p After winning the scudetto in comfortable fashion (ten points ahead of second placed Juventus), Inter Milan seem to be rebuilding. This is of course after a disasterous showing in the UEFA Champion's League. They were bested by eventually finalists Manchester United in the first knockout round for the third consecutive year. President Massimo Moratti was clearly disappointed.
Jose Mourinho was more realistic.
The portugese tactician saw the defeat to Sir Alex's team as unlucky however he knew they must improve if they are able to compete with the upper echelions of European football.
Although Inter cruised to the Serie A title, the Lega Calcio was left somewhat weakened. Weakened by a Juventus team from Serie B. Weakened by a suprisingly uninspired Roma team. Weakened by a predictable and aging AC Milan team on decline. Weakened by disappointed performances by Fiorentina and Udinese.
Inter managed to walk to the Serie A title in the 2008-2009 season however this was a poor indicator of European football strength.
President Moratti was left with some pie on his face as the reason for his dismissal of well-respected coach Roberto Mancini (who also won the scudetto) was their defeat at the hands of Liverpool in the Champion's League the previous year. To him, european success is paramont as Inter have not won the Champion's League since 1964-65.
To start the rebuilding, Serie A top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic was allowed to follow his desire to join Champion's League Winners, Barcelona. This is by far their biggest move. Not only was he their top scorer and Serie A capocannoniere, he helped them win the scudetto the previous year on the final day, away to Parma, by scoring two goals while coming off the bench and still recovering from a serious knee injury. Zlatan was the main offensive weapon in the offense. He was relied on more than any player on the team and maybe more than any other player (maybe with the exception of Roma's Francesco Totti) in Serie A. The pressure was obvious during their Champion's League knockout round with Manchester United. With Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic close covering of the tall talisman and with midfield help, they were able to effectively render Inter's hopes null and void.
It was clear that if Inter wanted to progress they needed more scoring from other individuals (other than perenial headcase Adriano).
As such they made a move for Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o. Eto'o has amased a formidable goal scoring tally at Barcelona: 108 goals in 140 games. He is still in his athletic prime (28 years old) and is a player Jose Mourinho has always admired. They also brought in Genoa's hero Diego Milito. Milito is a great fit in Serie A. In his first stint at Genoa he scored 33 goals in 59 games in 2004-2005 but due to the match-fixing scandal, he was forced to leave for Spain. Returning to
To compliment them, Mourinho has brought in highly rated Brazilian forward Kerlon to be added to the returning hot-headed sensation Ballotelli and the Nigerian Victor Obinna.
They have added Diego Milito's teammate Thiago Motta to help create more chances in the midfield as well. Other than those previously mentionned, it is still yet to be seen if the offensive -minded Brazilian Mancini and Mourinho's personal Porto selection, Ricardo Quaresma can adjust to Mourinho's Serie A addition of his 4-3-3.
The problem now seems to be the defensive line. Although Bayern Munich's Lucio seems to be a welcome addition, his legs have seen better days and other than his addition, defensively they will rely on the likes of Javier Zanetti, Ivan Cordoba, Nelson Rivas and Marco Materazzi. A lineup that would make the likes of Europe's best strikers salivate.
Upon reviewing the changes, it's is hard to immagine Inter winning Europe's Holy Grail. Although on the surface, or at least offensively, they seem more versatile, they lack the depth and talent at midfield and defense to pose a real threat to the Real Madrid's, Liverpool's, Barcelona's of the world....nevermind the Juventus' and AC Milan's of the Serie A.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
It is kind of strange that they appear to be rebuilding, but I actually think they're stronger. With Milito and Eto'o in place of Ibra, now teams have to mark 2 very good players instead of 1. Throw in Balotelli, Mancini or Quaresma (maybe) and the trident should be a threat. I think the addition of Motta will actually stiffen up their midfield a bit. I still think Inter are the favorites, but Juve will give them a tight race.
ReplyDelete