Inter – I Love Inter Milan

Have Inter Finally Turned A Corner?

Despite breaking even in the summer transfer market, it was widely acknowledged that Inter had done some great business. The players that were brought in were more suited to the system and philosophy of Luciano Spalletti than those who left, and it was just a matter of time before that would bear fruit on the pitch.

However, the season did not start too well. One win from their first four league matches left the Milan club languishing in the lower half of the table. And two late goals in the Champions League win over Tottenham Hotspur glossed over what was an unconvincing performance overall.

There was never a question there would be a bedding in period this term, so it was no surprise when the club chose to show patience with the coach when some were starting to call for his head. For all his technical talent, there were genuine doubts about his ability to install a winning mentality at the club. But, by the start of the international break in October, things started to look up.

Inter currently sit in third place in the Serie A table, just two points behind Napoli, and are level on points with Barcelona in Group B of the Champions League, six points ahead of third-ranked Tottenham. The performances have improved and there is an air of confidence building around the squad.

The real test will come after the next setback: Will Spalletti be able to keep his players’ heads up? How will they react? Can they make the tactical switches required to win key games? The upcoming clashes against rivals AC Milan and Barcelona will reveal if Inter have finally turned a corner or if it is just another false dawn.

Inter have now gone seven years without a trophy, a fact that seemed inconceivable after their incredible run of success in the post-millennium period. In that same period, Spalletti has won the Russian Premier League, Russian Cup and Russian Cup with Zenit St Petersburg, having previously won two Coppa Italia and one Supercoppa Italiana with Roma in the 2000s. Bringing glory back to Inter would represent his greatest achievement so far. The club are currently 6/1 to win the Coppa Italia and 33/1 in the Serie A betting.

One of the players who could be crucial in helping the coach in his quest is Lautaro Martinez. The highly-rated youngster looks like the real deal and already has a goal to his name having scored against Cagliari. He has only started twice so far for the Nerazzurri but a goal for Argentina in only his second ever start during the international break should see his confidence rise further.

The 21-year-old’s rise to the elite level has been a sudden one but he seems to be taking it all in his stride. The €16m fee that Inter paid Racing Club in the summer already looks like a bargain. By next summer – if he continues on his current trajectory – that figure should have doubled at least.

Inter Milan Must Invest in January

Heading into the winter break in Italy, Inter Milan are already 15 points adrift of leaders Juventus in the Serie A table. Stefano Pioli’s side have a lot of work to do if they are to qualify into the Champions League next season.

One of the biggest priorities for the club next month, once the January transfer window opens, is to make sure they retain the services of Mauro Icardi. The 23-year-old striker has been the one bright spark this season where he has scored 14 goals so far in the 2016/17 campaign.

Inter are now 8/1 with bet365 for a top three finish at the end of the season. They have won their last two fixtures in Serie A as they beat Genoa 2-0 at the San Siro, while seven days later they were successful away from home as they defeated Sassuolo 1-0.

Pioli will be hoping to add some quality to his squad in January and here are three players who could be on his shortlist.

Yaya Toure
Inter’s chief target next month is thought to be Manchester City’s Yaya Toure. The former African Footballer of the Year was frozen out of the first-term earlier in the season with the English club by manager Pep Guardiola due to a fallout.

Toure has though recently returned to the starting XI for City where he has impressed, including in his side’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal.

The former Barcelona midfielder’s contract is up at the end of this season and there does not look to be any sign of the two parties sitting together. This could allow Inter to pick the player up in January for a minimal fee.

Toure has been linked with Inter a number of times in his career and he may now see it as the perfect opportunity to move to Italy. If Pioli can get the best out of the 33-year-old, he will have one of the best midfielders in Europe.

Mario Balotelli
When Mario Balotelli left Liverpool in the summer, his career was on the dip. He joined French outfit Nice in Ligue One as they were one of the few clubs who were prepared to take a chance on the Italian.

Balotelli has helped inspire his side to the top of the standings in France. He has scored six goals in his seven league games this season as he appears to be finding his best form again.

It was with Inter in 2007 that the Italy international made a name for himself. Although he would still be deemed as a risk, if Pioli can sign him and Balotelli keeps up his goalscoring run, he could help them reach the top three in the standings this season.

Frank Lampard
Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard left New York City FC last month as his two-year contract with the MLS club came to an end.

At the age of 38, the Englishman is no longer at his best, however, on a free transfer he may just add some much-needed cover and quality to the midfield over the next six months.

Inter May Struggle to Attract Quality
The biggest problem Pioli may have next month is persuade top-class talent to join his squad. Without any Champions League football and things looking bleak for European action next season, it could prove to be a hard sell.

INTER AIMING HIGH

Inter Milan have been one of the teams in the race for the Italian Serie A title for the 2015-16 season. The club have been living up to the tradition of Italian clubs being very defensive.

Most of the nine wins achieved by Inter have been by a small margin. Much of the good form has been built on a stable defence that has conceded very few goals. In fact, Inter Milan have the best defensive record in the Italian league this season.

When asked about the possibility of entertaining fans more by scoring goals, Mancini stated that he would rather win 1-0 till the end of the season.

It appears clear that Roberto Mancini is very keen on lifting the league title once again with the club. The former Manchester City boss led the club to several league titles before 2010, but there remains a huge question mark about the credibility of those titles.

Back then, AC Milan were clearly not focusing on the league while Juventus were fighting hard to return to the top division after being relegated.

Hence, it has been maintained that Inter won those titles due to a lack of competition although Mancini tends to differ. Fans of other Serie A clubs point to this list of Microgaming Pokies at Pokies Palace and say that, much like the Serie A championships in those years, there really isn’t much competition as to which one is the best!?

A title victory now would help Mancini back his claims.

“I love a 1-0 win and if we win the next 15 matches by that scoreline then that would be perfect. There is so much chatter but we like hearing other people talk about us. You need good, intelligent lads in any dressing room. They have a great relationship.”

“Sometimes in a family there are disagreements – it can happen between parents and their children so just imagine having 30 people from different countries. This is the best squad I’ve ever had in that regard and I’ve barely ever heard them have any problems,” said Mancini.

Inter Milan slipped to a new low

Inter Milan slipped to a new low after a 1-1 draw against Parma. This was the second consecutive match in which they have failed to win and it asks further questions about manager Roberto Mancini.

He was the much hyped a replacement for Walter Mazzarri, who had failed to deliver after more than 18 months at the club. Mazzarri witnessed the club slip away from the Champions League places and out of Europe altogether. It looks like Mancini will be unable to get the club back into at least Europa league football for the next campaign.

Inter Milan slipped to a new low after a 1-1 draw against Parma. This was the second consecutive match in which they have failed to win and it asks further questions about manager Roberto Mancini.

The club are already almost 10 points behind the final Europa League qualification spot. Despite this, Mancini says that he is not ready to give up on his Inter Milan work just yet. This is his second spell at the San Siro and Mancini says that it will take at least a year before the club are playing in the way he wants them to play. Inter have spent a substantial amount of money last January in revamping the squad. They are expected to spend more in the coming summer. Some of the signings made in January like Shaqiri have been excellent for the club.

“I’m at a brilliant club. I think we can get back to being competitive. To experience a year without trophies is not a huge deal if you’re building a top team.There will be 300 days or so without trophies and in that time we’ll work to make the team stronger. Quitting Inter isn’t in my plans.When the team and I spoke before the Parma match, the players knew it was the worst match we could face. Parma had nothing to lose,” said Mancini, who reportedly has a release clause in his contract that would allow him to leave on a free.

Roberto Mancini didnt get good news to Inter Milan after Return

Roberto Mancini took over as the replacement for Walter Mazzarri back in November, but he has managed only one victory in the league since his return to Inter Milan.

The former Manchester City boss won several league titles with Inter in his first spell. Several reasons have been attributed for Inter being unable to perform at a high standard even after a managerial change and one of them is the lack of understanding to the manager’s philosophy. Mancini says that the players need to understand his requirements quickly in order to start winning matches.

Roberto Mancini took over as the replacement for Walter Mazzarri back in November, but he has managed only one victory in the league since his return to Inter Milan.

The recent poor form has not hurt Inter match because they remain only six points away from the third placed Lazio. Only the top three qualify for the Champions League next season. The possibility of winning the title has already gone out of the window, but Mancini will regard the season to be a huge success if Inter can finish in the top three. Some of the club’s currently vying for this third spot are Napoli, AC Milan, Lazio, and Sampdoria. The winter break provides Mancini with some much needed time in order to get his message across. Inter return to the league action in the first week of January with a mammoth clash against Juventus.

“It has been wonderful to come back here and experience that connection with the fans. Now it’s down to me to make the squad understand my ideas quickly so that we can taste success again. There’s work to do, but we’re on the right track. First of all, we need to believe we can achieve a third place finish, otherwise there’s simply no point. It’ll be difficult, but you always need to have confidence in your own ability. It’s up to us to go for it, both in Serie A and the Europa League,” said Mancini.

MANCINI STARTS WITH DRAW

Inter Milan recently brought back Roberto Mancini for a second spell at the club in order to replace Walter Mazzarri, who was sacked just into the international break.

Mancini’s return to the San Siro has been marked with one of the games of the campaign. Their match against archrivals AC Milan on Sunday night was seen as a major chance for Mancini to get confidence back into the team.

Inter Milan recently brought back Roberto Mancini for a second spell at the club in order to replace Walter Mazzarri, who was sacked just into the international break.

However, they could only achieve a 1-1 draw and it required a second-half goal from Inter to get this point. Joel Obi score the equaliser in the second half to save Mancini’s blushes, but the Italian admitted after the match that Inter need a lot of work to be done and that success cannot come over night.

Inter have been struggling to get back to the Italian elite level in the last few years. They are without any form of European football this campaign. After a poor start under Mazzarri, Inter are looking once again unlikely to finish in the top three.

Mancini won several league titles with Inter in his first spell, when they were powered by the goals of star-striker Zlatan Ibrahimovich, which made them favourites for the league in the eyes of the Swedish bookmakers. Even though those titles are heavily disputed due to the lack of proper competition at that period, the former Manchester City manager is held in high regard. It may be awhile before he starts winning league titles with this Inter team.

“Derbies are always difficult and this was no different. I am very happy with the way the team moved, as with five days together to change a system after a year and a half playing 3-5-2 was not easy. They all did very well. I don’t expect to change a team completely in five days, especially when the systems are different. It will take time, but our objective is to win as many games as possible quickly, even if we’re not at 100 per cent,” said Mancini.

INTER ARE BACK

Inter Milan recently returned to winning ways after a 1-0 win over Torino, which helped boost the chances of catching Napoli in the table. There still remains a significant points difference between Inter Milan and Walter Mazzarri’s previous club, but the manager says that it is still quite conceivable that the club finished in the top three.

However, in order to do so, Mazzarri has said that Inter Milan should develop a ruthless streak in order to kill opponents much earlier. Torino threatened to get back into the match with a late equaliser, which would have meant more dropped points for Inter.

Even though they did not come back, Mazzarri says that it is always better to finish the opponents when they are on top. Inter Milan have struggled for consistency this campaign and it has seen them slip slowly towards mid-table mediocrity in the last few months. They started the season brightly by challenging the likes of Juventus and Napoli for the title. Inter have taken only 44 points from 27 matches this campaign. Mazzarri’s striking options have been boosted by the return of Diego Milito, who helped the club win the treble in 2010.

He has been a major absentee, although it is highly likely that the club will allow him to leave in the summer with his contract expiring.

“We need to be more convincing and meaner, and never be satisfied with keeping it 1-0. We did this in part, but at times we were missing a bit of luck with the final pass. We should have tried to close things down completely since one little mistake can cost you the three points. The only drawback today was not having shut down the game completely, as we saw at the end,” said the Inter Milan manager. Palacio scored the winner in the encounter.

END ON A HIGH

After a 1-1 draw with Cagliari, Inter Milan manager Walter Mazzarri revealed that he wants to end the season on a high. The club had brought in Mazzarri is the replacement for Andrea Stramaccioni in the summer.

After a great start to life under the former Napoli manager, the club has struggled with much like the recent seasons since November. This has seen them not only slip out of contention for the Champions league qualifying spots, but also from the Europa league contention as well. This has put the club in real danger of missing out on another season of European football.

However, Mazzarri is confident that the club will recover from this mid-season lull. Inter have fallen a massive 11 points behind third placed Napoli. Napoli occupy the final Champions league qualifying spot. Even Fiorentina have a five-point advantage over Inter Milan.

Despite the failings, Mazzarri has sounded confident about the hopes of finishing the season strongly. Inter are already looking towards the next campaign as they are close to announcing a deal to bring Nemanja Vidic from Manchester United.

The Serbian will arrive on a free transfer as his contract with the Premier league giants comes to an end in the summer. He is expected to plug a massive hole in the Inter defence.

“I’m pleased with our last two results, especially the second one because we played very well. I’d like the lads to keep playing like this and improve further, striving to produce 100% in every game. There are 42 points up for grabs between now and the end of the season and we have to try and put as many on the board as possible so that we can climb as high as possible. We want to end this year on a high and make sure this is a positive season,” said Mazzarri.

REF BLAMED

The manager of Inter Milan, Walter Mazzarri, has said that the main reason behind his team’s defeat in the Serie A match against Lazio was the decisions of the referee.
Inter lost that game by a close margin of 0-1 and moved down to no. 6 in the points table.

A few controversial decisions were made by the referee in the game and all of them went against Inter. So, Mazzarri’s disappointment can be understood. He reckons that Dias should have been sent off for the foul that he committed on one of his players and his team should have been awarded a penalty.

Talking to the reporters in the post match press conference, the Inter manager said, “I knew that facing Lazio would be a tough task, but, I was backing my players to secure three points. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do it and I think that’s because of some of the decisions made by the referee. He didn’t send Dias off and that, according to me, was not the right call at all. We deserved a penalty there as well, but, we didn’t get it. That was a critical moment of the game.”

This is Mazzarri’s first season at Inter Milan. Until the last season, he was in charge at another Serie A club Napoli. His tenure there was quite successful and he was expected to do the same kind of work at Inter too, but, he hasn’t been able to do so.

The Black and Blues, despite having some wonderful players, have not managed to win even 50% of the matches that they have played in Serie A this season and the pressure on Mazzarri is gradually increasing now.

Inter’s next match is a Coppa Italia encounter against Udinese on Thursday.

MAZZARRI HAPPY

After taking from Andrea Stramaccioni in the summer, new Inter Milan manager Walter Mazzarri has said that he is so far happy with what he has seen from his team in the pre-season matches.

Andrea Stramaccioni lost his job after the club finished ninth in the Italian Serie A in what turned out to be one of the most disappointing seasons for the club in the last few decades. Mazzarri has been given the task of revitalising the club, which won the Champions League only a few years ago. Immediately after taking over, Mazzarri said that he did not want to increase the expectations straight away.

Hence, he is looking to do a better job and does not want to place any targets. After seeing his team performing the last few matches in the pre-season, Mazzarri has said that he is happy with the players at his disposal. Inter Milan have made some changes to the squad by bringing in the likes of Ishak Belfodil and Mauro Icardi from Parma and Sampdoria respectively. They will provide some much needed strength to the attack, which is expected to miss Diego Milito for the first couple of months.

The former Genoa striker is the main striker at the club, but his place is now under threat.

“I want a team that people enjoy watching, with a soul, that never gives up. And I can promise you that. People are free to assess the potential of the team, but it’s my job to convince the players that we can win every game. I haven’t had individual chats with all the lads yet but they’ve exceeded my expectations. They’re determined to bounce back. I prefer actions to words. And I get the impression these players are going to give me everything they’ve got,” said Mazzarri.