After finishing the 2014-15 Serie A campaign eighth on the table, it would be simple to assume that Roberto Mancini’s side is in need of major surgery if it is to return to Europe’s premium competition immediately.
Minor surgery, however, is more the manner in which Inter should operate in order to be successful in this plight.
There were signs Mancini’s men were on the right track towards the end of the season. A seven-match unbeaten run saw his side beat the likes of Roma and Lazio, both of whom will be competing in the Champions League in 2015-16 (the latter not assured of this though), and played some free-flowing football in doing so. A leaky defence and a couple of goalkeeping blunders ensured Inter did not back this up to the season’s end and make a miraculous run to the final Europa League place in the table, a task that appeared inconceivable as late as early April.
Despite this, Inter already has the foundations laid for future success. A tried and tested manager in Mancini – who has previously won several Scudetti at the club as well as delivering Manchester City’s first ever Premier League title – a world-renowned youth academy that has produced the likes of Leonardo Bonucci, Mario Balotelli and Mattia Destro in recent years, a talented and deep squad already capable of challenging for a top three berth, and money (and lots of it too) through Indonesian businessman and club President Erick Thohir.
With this said, improvements still need to be made at the club, and quickly. New signings are a priority, especially on both wings, whilst the manager must settle on a preferred starting XI given the fact that the club will only have one competition to focus on, Coppa Italia aside. In addition to this, some players need to step up and some need to be sold in order to free up funds for any new arrivals.
Signings
Inter Milan has already begun the process of refurbishing a starting XI that did not produce last season. The additions of Jeison Murillo and Geoffrey Kondogbia have been met with distinct pleasure among the Nerazzurri faithful, whilst the reportedly imminent arrival of João Miranda will be another boost for the Milanese club, at least for the short-term.
New signings on the wing, however, are a necessity. With Xherdan Shaqiri the only recognised senior winger in the squad, it is difficult to imagine an Inter team stretching opponents and utilising its attacking full-backs to their capacities.
Juan Cuadrado and Ivan Perišic have recently been linked to the club and both would prove to be invaluable additions. Cuadrado would seamlessly slot into the right wing position in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation whilst Perišic could do the same on the left-hand side, or at least provide competition for Shaqiri as well as much needed depth in that position.
With the striking position light on numbers as well, cover must be bought in for Mauro Icardi should he befall any harm in 2015-16. Rodrigo Palacio is not capable of firing a side into the top three anymore and youngster George Puscas may not yet be good enough to burden this role.
Balance and consistency
Only when Mancini settled upon a regular starting XI did Inter go through its most successful period of the season. The aforementioned seven-match unbeaten run during April and May was most likely a result of the same, or similar, 11 players starting each game in consecutive rounds. The team began to gel and opponents were going into matches against the Nerazzurri with increased trepidation.
One area of the team that remained stagnant whilst the rest of the team progressed, however, was the defence. With Juan Jesus filling in at left-back rather than his preferred centre-back position due to a raft of injuries plaguing the left-hand side of defence, the team suffered as a result of the lack of balance.
[interaction id=”558cdf6717ada36c5349aefa”]
Get the most out of Shaqiri
The Switzerland international’s arrival at the San Siro was greeted with obvious optimism upon signing with the club in January. Things did not work out, however, for Shaqiri at Inter Milan in 2014-15, scoring just once in 15 league appearances and eventually losing his place in the team due to some lacklustre showings.
There is no doubting the winger’s talent though. He was arguably Switzerland’s best player at the 2014 World Cup, even scoring a hat-trick in the group stages against Honduras. Such is his talent that, during his time in Bavaria with Bayern, fans called for Pep Guardiola to have him in the team more often, even with talent such as Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery already seizing both wide positions.
Unlocking Shaqiri’s enormous pool of talent is a task Mancini is more than capable of doing, and if he does so in 2015-16 then Inter will be one step closer to reclaiming a Champions League berth.
Introduce width
A narrow 4-1-2-1-2 formation being decided upon by the manager leading into the last few months of the season somewhat resulted in success for the Nerazzurri. This, however, has been widely acknowledged by fans of the Milanese club as not being a formula for long-term success.
During this run, the only wide threat came from the full backs, as well as front-man Palacio who sometimes drifted out to the left in order to create a much needed option out wide. With the introduction of a few new wingers into the squad, Mancini can settle upon his favoured 4-2-3-1, or perhaps 4-3-3 given the talent at his disposal in central midfield.
The addition of width into an already free-flowing and fluid side would stretch opponents and create more space up front for the mercurial Icardi to latch onto crosses or through balls. It would also aid the team in a defensive sense, with the wingers dropping back to support their teammates at full-back by applying pressure on opposition wingers or tracking runs.
Get rid of dead-weight
Much of the squad Mancini inherited upon his arrival at the club in November were like to Inter’s starting XI what a band-aid is like to a broken leg. Hugo Campagnaro, Jonathan and Felipe were liabilities in defence whilst Nemanja Vidic, despite all of his previous achievements, looked his age (33) many a time in 2014-15. All, perhaps with the exception of Vidic, should be banished from the squad in order to loosen the burden on an already over-bulging wage bill.
Others who may be deemed dispensable include Zdravko Kuzmanovic, Marco Andreaolli, and ageing goalkeepers Juan Pablo Carrizo and Tommaso Berni. Without the added strain of the Europa League, having an enlarged squad is unnecessary. Disposing of such dead-weight may also mean an increased amount of opportunities for young stars from Inter’s internationally famed academy as well as more transfer funds.
If Mancini can address these issues in the team, then Inter may rise to prominence once more. With Juventus being crowned Serie A champion for a fourth time in a row, it is only beneficial for Italian football if the the two Milan clubs were to become forces to be reckoned with once more. Inter, however, is in a better position to do so at this point in time.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
