The losses of Andre Onana and Marcelo Brozovic in tandem could see Inter Milan struggle to adapt to a new style of play.
This is the view in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Corriere della Sera, via FCInterNews, who argue that in losing both of the pair the Nerazzurri will be without two key players in making their buildup play tick over.
In the case of Brozovic, it’s certain – the Croat has left Inter to join Al-Nassr.
Meanwhile, Onana is still an Inter player – but it certainly seems to be a matter of “when” rather than “if” he leaves the Nerazzurri.
In the case of Brozovic, the Nerazzurri will replace in-house – Hakan Calhanoglu will become the new first-choice regista.
Meanwhile, it looks like Yann Sommer will be the player who directly replaces Onana.
Whilst neither of these two replacements lack technical quality, the likelihood is that they will not be able to precisely replicate the roles that their predecessors had in the team.
How Onana & Brozovic Departures Could Hinter Inter Milan In Buildup
Calhanoglu spent last season transitioning to playing a deeper role on the pitch. And the 29-year-old former AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen man was very adept at it.
However, Calhanoglu’s style in the position is not quite the same as that of Brozovic.
Brozovic has been a player who’s brought a methodical quality to Inter’s buildup in midfield. As long as the Croat has been on the pitch, the Nerazzurri have always had an option for quick and clinical short passes.
Therefore, with Calhanoglu in the position there could at times be a risk of being too chaotic.
The Turkish international is more inclined towards trying bold, even risky dribbling manoeuvres when he can. He also favours more long, ambitious cross-field passes.
One way that Inter were able to accommodate Calhanoglu’s style in the deeper role last season was by relying on Onana’s technical ability.
The Cameroonian has a style of play that’s very rare among goalkeepers. He has never been afraid to take up aggressive positions off his line in order to involve himself in passing combinations.
And, crucially, Onana has the first touch and weight of passes to pull it off. He has also shown a real knack for knowing when to simply play it safe.
Sommer, in comparison, is a more traditional goalkeeper in possession.
That’s not to say the Swiss lacks technical ability in the pass. Particularly in terms of his longer passing, Sommer has as much quality to him as nearly anyone around.
However, what Sommer does not do as well as Onana – virtually no goalkeepers do – is orchestrate short-passing sequences.
Without either Onana or Brozovic in the fold, therefore, Inter may well find it hard to keep their composure under pressure.
For the Corriere della Sera, this could particularly affect the team’s performances in Europe, where one of their outstanding qualities all of last season was their ability to play out of intense pressure and move the ball forward quickly and accurately.
