Italian journalist Fabio Caressa feels that Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi has gotten squad rotation “down to a science.”
Caressa gave his thoughts on Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia, via FCInterNews, also praising Nerazzurri captain Lautaro Martinez.
Ever since Inzaghi took over at Inter, squad rotation has been a prominent feature of the team.
From match to match, there have virtually always been at least two or three changes. Even more changes have not been uncommon with the former Lazio coach at the helm.
And this has particularly been the case when Inter have had to regularly play twice per week.
Inzaghi has also made extensive use of the substitutions available to him.
Few coaches have availed themselves of the rule change allowing five in-match substitutions rather than three as much as the Nerazzurri coach has done.
Inzaghi has seemingly pre-planned many in-match changes. And he has tended to make them very early on.
Inzaghi has tended to remove players on a yellow card, and has refreshed the team at key moments, particularly in wide areas.
Therefore for Inzaghi, it would not be accurate to say there is just a first-choice starting eleven and then some backups or impact subs. On the contrary, the coach seems determined to make full use of his squad across every competition.
Caressa On Inter Coach Inzaghi’s Use Of Substitutions
“In my opinion Inzaghi is making logical choices,” Caressa said.
“He knows that he has players who can change the match from the 70th minute onwards,” he continued.
The journalist observed that “Nowadays we don’t just need to consider the lineup in terms of eleven players, but at least 13-14.”
“And then you maybe keep one change in reserve in case there are injuries, But the first four are decisive.”
“And then there are players like Mkhitaryan, who have incredible fitness and are difficult to leave out of the team,” he noted.
Caressa argued that “Inzaghi has squad rotation down to a science. Nowadays coaches have the tools to precisely understand how to best use their players.”
And of Inter captain Martinez, Caressa said that “He’s a striker who scores a lot of goals. But he doesn’t just think about himself.”
“He thinks as a leader of the team,” he noted of the Argentine.
“It’s not easy to find a striker who has the qualities that Lautaro does on a personal level,” he added.
