Next experiments

Mancini tried new solutions against Sampdoria. He tried a defense with D'Ambrosio, Ranocchia, Vidic and Juan and we played a good match defensively speaking. I think this defensive asset could be fine even though I'd prefer another defensor and not Ranocchia and with Juan sat on the bench  with Santon on the pitch.

I guess that when Mancini will understand that the perfect set up would be D'Ambrosio (Nagatomo)-Vidic-Andreolli (Felipe)-Santon will be always too late.

With these four players the defense could be fixed up: Vidic has the right experience to play there and to be the leader of it, Andreolli has the right pace and velocity as Juan (but with more experience and intelligence), Santon and D'Ambrosio could give their help on both phases, defensive and offensive.
Once the defense is settled, Mancini will be able to work on the midfield. He wants to play with the 4-2-3-1 and I'd start experimenting the duo Brozovic-Medel as soon as possible. Guarin? He could play wide on the right side with Palacio on the left and Shaqiri in the middle behind Icardi that is the player that has improved more with Mancini.

Podolsky could play as a change of Shaqiri or Icardi but not on the side because he's not a wing. Another point is that Podolsky is a striker and he needs to shoot a goal to shake the critics and the fears off.

This could be the best Inter from now to the end of the season:

Handanovic

D'Ambrosio (Nagatomo)-Vidic (Ranocchia)-Andreolli (Felipe)-Santon (Juan)

Brozovic-Medel

Guarin-Shaqiri (Kovacic)-Palacio (Camara)

Icardi (Podolski)

Continue playing with the asset of last matches is useless because we are out of every competition and the qualification for one of the European Cups (Champions League and Europa League) are too far to act conservatively.

©Inter.it

Mancini's mistakes

When Mazzari was fired every Inter's supporter was happy because it could have a big meaning: the end of the 'small thinking'. 

Just 5 years ago we won the Trouble, the maximum result for a soccer team, whereas with Mazzarri we thought as a small city's team that should be happy to play in the Serie A. 

In his first interview Mancini changed our world claiming 'We must always win, we are Inter'.

Yes Mancio, we are Inter but after your first four months it's time to have some first considerations. First considerations that are just a check point because we still have to play other 10 matches and if you figured out some mistakes we could probably win all of them. 

So, which have been his mistakes?

4- The winter market

It's always difficult to guess right every purchased player on the market and on last January we found three good players as Santon, Brozovic and Shaqiri. They are good but what could say about Podolsky? We had a negotiation for Salah but Mancini chose Podolsky according to his carrer. Now, I can accept this mistake from Mazzarri but not from Mancini that spent abroad the last 7 years. He should know the physical and the mental condition of Podolsky and of every other player in Europe.

3- Ranocchia-Vidic

His first step has been to change the tactic asset of the ream. No more three defensors (or, maybe, it's better to say five with three midfielders ahead them to make a filter in order to have a defensive phase of almost six or seven players...) and the return of the four defensors: two in the center and two on the side. Amazing intention but every Inter fan has been seeing Ranocchia playing since his first match and everyone of us knew that he's utterly unfitted to play on this way. Choicing to continue with him could be fine if you didn't have another good player on the bench but we have got Vidic! Nemanja has been the captain and one of the best defensor in the last decade and Sir Alex Ferguson must thank him if he has won some trophies on last years of his career. Vidic is still a top player but Mancini has always preferred Ranocchia to him. Unvelievable.

2- Juan

If I were a teacher on a soccer school I'd use him to explain exactly what a defensor shouldn't be. Never. When he played with two other defensors his mistakes were hidden by them but with this asset he's a total disaster. It's like playing in 10, perhaps it's like playing 10 against 12. If I were the coach of the opposite team I'd give to my striker just a couple of instructions: play near him and when we are attacking, just do three or four steps behind to bring him out of his position. On this way the midfielder has just to go straight on the door with no opposition. Juan is always somewhere else but where he should be, he doesn't have the tactical intelligence to understand his position, and the strikers' movements to make him confused, and he doesn't know when he must come back quickly once he's somewhere else. During these four months journalists used to accuse the whole defense but every goal was simply a mistakes of him. It's been a suicide to play with him in the most important matches as the ones against Wolfsburg or Naples. It's not been a surprise to see him playing better as a fullback against Sampdoria.

1- Too many modules

He has always said that he wants to play with the 4-2-3-1. Ok, so why has it turned to the 4-3-2-1 and the 4-3-3 after the first bad results? If he wants to play with the 4-2-3-1 why has he bought Shaqiri that isn't a wide and Brozovic thant can't play in one of the two positions in front of the defense? With these two he can only play with three midfielders (4-3-1-2 or 4-3-2-1 or 4-3-3) but this isn't the tactic he wants: he wants to play with the 4-2-3-1. Anyway, if he had continued playing with the 4-2-3-1 with Guarin and Medel we could have played some bad games and we could have lost some matches but we also culd have played some good games and Guarin would be improved a lot in that position. Furthermore, he'd be able to try Brozovic near Medel or the couple Brozovic-Guarin. The results? Guarin is always the same player that alternate good and bad matches and Brozovic and Shaqiri aren't learning and practicing their future positions. So, where is the training for the future?

Anyway, he has showed up his skills on his career and I hope this is just the first step of a new Inter. I still remember his first Inter with Veron wing on a strange 4-4-2. That team tied a lot of matches but ending up to be the base of our next victories on the second five years of the last decade. Let's work him with no pressure. I'm sure, it'll be the same.

©Inter.it

Who is really interested in matches between National teams?

I must admit, I'm not interested in national teams matches. I've always considered them as a waste of time because I can only have one favourite team in my life, not two of them. Watching a match is something passional, it's something erotical and when I see a group of players with a blue t-shirt I can only play make believe they should have some black rows on them.It's hard to explain so I'm going to imagine a discussion with a friend of mine.

H- So, what time will you have the match on Sunday?

M- No match on Sunday. I have a week off.

H- Really? Why? Is the championship finished?

M- No, it's the time for national teams. You know, that moment thought only for players that could earn more money if they played well or for nationalists that only love things made in their own country or for casual supporters that didn't know the number of players in the field but they blame you because, come on, you can't miss these matches.

H- Well, I'm surprised. You're a soccer fan and you should love the soccer as a game and not only your team!

M- Would you have sex with a person of your own gender? Somebody can, of course, and I don't blame them as I don't blame who watch his team and the national one as well. But you can fall in love with only one person a time. This is what really happens. National team matches are like the ones of our Rugby team: only few really understand it but when Italy plays the stadiums are always full.

H- It sounds crazy but logical. Anyway, this means we'll go to the theater on Saturday night, won't we?

M- Which play?

H- There is a modern version of 'Pride and Pregiudice' with many dancers...

M- Oh, what a pity! I'm sorry about that but I need to watch the match...

H- What? You said you're not interested, didn't you?

M- Right, but I must be up-to-date and then I must support against...

Call me crazy but I only love one team: Fc Internazionale Milano. The rest is worthless.

If only they had some black vertical rows....