I remember the words like they were said yesterday. It was July 11th and Walter Mazzarri’s Inter had just gone through their first practice session at Pinzolo. After the session Mazzarri held a very long press conference where he talked about many subjects. Mazzarri who was very clear in pointing out that it was the directors that would speak about the mercato and new players, couldn’t keep himself from pointing out the urgency in signing a winger: “I need a winger”, the coach said.
Today the 14th of August a new winger went through his first session with the team. More than one month after Mazzarri asked about a winger and the player that has arrived isn’t a great one, it is a Brazilian talent from who arrives on a loan from Mourinho’s Chelsea. Wallace might be a talented winger that half Europe were chasing before he chose Mourinho and Chelsea. Now he is at Inter, but he is currently not the great player Inter needs and now it is less than a month left until the transfer window closes. As if the alarming situation wasn’t bad enough, question marks must even be placed for Pereira after disappointing performances in the early games on the pre season. Pereira is a player who many thought would prove what he can with Mazzarri as the coach, but instead for now the signals have been very negative. Inter must probably think of signing two wingers because of this and until now Mazzarri has only received Wallace.
In Italy the holiday Ferragosto has been going on for a week or so. And to be honest I haven’t seen a worse period in Inter news in many years than the last weeks. The holidays are going towards it end and the vacation is over for almost everyone soon. Marco Branca was at Appiano Gentile yesterday to talk with Mazzarri. Who knows what could’ve been said between the both but I hope that Mazzarri made his disappointment very clear and asked Branca to quicken things up. At the same time Inter is up for sale and can’t risk to influence the joint stock negatively. This of course is a reason that signings take longer time than expected. If the month it took for Inter to get their first winger was bad, things become worse when the reports about how long the sale of Inter will take are read. According to them, Inter is going to be sold around the 20th August and Nainggolan will join Inter a couple of days after. Meanwhile we can dream about Eto’o, Osvaldo and more players, but the priority should still be the wing player. Branca and the other mercato directors are back from their vacations and this means that something should happen during the coming days. Who knows if Mauricio Isla, who was on his way to Inter before Conte stopped everything, won’t be on his way to Inter again.
Isla needs playing time to take place in Chile’s squad in the World Cup next summer and in Juventus Lichtsteiner is the first choice for Conte. At Inter Isla would be in the starting eleven and would even have a coach who can make him take the next step in his career. Mazzarri also makes good use of wingers which is perfect for Isla. Though we need more signals to come from the mercato, signals like a new winger that joins Juventus. If these signals won’t come it is time for Branca and the other directors to set their sight on new targets. Everything meanwhile the situation for Thohir becomes more clear. Sometimes I wish that things were as easy as on Football Manager, but this is reality and there are many difficulties. Everything from Conte, to the Economics, vacations and Thohir. With these difficulties mentioned, I can honestly say that I don’t fear anyone of them the most. But the greatest danger and enemy for Inter right now is time. There are 19 days left of the transfer window, let the countdown begin.
Great read man. I totally agree with you on the time factor. The deal with Thohir is what’s killing everything to be honest. If it’s going to happen it should’ve been done by late July at least to give everybody time to work on finalizing the missing transfer deals…
I think we’re fairly okay in terms of attack level. With Kovacic back, things will look much faster in terms of midfield play. We need a strong defensive midfielder as I think Cambiasso is killing the tempo! Much respect for Cambiasso but he needs to retire or go play in the Gulf or back in his homeland or simply hang his boots. he’s payed 4m for nothing IMO.
the reason why we keep losing is that we don’t have a good spirit and motivation in the team. we always change coach every time we didn’t achieve our goal (scudetto). That makes our player morale drop. the second reason is that Branca is very slow and made lots of bad decision. Our past signings were bad, except for Kovacic. I don’t get it, why Branca is still in charge. If, we want to win, the players need to work hard and always want to keep improving themselves.
Branca on holiday during the mercato? What an arse…
August and January are the two months of the year in which he should be working the hardest. Please, could he wait till September before sipping Limoncello at the Lido or wherever he prefers…
The reason I hate branca and co. Is not only because of purchases but also sales of our youngsters and also selling players like coutinho for just 8mn if he was a bologna or cagilari or Brazilian club player they would have cost him around 20+mn also branca doesn’t know how to negotiate and scout whenever we are interested in any players the team start negotiate with a hefty amount for example take taider or niangolan and next thing is when our management negotiate with any player it takes almost a whole year take paulinho Lucas moura or anybody and still can’t get them and their team increase their price tag as time goes by and lastly they say we don’t have money atlest dont waste the money buying medicore players like periera silvestre Jonathan schelotto and so on I hate say but our rivals juventus got players like pirlo pogba llorente tevez vidal lischteiner altogether for around 25mn only so Im blaming branca because he’s the chief in charge if it was anybody else I would have blamed him too
I remembered when asked about mercato, one of Inter’s director said that we have a very long time till early September.. What a joke..
Possibly the most disheartening news of the mercato is a Wallace loan with no right of redemption.
Not only can we not even afford to go out and get a decent winger, we can’t even get a good loan deal on a good prospect. This transaction truly makes us seem like a feeder team.
At least of we had an option to retain him after the season, the would be some satisfaction in developing him and absorbing some lumps while he grows into a role at Inter. Instead, he’ll be a backup, see little playing time and return to Chelsea, who will probably loan him to an English club next season before he stays with them and possibly contributes at a high level.
Frankly, I’m surprised Chelsea would send him here to sit on the bench this season.
Let’s just hope this sale goes through quickly (unlikely, unfortunately) and we can make the most of the next two weeks!
1. -We have to accept the fact that Inter is no longer a wealthy team, but that doesn’t mean we have adapt to mediocre players.
2.- Because we don’t have the purchase power of other teams we need better directors and we have Branca… example we bought Pereira for about 11M, Jonathan 5M. Join those two and you have one good player not two mediocre ones.
3.- Bad planning. We bought Icardi and Belfodil both good players for the future but not for this season. we need good players now, we finished 9th this season… Also a bit expensive especially Belfodil.
4. Bad sales. We sold Cardiola and Bardi… what more can i say two great prospects of the Italy under 21 team.
What to do. If i were on a position to decide on Inter i will adquiere for my first eleven good quality players no matter the cost but always keeping in mind the budget. And because i spend all of our money in 11 players all my substitute players will be primavera or loans from other teams.
We have to remember that we don’t need a very large team this season because we are not playing in Europe so we can have a reduced squad.
We did´t sell Bardi he is on a loan in Livorno and will return to Inter after the season if he is ready. Actually we renew his contract Before he left for Livorno on a season long loan. We can buy Cardirola back after the season, if i´m not remebering wrong there is a buy back clausul on Cardirola for 5-6 million Euros.
Yes we didn’t sell Bardi it was Donati my mistake, still that does not change anything.
First of players that needs to leave to make way for stignings are : Kuzmanovic, periera, Chivu
loaned out to get experience: Mbaye, Duncan, Laxalt, longo
New signings: Naingolan, one of van der wiel or Isla, Fernando and if possible Etoo
Get to work Branca! This is probably your last chance to make right!
What could Branca do? Thos is all on Moratti, he need to get Branca the Money to buy good players, if you give Branca a small budget he will suck if you give him a big budget he will give you Etoo, Sneijder, Lucio, Motta and Milito. If Inter have say 10 million Euros to spend and a very little space to give high salerys, what could Branca do? Nothing he can max give you half Taider or half Isla. Moratti or Thohir need to give Branca a decent budget then he will buy good players. I am not a big fan of Branca but no man on Earth can but Naingolan, Fernando and Isla with less then 10 million Euros to spend. I would like to se Leonardo but the big problem this time is Moratti and Thohir not Branca.
My god man Branca has the money but as said in the tread….he is worthless when comes to negotiate…..he does not have the charisma to win over players…. We have been after great players that now plays for other teams because of this…..look at Oscar, Lucas, Paulinho, and many other….but he doesn’t mind signing Periera for 10 million or schelotto for 7 million.. Jonathan 5 million…..I rather have one great player for 20 million than 3 squad players for the same sum…….
Branca is to blame…..when we won the triple it’s was all thanks to Mourinho and Oriali…..the reason Branca got the credit was that he got to take over and needed the boost…..he didn’t get all those player by himself….
Well said!!!! we need quality not quantity…
I think you should stop thinking about wingers. Though I agree with you on the quality of the wingers we have, we have way too many of them: Zanetti, Nagatomo, Pereira, Johnathan, M’Baye, Laxalt, Obi, and now Wallace. We either have to get rid of some, I hope we get rid of Johnathan, and loan out Laxalt and M’baye. You should not be worried about the left flanks, cause Nagatomo is now going to move left, and Pereira will be moved to the bench.
The subject that should concern you, is the defensive midfielder position. Mazzari either have to trust Duncan, or loan him out for good. Taider? Why we should trust a 21 year old Algerian, and not our great youth production, Duncan??
If we get rid of couple of extra players, we may be able to afford Lasana Diara’s salary, and he is a great addition to the team.