Inter beat Cagliari by 3-0 and Mancini got a lot of positive notes from his players in tonight’s game. Normally cupgames like this against an inferior team from an inferior division means some trouble and some underestimating but for Inter it was nothing but a positive night. The team didn’t start the game very well and Cagliari showed that they weren’t coming to San Siro to give up easy. Cerri and Giannetti caused some trouble for the Inter defense and the last mentioned player forced Carrizzo into a good save after a poor Medel clearance. This made Inter wake up and the team went up higher on the field to put Cagliari under pressure which gave results.
Palacio forced a great save from Cragno after a good cross from Biabiany. The Frenchman started playing wide on the wing but then was taken inside the field and played as a trequartista. Biabiany has improved a lot since coming back from his heart problems and in the first half he was one of the best players on the field. Palacio’s header was great and typical Palacio style: A greatly timed run finished with a diving header. Brains and heart is all what Palacio is about and it wouldn’t take long before the Argentinian striker got on the score-sheet for the first time this season. Juan Jesus sent a low cross in towards Rey Manaj who deflected the ball, a free-standing Palacio couldn’t do anything else but to score and 1-0 was a fact for Inter.
In defense Inter was playing with D’Ambrosio-Juan-Nagatomo as central defenders. For us with weak hearts this didn’t seem a great idea but the players did surprisingly well to keep the defense stable. Roberto Mancini has proven that this Inter not only has one identity, but many and amongst these identities is the ability to be able to always guarantee stability no matter who is playing. Palacio teamed up with Manaj a couple of times more before the half time whistle was blown and I wanted to mention this from Palacio. He runs all the time, sacrifices himself and he’s also very down to earth. He’s a great example for players like Manaj and the fact that Palacio even passed Manaj when he himself had scoring possibilities was great to see.
The second half started out slowly, just as the first half. Though Inter woke up when Cagliari hit the post. Brozovic or #EpicBrozo as we all know him these days took the team by his hands together with Kondogbia. Brozovic first served Medel whose header went just wide and then the epic Croatian scored a great goal to make it 2-0 for Inter. The goal was a copy of the one against Udinese and the goalkeeper couldn’t do anything but to watch it go into the back of the net. Once I wrote that Brozovic might prove to be one of Inter’s best signings during recent time and he is now proving to be just that. The Croatian knows how to do everything and in difference from the players who are mediocre at everything, Brozovic is actually very good at everything. Of course he can improve even more but being the age that he is his class is very clear for everyone to see and I can’t keep asking myself why he doesn’t get to start more. The Croatian needs to get more playing time because when he does play he’s crucial.
Another player who showed his qualities in the second half is Kondogbia. The French midfielder both won the ball and did great passing. Before the third goal he got passed two players before being taken down. Inter proceeded play and scored the 3-0 goal which ended the game. Kondogbia who just came back from an injury will surely prove his worth and a little to much has been talked about his value. One would expect more from a player who was payed that much, but Kondogbia needs to be given time and without the pressure he will do really well. This was the first step in the right direction. The third goal was scored by Perisic who came on off the bench. Perisic just as Palacio will never be known as the best players in the world or even mentioned close to it but what they guarantee their teams is just as important as having stars. Perisic guarantees you tactical awareness, flexibility and a lot of generosity on the field. The Croatian winger once again showed his smartness by standing in the right place at the right time and instead of a Guarin-like shot that would kill of the Pigeons at San Siro, he buried the shot low and hard.
Even Dodo came on the field for the first time since March this year and looked quiet interesting. It’s now a great situation competing wise in the team and Mancini got great answers from all the players on the field. Inter won 3-0 and will now face the winner between Napoli and Hellas. The Italian cup is a competition very much up for grabs and Mancini’s last winning period at Inter started out with a cup win. The quarter finals are next and this was another great night for Inter. A lot of answers, no questions. Or yes maybe one, how much better can we get?
Until the next game. Forza Inter.
One important thing right now is to hold on to the players that are performing well. I am afraid that a nice offer will arrive for some of them and they will get sold. If we hand on to the good performers and build the team around them, we can really become a top team next season once again
I have another question actually. What is our best starting xi? I’m kind of struggling to answer that the more I see.
Maybe it’s this? But then Kondogbia, Melo, Juan, Santon? Tough call
I’m happy to have seen the great shooting abilities of Brozo, and the fact that we have a really good team- if Rano and Vidic leave we will have room for 2 more – remember CL may be a reality next year!
and Guaro
there is much more than just Mancini ( credit to him of course with great people management) but Tohrir the man who saved Inter from the hands of Don Morratti, who kept Branca messing about Inter-business for years, and i wouldn’t be surprised if Angelo and Rubentus were paying him to do so. the team structure the sporting director, the synergy in the office and in the gym. i thought it will take time, but look how fast things improved after morratti have quite his honorary post.. i dont respect Moratti i loath him, he disrespected and betrayed the club and its reputations, he disrespected our best players and let the triple winners go like pigs, he was behind the fall of adriano the Emperor, and all inter legends who got disrespected and let go without being recognized, he cashed in after the triple leaving inter in debt, so he make sure that opportunity will never rise again, pulled the plug on a massive project and instead of investing he cut down salaries and froze Schneider out, and sold our best players. if it wasn’t for morratti and his thugs Inter would have won at least 3 out of the last 5 scudettos. So BIG thank you to the Indonesian for saving our beloved inter from the Morratis. Pazza Inter Amala
Well, I do agree with the management part of your opinion, but I still respect Mancini for what he has done for us. One of things that I really excited from this new Inter is the management structure. It is fascinating since I learn about new management models, which emphasize the transparency. I love the Arsenal ways too.. Where we tend to but new young player and combine it with experience one.
Sadly but true, we treat our legend badly sometimes. It reminds me on Julio Cesar farewell.
and it was for moratti when we won last 5 scudettos before this 5
I do agree with some parts of your argument. BUT NO ONE can deny Moratti’s love for Inter. Of course he left us fans with sweet and bitter moments. Moratti made lots of good decisions, like his 1st signing (#4), bringing Jose, etc and some very awful decisions (signing Mazzarri, not strengthening the aging team after treble, spoiling players like R9 and Adriano). We have to give him respect for leaving his beloved Inter out of love, and not sticking and messing with it like Berloscuni.
Moratti’s Father Angelo who built and loved Inter more than life, his spoiled son Massimo only destroyed it, i dont doubt that Moratti love Inter (after all it is his team) but he used it for his personal gain, instead. Massimo could have continued invisting after the trebel and we would have been bigger at least the biggest in Italy, but he prefered to cash in, why is that hard to understand, whe you all have lived it and seen it, he pulled the plug, bad deals, sold best players, cut dwn salaries, Italy’s first trebel winner should see their wages boosted not cut down, and shown the door, he did what he did cause he wanted to keep the money. he choose to top his 167million euros over bettering Inter.
Mate, yes Moratti made some mistakes but they are complete outweighed by the fact that under his tenure we achieved the treble! Obviously you’re entitled to your opinion but don’t you feel you’re being short sighted?
agree
Man,what do you expect for someone who thinks kova =xavi+iniesta?
Lolllll
some? the thing people who are not from Italy, never been to Italy have no idea what mafia man Don Moratti is…. he slaughtered inter, he cashed 167 million Euros year 2010 refused to invest so his gains dont diminish a tiny bit, no one ruined Inter like he did
I’m from Italy and what you’re talking is absolute bull shit! He had to strip down the team because of FFP. Where he made mistakes was not having enough foresight/business savvy. Mate, you are sounding like a rube troll! Making out Moratti is Mafioso is pure rube propaganda. I suppose you think he bribed refs too then??
not shortsighted, well informed, Massimo Bello, cashed 167Million, after 2010 treble and refused to invest, start cutting down wages, until last man of the pack Snjieder have left.. i thought every one knew Morrati’s facts!!
agree with u that the management led by thohir bring in a new enthusiasm and the guys on the pitch led by mancio raise up the team morality made us ended up on top of the league this christmas, but morattis passion and love for inter has been outstanding, he did made some mistakes after treble but then he made another good decision which is release his club to thohir, i believe the decision is not easy at all for him at the beginning.. so not only thanks to thohir & the team, personally i will thanks also to moratti for his effort saxrifice & care for inter
the decision to sell was forced, what happened in inter politics stays there, but the board of directors and sponsers have pressured Massimo into the sale, or they will pull their investment somewhere else. Even when club is losing Money Massimo was making money, cause of his contractual agreements with sponsers most of those agreement to be expired soon, so he sold the club. this same pressure is enforced in Ac Milan at the moment and i have no doubts thier club will be sold in maximum 6 months
You are not right. My love for Inter is endless. I had made two mistakes.
First: I did not sell unmotivated players like Maicon, Sneijder, Lucio , Eto and even Milito right after the treble year. I could get serious cash in that time to make reconstruction. But back than noone could do that. Noone would have supported me, even if i would have tried to do that. How could I sell them?! Only in the following years I understood that I had made mistake.
Second: Branca! I trusted him. And I/Inter was low on cash and we needed players baddly, so i relied on his cheap, low cost options. Sometimes Branca would make good job (Palacio), but sometimes and more often these were disastrous moves (Schelotto, Silvestre, Belfodil, Taider, Rocchi, Alvarez …)
first, thats hilarious, you didnt just steal Don Moratti’s name you also believe that its you. listyen pal your god moratti, stole Inter Fortune, and all city of Milan know it, Juventus worth 545 Million euroes, Milan worth 480 miilon, Inter worth only 270 this stat was published yesterday, and you can ask Moratti why??? how did he bring the club to all time low, when we used to be one of the most expensive clubs of all times at one point.
Math was not your favourite subject at school.
Anyone can make mistakes, even moratti, he had done a great job to inter with many achievements. And you cannot compare moratti era and tohir era, tohir still need a lot to prove himself, its still a long way to go for tohir bro
i dont call cashing 167million euro in 2010 and abandoning investments for Inter an achievement he is a traitor to the colors his father created and respected and loved dearly, Massimo is nothing put twat and spoiled brat
I like on how Mancini makes team think everyone has a chance to show something
I agree, and I also like the fact that except very few players noone is guaranteed a spot. Miranda, Murillo and Handanovic are probably the only players that are guaranteed starters. For the rest they need to fight and show they deserve to play, otherwise someone will take their place.
yea, this is axtually our strength now, if u see mancio keep rotating the players and able to maintain the fitness in every match making inter looks relatively powerfull and energetic in 90 mins time. Other team isnt like that, roma example keep playing their key players in all match in champions league coppa and leage such as pjanic salah iturbe ruediger.. then fiorentina with astori, rossi etc.. now after 16 matches they start to looks tired and both of this team performance declined
he hemmm..
silvinho too
“The Croatian knows how to do everything and in difference from the players who are mediocre at everything, Brozovic is actually very good at everything.”
“The Croatian winger once again showed his smartness by standing in the right place at the right time and instead of a Guarin-like shot that would kill of the Pigeons at San Siro, he buried the shot low and hard.”
Now tell me who is that mediocre player in the first qoutation? lol
I didn’t refer to any of or players. International football is full of players who aren’t really good at anything and not really bad at anything, which is why they are mediocre. A good example of that kind of player is Poli. Really don’t know what you want to say with your comment.
Very well. The first part of both start with Croatian players, and the second parts say something about mediocre players and Guarin. 😉
he is just comparing a player that is Croatian and AWESOME with a player everyone knows is mediocre, is older and who thinks he is world class; Guarin!
One of the great things about Broso (besides him playing like a god at the moment) is that he keeps working hard and KNOWS he isn’t world class (yet)!
He says he didn’t mean Guarin, but all of us know the truth. lol
he was very much waiting for you to say something, like bird shooter, Guaro, fake cheeks, Guaro, Guarin, some Guarin haters.. with the sense of nonsense. Anyways; good stuff in this article, so far there is more than half way till the end of the season, and once we bring the title back we should make some SempreInter party in Milan, and I will be on the first flight.. Amala
Haha! Some Shaq-KovaLover call me some Guarin haters with the sense of nonsense!!!
Man,what do you expect from mazzari fanboy?he will keep saying his shits until all of us agree,he even know for sure that we will lead +9 at the top if kovacic still with us,what a stupid asshole
U must be kidding bro!!! MAZZARI FANBOY???
SHIT! I can’t believe this level of ignorance!
Our new sniper is Brozovic.. Montoya no doubt with him promising to be classy winger
I think Montoya is good, but the question is if he has time to wait to grow at Inter when he can be a regular starter elsewhere.
How much do we have to shell out if we/he decide to keep him? Who else could we get for that kind of money? or would it be better added to whatever budget we have for the summer transfer?
I think it’s impossible that we sell Brozovic.
I agree but was referring to Montoya 🙂
If get rid Vidic, Danilo, Naga, and Dodo it would add 10 mio only from their erased payroll. If we sell Rano, we erase 2.5 mio from payroll + get some transfer money. Then we have enough resource for buy 1-2 quality player this January.
That would be good if that happened (with the exception of d’ambrosio) but I was referring to Montoya 🙂
Wht im concern is If in january we let him go then other team will take credit from his good recently form with us so we must keep him, he alr shows tht he can do something and now he settle with the team, he is so promising to be a classy winger, i think we should keep him and give more playing time.
So many of our best players are between 22 and 26. Future is bright.
Indeed great stuff and Mancini has done all of this in a summer with a new team. Roma, Fiorentina, Napoli, Juve have all built something for a longer time.
How much better can we get? A lot actually. The team is already showing a great response to Mancio’s tactics and the defense is strong as hell! But we wtill haven’t seen the best from Icardi (on a consistent level), we have only seen glimpses of JOJO’s abilities and Perisic as well as Kondo also have room for improvement, even if they are already working good for the team. When players like that blend and hit their top-level, when our favorite midfield has been choosen and when our subs perform like they do combined with top-players who are peeking THEN we will be a force, that NO team in europe can ignore.
I agree, which is also why I wrote the question. I think a lot of players can do a lot better and that we haven’t yet seen anything near our best yet.
Yes i season like this – without Europe – might be a blessing in disguise. Absolutely ecstatic about the potential we see!
So much balance so much confidence. Even our reserves played very well.
Credits to Mancini for bringing back the stability that inter lacked the last 4 years.
Future is bright….