The secret to be a top player

Kovacic has gone to Madrid. I say it at first: I'm fine with this decision for many reasons:

1) PRICE: It's impossible to refuse $35 plus bonus (if they confirm this amount of money). It's impossible because we aren't a healthy company and we are under the control of the Uefa and its Financial Fair Play according to it every company must be financed by itself. Currently, we can't finance ourselves so we need to increase our profits to cover all our debts and meanwhile we need to spend 0 euros during the transfer market. Until now we have spent a lot of milions and we needed to get some money back from sellings. We have sold some young players but it has not been enough and we need more cash. In this situation is impossible to refuse 35M.

The second reason is that currently Kovacic is a top player in potential. I mean, in his game we can see he will become a top player but at this moment he's not as good as any other normal player. He doesn't add anything and he probably pull something off. Have you seen the goal scored by Milan during the TIM cup? Kovacic had to be there, covering on Bertolacci, but he was somewhere else. If two expert coaches as Mazzarri and Mancini hasn't found the right position to him means that at this moment he's not as good as we need. Because we must win (= qualification to the next Champions' League) now.

Let's see the last years average rate performances: 

2014-2015: 5,84

2013-2014: 5,84

2012-2013: 6,04

These are numbers of a common player, not a big one. So, we have sold for 35M a player that will probably spend more of the next season on a bench or questioning: Is he really a top player? Currently not, he'll become one day. Maybe.

2) AGE: Now, let's go to analyze some features a bit deeper. Let's start with his age. Anyone says he's too young to be a top player. Ok, generally it's true because he is only 21 but we are talking about a top player and a top player is good at 30 as at 20. I'm not talking about Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo or other super players but also other normal players that became amazing over the following years. One could be Coutinho (now 23): when he arrived at Inter he was only 19 and he showed amazing skills and a good potential. He didn't play a lot only because he had players like Milito, Cassano, Eto'o, Pandev and so on, but if Coutinho had been at place of Kovacic he would have played every match and, let me say, he would have played much better than Kovacic. The age is not important: or you are a top player or you aren't. Well, I mean, I'm talking about the level of Di Maria, Ozil, Fabregas, this kind of players and at 21 years old everyone of these were already good players. Kovacic isn't. 

3) TACTICAL: Is he a midfielder? No, he's not. Is he a playmaker? No, he's not. Is he an attacker, a striker, a wide or a player that could play in one of the offensive roles? No, he's not. Or, at least, he is not at this moment. This is another important aspect fo being a top player. You can have a bit of confusion with your role when you play during your youth, but once you play in the First Team you must have understood which is your role on the pitch. Anyone has understood where Kovacic could play. The same, if we're talking about a top player he should have the power to change the game or, at last, he should have the power to give you the maximum result in a position, even if that position is the wide back. Kovacic can't assure nothing. At all. Which is his role? In Spain is different, positions aren't very important and maybe Kovacic will have the chance to play freely and he will probably excel, but not here, not in Italy where if you are a midfielders you must know how to defend and how to attack. Especially if you are a top player.

Let me give an example. Curently Gnoukouri is better than Kovacic because he knows his position and in that position he can improve himself. He could also change a bit his way of game playing on the side, but it doesn't matter. Gnoukouri can give you a better performance, and we are talking about a teenager of 18 years old. Is Gnoukouri better than Kovacic? I don't forecast the future, I can only see that currently Gnoukouri is much more useful than Kovaci.

4) PERSONALITY: There is one last aspect that a lot of people pretend to hide. The personality. If you analyzed the story of each top player we could see that the talent isn't enough. A good talent without a lot of suffering, workouts, determination is completely useless. We aren't in the 60s' when a player like George Best could have a popstar lifestyle and being an absolute champion on Sunday afternoon during the match. Actually is not possible. Look at the career of players like Balotelli, Adriano, and a lot of others that only focus on their talents. No, you must work everyday on your skills, on your problems, and every fall is a chance to improve yourself. 

If we could see the career of Bobo Vieri we see an outstanding star, an unbelievable striker. But if you look at that a bit deeper we could see that the first young Vieri wasn't so good, when he played for Juventus he wasn't the amazing striker as when he went to Lazio and Inter. Why? Simple. Because he worked a lot on his mistakes, on his body, on his skills. 

What is the difference between Cristiano Ronaldo, Bobo Vieri, Messi, other successful players and Kovacic? The fact that his last months haven't shown a big improvement than his first months at Inter. He doesn't seem to have the personality and the determination to be a top player. 

I don't know him personally, of course, so I can only talk about what I can see during the match, but he gives this image: it's like the student that knows he will be promoted because he is intelligent, and for this he doesn't study. The legend says that Einstein wasn't a good student but afterwards he has become the best scientist in the world. I think that Einstein wasn't good at school in those subjects he didn't like, but he was really curious in improving and studying in those he liked. And all of this work has brought him to be the genius he's been.

If Kovacic wants to become a top player, I guess he should work at first on his personality and then on his position on the field. Real Madrid is a big milestone on a carrier, but you must demonstrate you deserve the camiseta blanca, otherwise next summer we'll be here talking about a Kovacic sold for 5M to a smaller team.

Anyway, good luck Mateo!

(c) Inter.it

Why I am not worried. Moreover, why I think we are getting better

There is a strange vibe around our team along this summer. It looks like we are a confusing team, with no strategy, with a confused manager on the bench. The two derbies lost against Milan have brough the feeling we are far away from a good point. Is that true? My opinion is no, at all.
• MATCHES: Let's take a look of our pre-season matches.
Bayern Monaco, 0-1. We have played a good defensive match with a couple of good chance until we have played with out best players. Bayern scored the goal only when we changed the whole team (and with a positioning mistake by Juan).
Milan, 0-1. We have played with a team full of youngsters for 70' and Milan has never been really dangerous. Then it scored with an amazing goal (but a bit fortunate) by Mexes in a corner action. With out best players (for only 20') we didn't score, but we played much better than Milan.
Real Madrid, 0-3. It's been our best match for 20' playing at the same level with the Real, having some chances to score a goal, but then Cristiano Ronaldo and friends scored the first goal and the match changed at all.
Galatasaray, 0-1. Icardi, Palacio, Hernanes and others have had the chance to score a goal against a team that it's champion in its country. I guess it has been a good match by Inter, when only a goal has missed.
Bilbao, 2-0. We have seen a very good Inter, with an outstanding impact by Jovetic, at his debut with our shirt. I think this is the real Inter, even though there weren't some players that are going to arise our level.
Tim cup. Milan, 1-2. We started with a really strange tactical set by Mancini and apparently it was really strange, but not completely (after I'm going to explain it). For 30' we haven't managed to figure out the situation and Milan was completely full in control of the match. Afterwards, Mancini changed Brozovic for Hernanes changing the set up as well and everything has changed. The Brozovic goal, the second Brozovic chance by Brozovic saved on the line by Romagnoli, the goal scored by Nagatomo, the Kovacic chance in only 15'. Playing only 15' we could score 2 goals against.
Tim cup. Sassuolo, 0-1. We haven't played a good match, but it wasn't the real Inter. Schelotto, Manaj, Delgado aren't our best players and it's impossible to evaluate this match.

And now, let's go to see our rivals preseason matches:
JUVENTUS:
Dortmund, 0-2.
Lechia, 2-1
Marsiglia, 0-2
Lazio, 2-0
LAZIO:
Auronzo, 14-0
Cadore, 9-1
Vicenza, 0-1
Anderlecht, 1-3
Sigma, 2-3
Mainz, 0-3
Juve, 0-2
MILAN:
Alcione, 5-1
Legnano, 5-1
Lione, 1-2
Inter, 1-0
Real, 0-0
Bayern, 0-3
Tottenham, 0-1
Tim, Inter, 2-1
Tim, Sassuolo, 1-1
NAPOLI
Anaune, 8-0
Ferlapi Salò, 5-2
Cittadella, 5-1
Nizza, 2-3
Porto, 0-0
ROMA:
Gyirmot, 1-2
Real Madrid, 0-0
Manchester City, 2-2
Lisbona, 0-2
Barcellona, 0-3
Valencia, 3-1

I don't see 7-0 against big teams by our rivals. I see that each team is trying to do its best to find the right set up asap.
• TACTICAL SET UP: Mancini has always said that he wants to play with different systems. Getting the defense with 4 players we can have these modules:
4-4-2: we don't have any wings, so has tried a module with two attacking midfielders on the sides. During the TIM cup, Kovacic and Hernanes shouldn't play as common wings but they should start from the side for going to the center. If you remember the first Mancini did the same with Emre and Veron. In the 2004, we played with this team:
Zanetti-Burdisso-Materazzi-Favalli
Veron-Cambiasso-Davids-Emre (Stankovic)
Neither Emre and Veron were wings but they started from those positions to go to the center and becoming dangerous with their fantasy. So, the idea wasn't bad, the problem is that unfortunately both Kovacic and Hernanes aren't good players, currently they are half players and it's not possible to ask them to play as Veron or Emre/Stankovic. Anyway, I guess we'll see again this system, but only when we will have Perisic on a side and a Guarin/Brozovic/Kovacic on the other side.
4-3-1-2: I don't think Mancini likes this system but it could be the best to support an offensive set up. Kondogbia and Medel on the side and Kovacic in the middle could be a solution, but not only because we also have players like Brozovic, Guarin, Gnoukoury, Hernanes that can play in these position. These players could also play as attacking midfielder, especially Kovacic that is still searching his best position (I hope it is ahead of the defense).
4-2-3-1: It's the module Mancini prefers, and I think it's the best one, because it becomes a 4-5-1 on the defensive phase and a 4-3-3 in the attack one. Salah would have been the better to play with Perisic and Icardi, but he's gone to Rome and now we have Jovetic that is not a wing, but he could play there.

At last, I guess we haven't seen the full potential of players like Brozovic and Kovacic and I guess that over the next season we will see the explosion of these two players, especially by Brozovic that could really become our new Stankovic. Waiting for the physical improvement by Gnoukoury (this is why Mancini wants an elderly in that position), I think we have the right players to do a good season.
We only need a new left wide back (it's not possible to see Juan over there) and an attacker like Perisic, one that cold play in attack and on the side, one like David Silva, or Pedro, or Eto'o. We need an attacker like this.

I believe in the Inter that Mancini is jellying day after day. I'm trustful. It's only August, and I want to remind you that last October people wanted to sack Pioli as Lazio's manager because of an horrible start in the season: he has arrived on the third position. So, let's give the right time to Mancini and to this Inter, we have all the prerequisite to do an amazing season.

(c) Inter.it

Inter-Bilbao: what we have learnt

Inter-Athletic Bilbao has been a good demonstration on the real job Roberto Mancini is doing this summer. A tactical job, yes, a work on players' mentality, of course, but first of all he has revolutionated the type of players.
If we go to see the single performances we can divide players in three categories: good performances, medium, and bad performances.
GOOD PERFORMANCES: Miranda, Murillo, Gnoukori, Jovetic.
MEDIUM PERFORMANCES: Santon (good in particular in the first half), Brozovic, Nagatomo (in a new role), Juan, Medel, Montoya, Palacio.
POOR PERFORMANCES: Guarin, Ranocchia, Icardi (goal a part he hasn't played a good match, but it's not his standard).

It's not casual the fact that the best players are those that Mancini has decided to buy this summer (or last January as Brozovic and Santon). He's creating a new team with new players, better ones, and this is what we really needed.
You can change managers, training systems, tactical modules, but players like Guarin or Ranocchia will continue to be confused on the field. Let me add even Juan that was the main reason of most of goals we suffered last season because of his problems in positioning and concentration (and only this summer: Bayern's goal was caused by Juan).
Not only, last three years we had players that didn't have good quality in their feet, but Mancini has immediately begun to find players with good feet and the level of our soccer has improved.
If you play with Miranda-Murillo instead of Ranocchia-Juan the team performance is going to improve. And I could continue talking about the big changes we are having in terms of new players, but I think that last season we had big problems in the defense because of Guarin, Ranocchia and Juan and just changing these players will be a huge improvement.

Now, we have a last problem: the left wide back. It's not possible to see Juan in that position, because there we need someone that knows how to defense and when to attack supporting the offensive phase. We need someone that knows how to do a tactical diagonal, and how to maintain his position instead of being everywhere but in the place he must be.
I hope Juan should be sold, but there is a reason if Marquinhos, Romagnoli or other young defensors have huge appraisals and Juan and Ranocchia are players than nobody wants: the reason is on their performances. Unfortunately. Managers, especially abroad, are willing to spend milions of pounds or euros for good players, and Juan and Ranocchia aren't. Unfortunately.

Anyway, the Mancini's therapy is only at its first step, and we'll need to accomplish our goal (qualification to the next Champions' League competition) to have a further step (buying even better players), but we have a certainty: the music has changed, and we have the sensation that we've got back our loved Inter.

(c) Inter.it

The role of 25 players in the team. My idea

25 players with more than 21 years old for each team. This is the rule that the Italian soccer federation has ordered to all teams, and this has caused a big problem because a lot of teams must play many players before the end of the market session.

The rule is even stronger. Every team can have 25 players of more than 21 years old, and 4 of these must have been formed by another Italian team: when we was young (15-21 years old) he should have played in Italy for at least 36 months. Furthermore, other 4 players of the 25 must have been formed by the same team.

Summing up, 17 players can come from wherever you want (group A), 4 must have played in Italy (no matter the team) when they were 15-21 years old (group B), 4 players must have played with the actual team when they were 15-21 years old (group C).

So, let's trying to understand the current situation at Inter.

GOALKEEPER

Handanovich: 31 years old (A: 1/17)

Carrizo: 31 years old (A: 2/17)

Berni: 32 years old  (C: 1/4)

DEFENDERS

Jesus: 24 years old (A: 3/17)

Andreolli: 29 years old (C: 2/4)

Montoya: 24 years old (A: 4/17)

Vidic: 34 years old (A: 5/17)

Santon: 24 years old (C: 3/4)

Dodo: 23 years old (A: 6/17)

Ranocchia: 27 years old (B: 1/4)

Murillo: 23 years old (A: 7/17)

Miranda: 31 years old (A: 8/17)

D'Ambrosio: 27 years old (B: 2/4)

Nagatomo: 29 years old (A: 9/17)

MIDFIELDERS

Kondogbia: 22 years old (A: 10/17)

Kovacic: 21 years old (C: 4/4)

Guarin: 29 years old (A: 11/17)

Medel: 28 years old (A: 12/17)

Brozovic: 22 years old (A: 13/17)

Hernanes: 30 years old (A: 14/17)

STRIKERS

Palacio: 33 years old (A: 15/17)

Icardi: 22 years old (B: 3/4)

Biabiany: 27 years old (C: 5/4)

Jovetic: 25 years old (A: 16/17)

Shaqiri: 24 years old (A: 17/17)

This is the situation according to the official website. We have 17 players in the group A, 3 in the  group B (but we should understand the Jovetic's status), and 5 in the group C (Kovacic has played for 3 years and he arrived when he was 18 years old).

So, we have at least 1 player to sell, but the Vidic's injury put it aside the list and probably we'll sell Andreolli, Juan (let's hope), Nagatomo, D'Ambrosio, Shaqiri, and Dodò (loan). (I don't consider Schelotto as well that is already out of the team).

If we sold these 5 players, we'd have space for Melo, a left wide back and another attacker (Perisic or someone else). 

Our situation is not so dramatic, considering the fact that this market session will last for another month, more or less.

(c) Inter.it

Preseason matches. Get 'em for what they are

Reading everywhere I find people worried for this summer preseason matches. 'We haven't scored a goal', 'we have lost with everyone', 'we don't play well' and 'Mancini is a bad manager because he isn't figuring out our situation'.

I could understand if these complaints arrived from some supporters because we have one of the most demanding supporters in Italy, but I'm really hard to understand why journalists, former soccer players and other experts don't say the reality. That is just one: the preason matches are useful only for mixing up every part of the puzzle (every player is like a piece of a team that is like a puzzle to be composed) in order to find the right set up for the future.
If we don't experiment at this moment when results are not important, so when?
If we don't try something new, if we don't try players in other roles or zone of the field where they could act better, so when?
If we don't try with any pressure some actions learnt during the training sessions, so when?

I'm not worried. I understand what Mancini is doing.
Last year he got a bunch of players chosen by Mazzarri and that Inter was based on one idea of soccer: a big defence with at least seven defensive players (Ranocchia, Vidic, Juan, D'Ambrosio, Nagatomo, Medel, M'Vila) leaving the commit to attack to the other three offensive players (Hernanes, Icardi, Palacio, Guarin, Kovacic and so on). The focus was on the defence, on the fact that we had to pay attention on our oppositors than trying to score a goal more than the others. This could be a good system if you have players like Cavani, Lavezzi, Hamsik, or Ibrahimovic, but what if you have players like Hernanes and Kovacic that still have to understand their positions, Icardi that was only a good striker (not like now that is a total forward), and the worst Palacio of last years? With no quality in the midfield and with no good wide backs (Dodo and Jonathan were embarassing players, Nagatomo has been injured for the whole year and D'Ambrosio should "learn" how to play for Mazzarri) how could we have a good game? The results were what we saw until december.

Since his arrival Mancini has tried to change the mentality, bringing the desire to score a goal, trying to improve players skills. Players like Palacio, Medel, Icardi, Hernanes have improved their soccer, but it wasn't enough. We needed something more, we needed strong players with rock bodies and fine minds. We also needed better players, and it's easy to see that we have improved:
Jonathan --> Montoya
Ranocchia --> Miranda
Juan --> Murillo
Nagatomo --> Santon or someone else
Medel (as director) --> Kovacic
Kuzmanovic --> Kondogbia
Osvaldo --> Jovetic
Don't you think we have improved? The others are the same: Brozovic, Guarin, Palacio, Icardi, Hernanes, Shaqiri, Kovacic, Handanovic. At last, let me add guys such as Gnoukouri and Biabiany that will play a good role in the next season.
I think we have done a huge step forward, but we need time. It's not easy, we need time to set up everything, every honest expert can say this.

According to the our past preasons we can see that:
2006/2007: Lost against: Milan, Juventus, Napoli, Tottenhem. Won against: Alto Adige (2-1), Porto, Maiorca (1-0). Draw against: Monaco, Aja, Watford, Sporting Lisbona.
At the end of the year we won the Scudetto with a record number of points.
2007/2008: Lost against: Valencia, Arsenal, Aston Villa, AZ Alkmaar, Barcellona (0-5). WOn against: Cina Olimpica, Man Utd, Napoli, Juventus, Milan.
At the end of the year: Scudetto
2008/2009: Lost against: Juventus, Milan. Won against: Al Hilal (1-0), Bari, Bayern, Ajax, Benfica. Draw against: Siviglia.
At the end: Scudetto
2009/2010: Lost against: Chelsea, Club America. Won against: Milan, Monaco, Bahrein (1-0). Draw against: UCLA College (2-2), Juventus
At the end: The Triplete

These are the preseason matches of an Inter that was destined to win everything.
I prefer to lose now and winning afterwards than the opposite. Moreover, we should understand against who we have lost: Bayern Monaco (with a goal scored thanks to the usual error in positioning by Juan), Real Madrid, Milan (with an impossible goal by Mexes and with our youngsters for more than one hour on the field) and Galatasaray.
This time last year we won against Roma and Real Madrid, and all of experts talked about a good Inter gelled by Mazzarri. Then we know how it finished.
So, please Mancini, do every experiments you want and let th others talk just to sell some copies of their newspapers feeding supporters that see a doom in every aspect of their lives.

(c) Inter.it