Inter Milan assistant coach Massimiliano Farris feels that head coach Simone Inzaghi gives both a sense of calm to the team, and also the necessary spark.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia, via FCInterNews, Farris addressed the media in Inzaghi’s place.
It has happened in the past that Farris has spoken to the media after a Serie A match despite Inzaghi having been on the bench.
The head coach had lost his voice during a 5-0 win over Salernitana last March. Now, the 47-year-old has once again found himself struggling to speak due to his strenuous shouting on the sidelines.
As with that evening, Inzaghi entrusted his deputy Farris to answer questions after this evening’s match.
The assistant coach praised Inzaghi for what he gives to the team, following an important victory.
Farris: Simone Inzaghi Motivates Inter Milan
“We talk with each other every day,” Farris said of Inzaghi. “Especially now that there’s no time for rest, playing every three days.”
“We lock ourselves in the office, even Piero Ausilio makes fun of us, he jokes that smoke is coming out of the room.”
“Simone gives the team great enthusiasm,” Farris noted. “I’m thinking about the draw away in Salerno when we conceded an equalizer late in stoppage time.”
“He was the one who was already looking ahead, the same way he was after the loss against Bayern in the Champions League, when everyone took us for dead.”
“At that point Simone said at dinner, ‘Ok, we can go for it against Barcelona, let’s try.”
“And our run in Europe really started against Barcelona,” Farris noted.
Asked if the coaching staff feel the pressure of criticism, Farris replied “Every day, but the club has always stuck with us, helping us to absorb the rumours.”
“Then the results on the pitch always give us calmness,” he noted. “Now we’ve gotten seven wins in a row, even if the decisive step is still missing.”
Asked if he thinks this is the best version of Inzaghi’s Inter, Farris replied “In my opinion, we played well for a long period last season as well.”
“We find ourselves living in thin margins tactically,” he noted. “Before having Romelu being back we found ourselves struggling in one-on-one situations.”
“That meant we had to push a lot of players into the attack,” he noted. “We lost our sense of balance in some matches.”
“We’ve lost eleven matches in the league, but we’re still on the right track and also still making a run in the Champions League.”
Farris Praises Inter’s Match-Winner Romelu Lukaku
The Inter assistant coach was then asked about striker Romelu Lukaku.
The Belgian proved to be Inter’s match-winner on the night. On his thirtieth birthday, his holdup play was vintage Romelu Lukaku.
Asked if the striker is well-liked in the team, Farris replied “Absolutely, he’s an exceptional guy.”
“He has a big heart, and he empathizes with everyone.”
“We’ve been seeing the real Romelu recently,” the assistant coach said of the Belgian finally finding form. “We’ve missed him a lot in the last few months.”
“You can see how much of a factor he is in a lot of matches,” he said of Lukaku.
Asked about the difficulty in choosing between strikers with players like Lukaku and Edin Dzeko available, Farris said that “They’re great choices to have.”
“Everyone would like to have to make them, whether coaches or the teammates themselves.”
“We’ve missed some important players in terms of rotation, like Marcelo Brozovic,” Farris noted.
“And then in terms of defenders, we’re missing Skriniar, but we’ve hardly missed a beat.”
“We’ve found a version of Darmian who’s been extraordinary,” he said. “And at a club like Inter, you have to wait and give time to players like Asllani and Bellanova. But when they’ve been called upon they’ve asserted themselves.”
Sassuolo Win Important For Giving Inter Milan Buffer In Serie A
Of what the win against Sassuolo represents for Inter, Farris said that “Simone was clear, giving ourselves a buffer in Serie A for the final few weeks considering we have important matches on the way like the Coppa Italia final and the Champions League semifinal.”
“We did well to bring the match home.”
