Legendary Inter captain and central defender Giuseppe ‘Beppe’ Bergomi has examined why he thinks Inter’s defence is different this year compared to last.
Inter have made far more defensive mistakes this season than they did last season and have also conceded far more goals than they were expected to in the early part of this season.
“Maybe Conte will deny this, but it seems to me that the way of defending is different from last year. I see a team that accepts more one-on-one situations,” Bergomi explained in an interview with Italian daily newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, which appeared in today’s print edition.
“In his statements Conte always says that the team did well. It is as if in order to have numerical superiority in certain areas of the field you must accept having one on ones at the back.
“The players are good and are doing their best, but there are no quick defenders to play in open situations. In another team, if you miss the first tackle, the others are behind.
“In this context, de Vrij was the best last year but having to play very high, like in the 3-2 loss to Real’s, it’s more difficult, because then you have to cover the whole field behind.”
He was then asked about the importance of the defence being different in seven of the nine games that Inter have played thus far this season.
“I say this because Conte, who this year is communicating in a different way, has never done so, but many things may have led to it, between Covid and having finished playing last season. At the back he lost a player who was perhaps not perfect for the three-man defence, Godin, but he had charisma and personality and was not replaced.”
He was then asked about where he thinks Inter’s defence needs more help from whether that be the wing-backs or the midfielders.
“In the middle of the park. Inter have a structured defence that know how to dribble well but it does not have great speed in the open field.
“If you have a man up front who does what you want from this aspect then I would always want him, and the best one for that role is Brozovic. He had found balance with two midfielder like Barella and Gagliardini on his side.
“Things have changed when trying to defend in a different way and in the way of them putting in a trequartista or attacking midfielder which provides less of a filter. These are choices made.”
He was then asked if it is better for Inter to win games 5-4 than draw them 0-0.
“I’m old school and think that whoever concedes the fewest goals wins in the end. Last year’s Juve was a coincidence, Liverpool and Real had the best defence. If you defend well you attack better.”
In conclusion he was asked if individual mistakes that are being made are having more of an impact on Inter at this moment than a lack of balance.
“These are the mistakes of people not used to being there at that moment but they don’t bother me, unless this trend does not get better. The return of Skriniar? I see him being among the starting defenders, like Godin he is always adapting.”
