Following on from a 22-goal season and being the joint-top scorer in Serie A last time out, the Argentine has failed to replicate his form this term, hitting the back of the net just four times in the league so far and even being relegated to Inter’s bench in recent weeks.
Mauro Icardi has cut a lone figure for much of the season up front for Inter Milan. The club’s number nine has failed to impose himself on games in the manner he did in Inter’s previous league campaign, while he has looked increasingly isolated in the striking role and does not appear to be as adept at finding pockets of space behind opposition defences or even in the box in order to receive the ball and strike toward goal.
The Argentine is a man out of form and out of confidence, and on the weekend against Genoa he even found himself on the bench for his side, with 33-year-old Rodrigo Palacio starting in his place. It signals a quite strange turn of events for a man who was being linked with Real Madrid in the offseason after a stellar 2014-15 campaign, winning the Capocannoniere alongside Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni.
While there is no doubt the 22-year-old will still most likely have a glittering career and be recognised as one of Europe’s best strikers, his downward spiral in form is concerning.
Icardi is not a player who is blessed with blistering pace, physical prowess or amazing skill, he is simply an outstanding penalty-box striker who has a great reading of the game as well as the anticipation to put himself in the right place at the right time, whilst also being a deadly finisher. Given Internazionale’s new style of play this season under Roberto Mancini, the La Masia youth product has failed to flourish in the way he did last season.
The Nerazzurri’s game in 2015-16 is one based around a tight and structured back-four with two holding-midfielders shielding the defence. The creative burden is placed upon the men ahead, with no true deep-lying playmaker in the squad and a box-to-box midfielder rarely being utilised in the side (usually Felipe Melo is paired alongside Gary Medel), whilst the full-backs seldom get forward to join the attack. This leaves a quite considerable gap between midfield and attack, with options out wide only being brought into effect by the manager in recent weeks. Since then, the side has looked a more attacking threat, though still not one that penetrates at will.
For these reasons, Icardi’s output has suffered dramatically. He is simply receiving too little service, something that is a key factor in a poacher’s goalscoring success, and is being forced to come deep in order to get involved in the game. As well as this, Inter’s build-up play is very slow and measured due to their lack of creativity in midfield, making it easier for defenders to mark Icardi and ensure he does not give them the slip, with the success of last season also having defenders be increasingly aware of the Argentine’s qualities and style of play.
With this all considered, it is easy to understand why the former Sampdoria man has become much less of a goal threat this term. His average shots per game has been reduced from 3.33 last season to just 1.6 this time around, whilst his all round attacking contributions have been limited, with squawka.com’s overall attack score seeing Icardi reach a points tally of 26 per game last season and just 16 this term.
This differentiates from new signing Stevan Jovetic, however, who has averaged 3.2 shots for the club this campaign and an attack score of 27 per 90 minutes. One must consider, though, the differences in the way the pair play the game. Icardi, being a penalty-box striker, is someone who preys on opportunities and service in and around the penalty area and is the type of player who gets on the end of chances rather than make his own and link with and set others up. He has not had a lot of this so far in 2015-16. Jovetic, on the other hand, is a more dynamic player and is someone who does create chances for himself and contributes to his side’s build-up play in a more efficient manner, though is less prolific in front of goal. With that being considered, all that the differences in stats really show is that Jovetic is more adaptable than Icardi to a change in tactics.
And ‘tactics’ is the key word to the drop in the Argentine’s form, with Inter’s new approach this season compounding the 22-year-old’s potential impact for his side. However, with Adem Ljajic ripping teams apart in recent weeks, and width being reintroduced to the side, Icardi could get back to similar form to that of his 22-goal season last time out and aid the Nerazzurri in their push for the Scudetto.
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.
