In today’s paper edition of Gazzetta dello Sport, they have taken a look at six things Inter manager Antonio Conte can do to get his team back on track after two straight defeats.
The first thing is to have a stability plan: “Inter will start their run of seven games in 21 days relying on its backbone: Handanovic in goal, De Vrij to command the defence, Brozovic as catalyst, Sensi to create further up the field and Lukaku.”
The second is to remember the restructuring that has already taken place: “Conte’s mark on his Inter was clear from the beginning: no to individualism, because the first rule in the locker room must be to put them team in front of all else. This team was assembled starting from the strong foundations of last season and removing those who had created problems for the group. In the summer Nainggolan, Perisic and above all Mauro Icardi have left. A new wind was needed and Inter’s restructuring started from there.”
Thirdly, the report focuses on Inter’s ability to act on the transfer market: “Inter have become a quality team with their accounts in order. In January the most delicate operation will be to sell Gabigol and with those funds buy one or two – perhaps top – players to take another leap in quality. Flamengo have offered Inter €22 million plus bonuses but Inter are waiting with several European clubs keen.”
Conte will also need innovation to tackle any problems that arise: “Injuries will force Conte to change more than expected and wanted, the long absence of Sanchez will push him to find new attacking solutions. The manager has always said that this team can only play with two systems: the 3-5-2 remains the main system and the 3-4-2-1 the alternative.
“The latter has already been seen with Politano on the pitch and Sensi playing in a more advanced role. Without the Chilean, there are only two strikers (Lukaku and Lautaro) and therefore Conte will need to find other ways to make the most of all the players in the team. Lazaro, for example, seems to struggling defensively but in another system his ability to take on players one-on-one and provide assists could be exploited.”
The penultimate point is Conte’s willingness to give youth a chance: “Alessandro Bastoni sticking around in the Summer was as a result of a precise request from Conte. He is a young defender but with plenty personality, who loves to get up and does not panic. He has the possibility of developing under three big names in world football like Godin, De Vrij and Skriniar.
“Sebastiano Esposito, 17, deserves a separate discussion, a potential new phenomenon in Italian football. It was Conte who told him he wouldn’t go to the U17 World Cup because Inter needed him too. The thing that he has never told him is probably that he has the ability to play as a number 10 but with the sense of goal of a number 9. They say that Conte is more and more impressed with him after every training session and who knows if Esposito will immediately amaze at San Siro.”
Finally, focus on the Italian core: “Once upon a time Inter were more international but today they are more Italian with a good spine of Italian players. The injury of D’Ambrosio with the Azzurri does not damage the feeling found with the national team, who can count on Barella and Sensi, and in the past counted on Candreva, Gagliardini and Politano in the past and then the future is very Italian too, Bastoni and Esposito.”