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