Following a mid-table finish last term, Inter now top the Serie A standings after 13 rounds and have conceded just seven times, however doubts remain over whether Roberto Mancini’s side can retain this position come season’s end.
Prior to the start of the season it would have almost been unforeseeable to imagine Inter Milan doing so well in the league. The latest transfer window leading up to the commencement of the current season was a positive one for the Nerazzurri overall, however, taking into consideration their summer clear-out and heavy recruitment process, as well as the fact the side was not even good enough to finish ahead of Sampdoria and Genoa in 2014-15, many were saying it would be a stretch to have Inter qualifying for the Champions League. Yet despite these assumptions, Mancini’s men look to have proven the doubters wrong, for the time being at least, as they sit at the league’s summit with just less than a third of the season completed.
A tally of nine wins, three draws and one loss makes for happy reading for Inter fans, but it is the club’s defensive record this campaign that provides a great deal of encouragement to Interisti. Mancini’s side has accumulated nine clean sheets from these 13 games – a feat made even more impressive by the fact that the 50-year-old manager has fielded a new-look defence consisting of new arrivals for much of the season. La Liga acquisitions João Miranda and Jeison Murillo have been simply immense at the heart of the Nerazzurri defence thus far this term, while whoever has been utilised at full-back by Mancini has done more than pull their weight.
All in all, the Milanese side has only conceded in four league games in 2015-16, with the 4-1 home drubbing at the hands of Paulo Sousa’s Fiorentina the only time Inter have conceded more than once in a single match.
In his second season in charge of the San Siro club, Mancini’s emphasis on getting the defensive aspect of the game right for the Nerazzurri looks to have done wonders. And with the common belief in Serie A that the side that concedes the fewest goals is the one that claims the Scudetto, the prospect of, at the very least, a top three finish looks very bright even at this early stage in the season.
For all the positives, though, there are many concerns being harboured towards Inter Milan’s style of play this campaign, with the most plain and clear one being the side’s lack of attacking production.
Sunday’s convincing 4-0 victory over struggling Frosinone was the very first time Inter have won a match by more than a solitary goal this season. Despite notching four against their opposition over the weekend, the Nerazzurri still sit eighth in terms of goals scored in the league in 2015-16 (tied with Chievo). Prior to this match, they were as low as 13th (tied with Palermo and Genoa), behind the likes of Chievo, Empoli and Atalanta.
Judging from these figures it would be simple to place the blame on 22-year-old striker Mauro Icardi. The Argentine, however (coming off a 22-goal league campaign last time out), has been deprived of service this season, with his side’s new style of play not fluid or incisive enough to provide him with the opportunities to flourish, with Icardi netting just four times in 2015-16. The weekend’s match against newly-promoted Frosinone has been the only exception to this so far.
The system that has been employed by Mancini is one that, simply put, does not provide energy or excitement, with the side having to grind out results rather than win 4-0 and entertain the fans on a weekly basis. Losing their chief creator in midfield Mateo Kovacic to Real Madrid in the offseason is a prime reason for the decline in production coming from midfield, with Inter ranking seventh in chances created in Serie A this term. Also, the Italian manager cannot seem to settle on a preferred starting XI and formation on a consistent basis, constantly chopping and changing his side. It is extremely rare to find a team at elite level with such a lack of continuity eventually attain success come the end of the season.
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Despite the lack of chances and continuity, though, Mancini’s side keeps winning. There does seem to be an element of luck to many of these victories, however. The fact that eight of Inter’s nine league wins this campaign have been decided by a one goal margin (seven of which saw 1-0 results) is a worrying stat in itself, and there is a general feeling that the Nerazzurri’s luck will eventually come to an end and they will be caught out.
Add to this the struggles Juventus endured in the early stages of the season (they are climbing up the table now), as well as Napoli’s slow start that saw them win just once in their opening five Serie A fixtures, and it would not be unreasonable to suggest Internazionale have just been the best of an average bunch in the league this campaign.
All this being said, however, Inter still sit at the top of Serie A table, and have been one of the most structured and difficult sides to break down, paving the way for their narrow victories. For how long this may continue, though, remains to be seen, with consistency in performances potentially being a key feature that ensures Inter remain where they are.
The coming match away to high-flying Napoli provides Inter the test that could determine whether they are, indeed, title contenders or just pretenders.
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