Legendary former Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio feels that Inter’s current crisis in form has come about because they players no longer seem ready to sacrifice for ninety minutes.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster Rai Radio, Marchisio gave his thoughts on why the Nerazzurri have been struggling so much to begin the campaign, and noted in particular the contrast to when Antonio Conte had been head coach.
Marchisio himself had spent three seasons playing under Conte whilst the current Tottenham Hotspur coach had been in charge of the Bianconeri between 2011 and 2014, and is familiar with the coach’s methods and the way that the team responds to them
In the former midfielders, view, the influence of a coach like Conte is precisely what appears to be lacking based on how the present standard of performance has dropped at Inter since the beginning of the season, especially considering how they looked when Conte had been in charge.
“When a team concedes there’s always at least one mistake, the more worrying thing is that they weren’t able to hold onto an advantage,” Marchisio said. “It’s no longer a question of the defensive phase, but a question of concentration.”
“Antonio Conte was able to keep the team very focused for ninety minutes,” he added, “today Inter have shown less of a desire to win the ball back in midfield, when you watch players like Nicolo Barella and Marcelo Brozovic.”
