Where do I start off? The off-field drama involving Perisic really affected Inter this January. Perisic wanting to leave & being left out of the last game really put a strain on our momentum. We might not like his attitude, but today’s game just showed how integral he is to the Inter lineup. Perisic is a world class player, and his eventual departure next window will leave Inter with a big gap down the left flank. Yahn Karamoh has big shoes to fill, but I have complete confidence in his ability.
I believe Spalletti’s days are numbered. Mourinho is available and let’s not forget Conte. Both coaches have the ability to bring out the best in players and both coaches would suit a team and a bunch of players who would perform based on actually having passion for the team they are playing for. Both coaches would bring an exodus of players leaving the club and bringing in what is right for the club.
But onto the game now. From the get-go we should have known that it wasn’t going to be our night tonight. Icardi missed an absolute sitter. A chance he would have buried at any other time. I think it’s time he gets off Instagram posting photos of his dog, and go back to the training ground. He hasn’t been the clinical striker we are used to as of late and his lack of goals are hurting us. We have a back 3 of Handanovic, Skriniar and De Vrij. These 3 alone would keep any team to a maximum of 1 goal. We need more from our front line, and cannot afford to keep dropping points, it is an actual surprise where we sit on the ladder and should count our lucky stars to not be lower. We have had other results swing in our favour and this cannot continue.
I’m not even going to start with our wingbacks, but I believe that Dalbert is putting in the effort and this should be acknowledged, and I believe he will slowly get better, however, to compete with Juventus in the future, we need world class wingbacks to match our world class spine in defense. Cedrics’ first start for the club was decent, but I will not comment on him until he has a few games under his belt to make a judgement.
With Icardi, I believe his off-field antics should also be considered, he and Wanda cause too much to not be punished. The bare minimum should be that he is stripped of captaincy, and if a good offer for him comes from Madrid we should sell. He will bring in a massive cash inflow and with it, bring in a few good players who would change our style of play. I feel Inter are a completely different team to when he is not playing, something that should be considered for the end of season.
In addition, Martinez, yes he is young, and yes he will develop to be an outstanding striker, but he has cost us too many points with his missed chances. I don’t think we should lose faith in him, but it makes me question why Gabigol was not given the same chance. He is an outstanding striker and he is tearing it up in Brazil. He was given a total of 76 minutes at Inter, 76! How can anyone show their worth in that time? I believe Inter should bring him back if they were to sell Icardi, and he would be able to prove himself. Martinez has been missing too many chances, and needs to join Icardi on the training ground.
It was a lackluster performace from Inter, and especially at home. Vecino is a player who wouldn’t even start for my local team. He reminds me of a post-injury Jordan Henderson, only able to pass sidewards or backwards, and only go forward when there is literally no one on him. He misses too many chances, and for me is not an Inter orange peeler let alone a starter for the club.
Inter keep on letting go of their young players and to replace them with what? We had Ibrahim Mbaye who was one of the star performers for Inters youth champions league winning team and he did very well against us. These players who would be so lucky as to be in the stadium of true Inter players. A big disappointment in Nainggolan this year, a player who I admired watching him at Cagliari and at Roma, and for Inter to get him at the expense of Zaniolo, and 30 million is a joke. Zaniolo now himself is worth that, and that is the most disappointing deal in recent years.
Soon the current players holding us together like Handanovic and Skriniar will realize that they do not want to be part of a team who is continuously moving backwards. We are lucky to be Inter and if it was any other club, these players wouldn’t even have signed in the first place. Whenever I feel like we are taking two steps forward, I feel we shoot ourselves in the foot and take one step back.
Inter and the players need to wake up to themselves, we should be getting a guaranteed 3 points from games like Bologna and especially at home. I believe the players are completely to blame, but we cannot look past Spalletti and his choices, where I believe he will be sacked very soon. I feel every year we go into the season with new belief but it is constantly a letdown. It is a disappointment to Inter fans worldwide and something we do not deserve. Inter should only keep the players wanting to play for the club, and reward players like Ranocchia who actually play with their heart on their sleeves, where I believe passion is more than talent.
I think it’s time to prepare for a world without Perisic and Icardi, both players who have done a lot for the club but players who are do not completely have their hearts in the team.
