The composition of Inter’s squad has changed significantly over the summer from the team which won the Scudetto last season.
This is highlighted by Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport in today’s print edition, who note that the Nerazzurri have added squad depth compared to last season, but that key departures have meant that the quality at the top end is not at the same level it was previously.
The Corriere argue that despite the losses of Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi, two players who contributed at a very high level last season, the Nerazzurri can boast a versatile complement of players who can execute a number of gameplans.
For a club like Inter’s ambitions, having top players is undoubtedly important, although despite losing the likes of Hakimi and Lukaku the Nerazzurri retain several elite players including formidable defensive and midfield options.
However, squad depth can prove just as significant in determining the strength of a team over a whole season, and in Inter’s case, this aspect has gotten even better compared to last season.
“Except for rare cases (Juric and Torino),” the Corriere writes, “there has been a strong identification of the coaches with the clubs . The example of Inzaghi is the most appropriate together with that of Pioli.:
They go on, “They asked for quality, and quality they had. It may be that Inter are not stronger than last year, Lukaku and Hakimi who were two driving forces have left, but there is more to like about this team, they inflame people with their game, with the imagination of Calhanoglu and Correa, with the quick thinking of Dzeko, with the speed of Lautaro.”
Of the Inter squad, the Corriere states, “It is a complete team, with a solid, compact defense, with the three representatives tied together by wire, a midfield where the mixture of dynamism (Barella) and technique (Calhanoglu) keeps the level passing moves high, and an attack where there is everything, absolutely everything.”
