s of Danilo D’Ambrosio and Antonio Candreva who lack the same guile.
Candreva’s rebirth has shocked many Interisti and he has been worthy of the starting jersey when he has been fully fit. The manager utilised him in the national side and knows that he is reliable and kudos to Candreva for repaying that faith but it is no good in the long term for Lazaro.
Mootings of a move to Newcastle have been heard over the past week. A fee of £20million has been mentioned. Is Young a sufficient replacement or does Lazaro need more time?
Inter Right Not To Sign Spinazzola Unless 100% Sure
Beppe Marotta allegedly put the blocks on a swap deal involving Mateo Politano in exchange for Roma wing-back Leonardo Spinazzola. The former Atalanta player would have been perfect for Conte’s wing back role and has experience in the league aswell as the national side but a series of serious injuries have held him back in the recent past.
Signing players for big deals and then seeing them sit on the injury table is far from wise and although on paper he would be a perfect fit for Inter, the upstairs team of right to block a move for Spinazzola unless they are totally certain that he will stay injury free and the ACL injury he suffered from last year isn’t something that will hinder him in the future.
Despite Conte’s seeming lack of patience regarding transfer activity, Marotta and co need to make sure they can maximise the sale of their players, in this scenario Politano who is valued at £25million, and replace them with better more reliable talent to progress the side.
Marotta has overseen a much more sensible and professional approach to player recruitment and overall management of the club. Well done to Suning for securing a man of his caliber and experience.
A Stab At The Coppa Italia Is Important
The squad may not be huge and yes the title would be the priority but Antonio Conte’s men would be foolish not to have a good go at winning the Coppa Italia.
The comprehensive win over Cagliari last week puts Inter straight into the last 16, meaning that they require just five more results to win the trophy.
The Europa League also comes into play next month but with a few additions to bulk up the squad, the return of players like D’Ambrosio and Kwadwo Asamoah means that Inter should be able to compete on all fronts with some rotation.
A nice bit of silverware can never go a miss and will further demonstrate the progress that is being made at the club. The club’s last trophy came in 2011 which is a barren run that needs ending.
