Match Ratings: Inter 0 x 0 Samp

Let's see it. Bad game, Bad ref, Bad score. That's the match report. Although we were two man down we actually managed to hold a good defensive ground. Inter was more dangerous than sampdoria for the whole match. We actually could've won! But let's see the ratings for the players

Julio Cesar - 5: An average grade since he didn't have much to do. I could've gave him a ten since he was perfect! stayed between bars and watched the game having to make few runs to get the ball. Nothing to be said about him.

Maicon - 5: He could've helped us more. But in the first half, with the whole team still trying to figure out what to do with less man on the pitch he had to back up the defense. In the second half he actually pulled off some good crosses or potential crosses since there was nobody in the area. He paid for his teammates irresponsabilities.

Cordoba - 2: I gave him a two and still it was too much. He got careless after samuel sent off. he was the only defender there with a booking and still tried to push the ref! He knew the ref was crazy and trying to book everyone. He also knew that Sampdoria's players were diving to make the fouls seem harder than they really were. Cordoba's sent off foul wasn't that hard and normally wouldn't be booked. But since Pozzi was learning to fly he should've being more carefull.

Samuel - 3: Now you ask me why samuel got a better grade than cordoba. Simple my dear inter supporter. He fell for the Sampdoria's game of trying to get in his nerves. Cordoba was more stupid for seeing that and still make the same mistake. Samuel's sent off foul was right after the foul on stankovic. He tried to get even, but he got worse. Although people seem to like samuel a lot, I don't. I think he's average. He makes a lot of fouls and it's usual to see him getting late on balls and making dangerous fouls. In this game it was both! Too much fouls, and too stupid!

Zanetti - 4: Below average. he was supposed to be the captain but he was never there when the ref was booking everyone. Today Eto'o made the role Zanetti was supposed to be doing. Of course he was really good on the pitch like he most of the time is. But he lacked captain spirit. That's why the lower grade, since he couldn't do much due to the two sent offs.

Stankovic - 5: Stanko should've be more upfront. He didn't help much offensively as he should've. Defensively though he was pretty good. He needed to be more side to side to Sneijder. But he actually have to give the guy a break since he's comming from an injury and the game didn't help him at all!

Cambiasso - 7: Cambiasso did what we expect him to do. Mainly because of him and Lucio Sampdoria didn't bring any danger to Julio Cesar. If he plays like this against chelsea we may be looking at lampard and ballack not being able to play properly. He was very good and got more complete passes than usual. I don't remmember him completing a game with basically no wrong passes.

Muntari - 5: Didn't get to play a lot so didn't get to be Muntari. He almost got into a fight with Pozzi and he was right, he had to show him that's his house and not Pozzi's backyard. But then he got carried away and almost broke the bench. Yes, the bench where he should be sitting.

Sneijder - 6.5: Sneijder game was good. He presented danger to Sampdoria and tried some passes. The whole team got really carried away with the pressure though and he couldn't play with Milito. Eto'o showed up for the game and he could exchange some balls with him. The same didn't happen with Milito, our center forward, and Stankovic, the man who should be right beside him. The team wasn't really helpfull.

Milito - 6: Milito was a little off tonight. He didn't show up to game until we were 2 men down. And since he's not that fast and not that skillfull he managed to hold the ball pretty well for the second half. But nothing to great since he wasn't supposed to be there and didn't gave the ball to anyone to be where he was supposed to be: Upfront!

Eto'o - 6.5: Eto'o improved since the previous games. He showed up a lot and had a few chances, that he missed it's true but it showed some improvement. He worked both sides being really helpfull to Sneijder. Milito didn't help him and it seemed they weren't playing together. Despite the missed chances he did good passing and showed up for the ball a lot being more dangerous than milito. He actually was the most dangerous attacking player on the game.

Subs:

Lucio - 10: Yes, a clear 10. He was alone there and Sampdoria basically couldn't enter the area. If he plays like this against chelsea Drogba won't be able to play. He was perfect. Nothing more to say. Watch the game again and learn how to be a center defender.

Motta - 5: He played for a few time and didn't really helped or messed up anything. Average grade for entering the game.

Pandev - 5: Did nothing. Just like Motta. He was there just to complete the 9 men. If you ask me he is just beginning to play like he will for the rest of his stay. He's gonna help a bit and then go down.


And that's it. Like I said a bad game. The ref didn't really helped, the players also. One point from this game was a good thing. Another good thing is that we can defend. Certainly can. And this shows that a good result in the Meazza agains chelsea can be good enough. Since 0-0 against them in Old tratford might be perfect for us.

Give me your feedbacks.

The New Inter

Following Luke's article for 'The new La Grande Inter' i thought it would be nice to look at how we developed from previous years. It's known that Inter has changed a lot since mourinho started. Mancini's Inter was completely different than Mourinho's Inter for one basic aspect: mancini's team was around one man and mourinho's team is around the whole team.

First of all it's nice to analyse witch would work better. There's no way to determine this actually, but put a team around a key player is not the best idea. Of course Rijkaard's barcelona was meant to play around Ronaldinho and won the champions league. But we do have to remember they had two excelent players: Deco and Eto'o. Mancini's Inter was built around Ibrahimovic and had also two excelent players: Adriano and Figo. But we do have to remember the traditional tactical system he played and the problems adriano had. We have also to remember that Ronaldinho was a star that season while Ibrahimovic became a real star two or three seasons ago, by the end of Mancini time at inter and Adriano was already gone and Figo not half the player he used to be. All in all, Mancini's Inter could've work out but it didn't. Partly his fault for not renewing Inter's players but the main reason were key players not providing.

Mourinho's idea of a team is a lot different. He needs a captain, a playmaker, a goalscorer and other 8 men. He has zanetti, sneijder and milito. Of course Zanetti is about to end his career, but Mou has other two very trustable men in Lucio and Cambiasso to be the captain. Sneijder is 25 and can still play many seasons at top level. The same can't be said about milito, or Eto'o for that matter, but inter has possibilities in that area. The best thing about playing with the whole team is that you have lots of possibilities. Even barcelona doesn't build a team on a player anymore. One might think Messi is the team but it actually isn't. This is actually the first season with a new inter, so we are yet to see what can happen.


THE TEAM


The team is more uniform and well balanced. The team of the four scudetto had a very specific and short line.

J. Cesar - Maicon - Stankovic - Ibrahimovic

Now we have more possibilities since both maicon and lucio have good passing. Besides that we have sneijder with stankovic and both milito and eto'o are clinical. But let's divide it in stages. Let's see first our defense.

This was always our best part of the team. Bringing in Lucio was the best thing that could happen to our team. The leader of our defense was materazzi, but he started to perform poor and the leading defender got to be our keeper. Now we a have a leader and potential captain in Lucio. We cannot forget he's brazil's national team captain and played World cups and important international games. Let's also remember he scored the winner goal for the Brazillian team in the Confederetion's Cup. Our defense got even better both defensively and offensivelly. Let's not forget that lucio and maicon are dangerous in set pieces. I don't think I have to mention Samuel also, as he scores a lot and Santon is growing strong in the team.

The midfield got a lot better. Stankovic was never enough and the midfield is the most important part of the team. We now have possibilities on midfield we didn't have one season ago. we can play, in a defensive role, cambiasso - zanetti or cambiasso - stankovic. Offensivelly we even have more possibilities since pandev came along. We can play four midfielders in a diamond formation or 3-1 or even 2-3 with only one pure striker. The biggest change in our team was the midfield. It's actually the point where we start defending and start attacking. Some seasons ago our midfield was half of it our defense and one guy struggling to get the ball and find Ibra. Now we are trully balanced in the midfield. Mourinho likes possibilities, he likes to play with formations.

Our attack completely changed, witch is easy since there's only two players there. Milito and eto'o are great together. Alongside with pandev and sneijder they can be great. Both are very clinical and one of them is very experient in European Cups having actually scored in finals. Eto'o has nothing to prove to noone and Milito, the one who needs to prove himself, is doing it game after game. Balotelli is very inconsistent but also very young. He's the kind of player that coming in the 70th minute of the game can put it on fire!

All in all we can see that this Inter is more ballenced and has more options. the bench could be better. We have few options for the attacking midfield. This might change with khrin getting more playing time and Coutinho coming next season. As I said previously i'm going to say it again: WE ARE NOT A PREPARED TEAM!!! People seem to think that Rome was built in a day. This is the first season for this team. It's not ready. Pandev's role in the team is unknown and Eto'o still have to adjust to his new role on the team, specially after pandev's signing. We still need to know what to do with Motta and Muntari. Both hasn't been playing what are expected from them. Muntari seems to be a lost case but motta has improved a bit, but not enough to what is expected from him.

I'm still hoping this team can make history. Good things are ahead of us.

Cheers,
Christian Cardoso


PS1: After my posts I'll try to update Coutinho's situation.

PS2: Updating Coutinho :) : he played the Guanabara's Cup semi finals and was the best Vasco player of the game. Still it was a no goal game and they went to the penalties. The boy is freezing cold. His penalty was unbelievable, completly safe of what he was doing. If i find the penalty kick i'll post it on the facebook page.

The New La Grande Inter?

The most successful period in the history on FC Internazionale was the 1960’s, where the team won three Scudettos, two consecutive European Cups (also finished runner up in 1967), and two Intercontinental Cups. This team is known as La Grande Inter (the Great Inter).

The Grande Inter were managed by the authoritarian man manger and footballing genius Helenio Herrera. A dominant personality who could not abide dissent, especially from his players, and created a unit that played with unheard of unity. Psychological preparation was fundamental to get the best out of his players. To aid this he engaged in intense one to one sessions with his players to build their confidence, and used slogans, the two most famous printed in the Inter Milan dressing room:

“Class + Preparation. Athleticism + Intelligence = The championship”

“Defence, no more than 30 goals. Attack, more than 100 goals.”

“Attack the ball” was the motto that epitomized Herrera’s ideas about pressing and the use of space on the field. His players did not wait for their opponents to come to them, but tried to anticipate their movements. Being one of the founders of the catenaccio system his team was built on strong solid defenders, but was also the first to utilize defenders who could attack. This foundation was complemented by fast, skilful wingers and attacking midfielders. It was a winning formula.

Although Herrera was vital to the success of La Grande Inter, others were just as vital. The passionate and dedicated president and owner Angelo Moratti, and of course the team of high quality players (although top class players are only half as effective then when they are united and instructed correctly, which Herrera managed to do sensationally). There was the athletic and inspirational Facchetti who revolutionised the role of attacking full back. Picchi, the first real sweeper who was the rock of the team that made the defence solid. Burgnich, the piller and hard man defender who man marked opposing strikers into oblivion. The technical atuned and gifted Suárez who with the lightening quick Jair dictated Herrera’s explosive counter attacks, and of course the talented and extremely dangerous attacking Corso who was famously nicknamed "God's Left Foot" for his beautiful free kicks and crosses.

Post Calciopoli Inter, Inter have been the most dominant Italian team, being awarded the 2005/2006 Scudetto and winning every Scudetto since. Furthermore, Inter have also won one Coppa Italia and two Italian Super Cups in that time. The mid to late 2000’s and the 1960’s are the two most successful periods in the history of Inter, and coincidently the owner and president during this two respected periods has been a Moratti; Angelo during the 1960’s and his son Moratti in recent seasons. Domestically, the current generation Inter side has won more than La Grande Inter, and look on course to add another Scudetto and possible Coppa Italia to the trophy cabinet by the end of the current season. With that said, if the run of success of the current generation Inter team stopped at the end of the end season (even with another Scudetto and Coppa Italia), would it go down in history as more successful than the Inter team of the 1960’s and replace them as La Grande Inter? No.

Why?

Firstly, many people feel the main, and in the case of some people, the only reason Inter have been successful in recent years is because of Calciopoli and the punishment and subsequent demise of Juventus. Not only do I feel this is not the case (see my previous article for an explanation as to why), but I also do not feel this is the reason why the current Inter team will not go down in history as La Grande Inter in place of Inter team of the 1960’s.Unforutantely, I believe the success of the current generation Inter side will be tainted in history and down played because of Calciopoli. Nevertheless, the main reason why the current generation Inter team will not go down in history as La Grande Inter in place of the Inter team of the 1960’s is due to the lack of European success.

In football European triumph is the pinnacle of success. Teams only prove their greatness when they achieve success in Europe, with the Champions League (formerly the European Cup pre 1993) being the richest prize in the game. Whilst other big and even great European teams have achieved success in Europe’s premier competition, Inter have failed, and failed miserably for a long time. Not just in terms of failure to win the Champions League, but failing to progress to the latter stages or even be serious contenders. In fact, the last time Inter won the European Cup was when La Grande Inter won it all the way back in 1965. That is even longer than the last time England won the World Cup, so being an England and Inter fan, a lack of success in the premier competitions of the national and club teams I support has been a long road of pain and suffering, which is long overdue to end.

Since the turn of the new millennium, and the domestic success of the current generation Inter team mid way through the decade, performances in European competitions have been nothing short of dire:

2000/2001 = UEFA Cup fourth round, eliminated by Deportivo Alavés.
2001/2002 = UEFA Cup semi finals, eliminated by Feyenoord.
2002/2003 = Champions League semi final, eliminated by Milan.
2003/2004 = Champions League, eliminated in the group stage.
2004/2005 = Champions League quarter finals, eliminated by Milan.
2005/2006 = Champions League quarter finals, eliminated by Villarreal.
2006/2007 = Champions League first knockout round, eliminated by Valencia.
2007/2008 = Champions League first knockout round, eliminated by Liverpool.
2008/2009 = Champions League first knockout round, eliminated by Manchester United.

Again, the question is why? Why has a team which has dominated Italian football from 2006 till the present day failed to replicate that form in the Champions League?

I do not have a clear answer which I can sum up in a word, a couple of words, or a even sentence partly because I there is no clear answer for me and partly because I do not really know the answer, and I do not think that I am only as an Inter fan admitting that. All I can offer as an explanation is my interpretation of what the problem is.

Players?
The lack of success in Europe for Inter has to an extent been the fault of the players in terms of quality, but not psychologically. The Inter team in recent years had had a number of players who are experienced in big games. Players who had played against some of Europe’s biggest teams in high pressure games numerous times during their careers. Therefore, I do not feel the Inter players have lacked experience to negatively affect them psychologically, which many have claimed is the reason for the team’s failure in the Champions League.

Inter has also had a number of quality players, but have lacked key and important players than can make a difference, especially in midfield. The only difference maker Inter did have was Ibrahimovic. Although an experienced player with undoubted quality who performed well domestically against big teams, when it came to the Champions League he never seemed to deliver for Inter, nor for Juventus (the team he played for prior to Inter), and has also struggled for the current European champions Barcelona in the Champions League this season since his move last summer. Ibrahimovic was the focal point and the key man of Inter under Roberto Mancini, and even Jose Mourinho during his first season in charge, so his failure to perform in the Champions, is one of the contributors to Inter’s Champions League failure in recent years.

Mentality and/or Pressure?
Part of the problem. After all the domestic success in recent years Inter must have had a winning mentality to go into important Champions League games and know how to deal with pressure in a positive way to try and fulfil expectations. However, Inter’s winning mentality domestically grows off the back of a row of wins and good performances. Yet, in the Champions League they have performed badly season after season without building a back log of wins (not even in the group stage) so cannot develop a winning mentality and go into Champions League games as confidently as Serie A games, despite their success in Italy.

‘Weakened Serie A’?
Italian and non Italian football fans say a reason for Inter’s failure in the Champions League in recent years is because the supposed lack of quality in Serie A post Calciopoli. I simply do not buy this for two reasons. Firstly, how exactly did Calciopoli reduce the quality of Serie A? Were teams stripped of players or forced to sell them? No? Were half the Serie A teams relegated and replaced by Serie B teams? No. Other than Juventus, who were the only team relegated and pretty much forced to sell some of their players (a punishment which I still feel was too light to fit the crime), all other teams in Serie A remained as they were and were not weakened. Secondly, in the season directly after Calciopoli (2006/2007), Milan, one of five teams punished by a point deduction and forced to enter the Champions League qualifying round, actually won the Champions League.

Managers?
Can the managers be blamed? Yes. The current successful Inter side has been mainly managed by Mancini, who despite his credentials, was rather light weight and too inexperienced in Champions League games to deliver European success. In Serie A he successfully played a 4-3-1-2 formation, but in the Champions League a formation without wingers or wide midfielders/forwards tends to put a team at a disadvantage as they only have one channel of attack (through the centre) rather than two (through the centre and on the wings). Occasionally, teams have succeeded in the Champpions League playing with no wingers, such as Milan, but only when the centre midfield is packed with quality, something Mancini’s Inter team were not. Furthermore, unlike managers such as Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti, Mancini was not too good a man manager to motivate his players to rise on the big occasions, again presumably because of his lack of experience managing in big European games. Finally, Ibrahimovic was a key player of Mancini’s team. A player who the team depended on a lot, but as mentioned previously Ibrahimovic had a tendency to fail to deliver on the European stage for all the teams he played for.

Mourinho joined as Inter manager last season, and in his debut season in the Champions League Inter were again eliminated in the first knockout round. However, unlike in previous years Inter went out fighting against Manchester United. After a stalemate first leg in the San Siro, Inter created chances in the second leg at Old Trafford, hitting the woodwork twice and Ibrahimovic coming inches away from scoring on two other occasions. Inter were eliminated though 2-0, due to two marking errors. It was another disappointing Champions League exist, but it finally looked as if progress was slowly being made and Inter exited the competition with their heads held relatively high (if that was possible).

Mourinho, the new Herrera?
Mourinho is a more experienced manager than Mancini, who is more tactically atuned and a better man manager and motivator, attributes for why Moratti hired him in an attempt to finally recapture the Champions League which has alluded Inter for so long. In this respect I can draw some similarities between Angelo Moratti hiring Herrera and Massimo Moratti hiring Mourinho as both chairmen needed a change. Then there are the similarities between Herrera and Mourinho. Both experienced strong man managers, with dominant personalities who arrived with a proven track record of success and big game experience.

However, I feel the most significant, and important similarity, is Mourinho’s understanding of the need to have width in his team. This was most evident by Mourinho’s almost immediate attempt to change Inter’s formation to play wingers/wide forwards and change to a 4-3-3 formation. Unfortunately, in his first season the two wingers purchased to play the important roles of wingers (Mancini and Quaresma) failed to deliver, and Mourinho was forced to revert back to Mancini’s 4-3-1-2 formation in the second half of the season. It of course was successful in Serie A (winning Mourinho the Scudetto), but failed in the Champions League. During his second season he started playing a 4-3-1-2 formation, but realised relatively quickly (the turn point seemed to be the lacklustre performance away to Barcelona in the Nou Camp) that he needed to change the formation if this Inter team is to seriously compete at the highest level, which means in the Champions League. Since he has experimented with different players in a 4-3-3 formation and a 4-2-3-1 formation, and when reverting back to a 4-3-1-2 formation Inter have disappointed in terms of performance and results. As an Inter fan I am pleased he is reverting to a tactic with width, but my concern is he has not settled on a formation or fine tuned it with this season’s Champions League knockout stage fast approaching where Inter face a tough opponent in Chelsea.

I am not saying Mourinho is Herrera reincarnated, or that it is fate as both respected managers were hired by a Moratti president. Despite the similarities, differences between the two managers do exist. Herrera was more of a disciplinarian whereas Mourinho is more humane, and Herrera was a strong user of the catenaccio system. I am also not saying the current Inter team is as good as La Grande Inter because both individually and as a team La Grade Inter are/were superior. What I am saying though is that Mourinho is one of the first managers in a long time who I feel has the attributes to bring Champions League victory to Inter with the last manager being Herrera, who Mourinho has a lot similarities with, which I feel is a promising sign.

Nevertheless, Herrera did not win immediately when hired as Inter manager. He was at Inter for three years creating a great team before he won his first trophy. Yet, due to the impatience of the Inter fans born out of frustration of a lack of European success for so many years, and the demand for immediate results from the fans and to an extent the president, I am not sure Mourinho will be granted the same amount of time Herrera had to construct his team, which I feel any manager needs to have the best chance of developing greatness. Finally, in total Herrera’s reign as Inter manager lasted eight years. Even though I would like Mourinho to stay for a long time because I feel with time he could create something really special at Inter like Herrera did, with his desire to once again manage in England and to manage in Spain I do not feel he will his reign will be as long as Herrera’s.

In conclusion, the current Inter team, despite achieving more domestic success than La Grande Inter, will never replace Herrera’s 1960’s Inter side as La Grande Inter until they win two Champions League titles, which will be a very difficult challenge.

Luke Best.

Napoli vs Inter - Player Ratings

Cesar = 8.5 – Made some excellent saves. Showed the form of last season which has been lacking too much so far this season. He was beaten on both Napoli’s efforts against the woodwork though, so if it was not for the cross bar and the post he would not have saved us.

Maicon = 6 – Struggled. He tried to get forward, but Napoli did a good job at limiting his danger. Attempted a few attacking passes, but against Napoli did well to keep him at bay. Left a few gaps at the back when roaming forward.

Lucio = 7 – Made a crucial tackle in the first half. Remained strong. Had a lot to do due to how poor our midfield was today, and coped relatively well.

Samuel = 7 Similarly to Lucio, remained strong and had a lot to do due to how poor our midfield was today, and coped relatively well with it.

Santon = 6 - Not a great first half. Was caught out a few times when Napoli applied the early pressure, and was at fault forcing Lucio to make the crucial tackle. Grew and improved in the second half. Was strong and kept Napoli relatively quite down the right wing.

Zanetti = 5.5 – Dependable at times, but gave aware possession too many times for a player of his quality and experience. A serve lack of bursting runs from midfield, which contributed to the isolation of our strikers.

Cambiasso = 5.5 – No a great game from someone who is usually a consistent performer. One of the players most effected an unable to cope with Naopli’s early pressure by loosing possession too many times for my liking. Coped relatively well in the second half, but did not perform to his usual standard and hardly contributed to set any moves going.

Muntari = 5 – One his better games, just. He still gave away too many needless freekicks, collected his token booking and risked getting sent off twice by swinging at a player and arguing with the referee, both when on a yellow card. Still, he got an average rating as he finally put in a decent cross and did not take an shots other than the stunning effort that hit the cross bar (which I am still not entirely sure he meant), which actually turned out to be our second best chance of the game.

Sneijder = 5.5 – Considering he has been rested for the past two games due to suspension I expected more from him. Admittedly, just like Maicon Napoli did a good job in limiting his effectiveness, but he still lacked his normally good vision, positioning, and eye for starting moves and feeding our strikers. His set pieces were also all pretty dreadful tonight.

Milito = 5.5 – Quiet. Only one clear chance. Not all his own fault though. Napoli bossed the midfield and kept both Maicon and Sneijder quiet isolating both him and Pandev. Still, Milito has a tendency to drift in and out of some games, and tonight was an example of when he drifts more in than out.

Pandev = 6 – Was relatively lively and tried to make a few things happen himself when he realised him and Milito were isolated up front. In a game of few very few chances for us he had by best one, and he took it to late and finished badly. He needs to aim for the corners of the goal more, also demonstrated by his three central shots against Parma.

Mariga = 6 – Did pretty well as a second half substitute, and I feel was part of the reason we controlled the midfield, and more importantly the second half more. Gave possession away a couple of times, but played some nice short passes to keep movement flowing and remained strong to win balls. Great movment to set up Pandev’s chance.

Eto = 4 – Achieved nothing when he came on as a fresh pair of legs. Hardly noticed him to be honest. Never got into the game. None of his usual good movement. Offered no goal threat whatsoever. I am still waiting to see the Eto of Barcelona. I hope he is saving it for Chelsea.

Mourinho = 5.5 – Got the defence right as Napoli are a strong attacking team. We need our first choice defence and no experimenting with Cordoba at left back. He picked the wrong formation for me though. He should have played a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 formation. Mazzarri did an excellent job in countering Mourinho’s 4-3-1-2 formation today. Mourinho realised this and changed to a 4-3-3 formation, but too late for my liking as I felt it should have happened at half time. Balotelli should have been called up and brought on instead of Eto, especially after his promising performance against Parma on Wednesday. He made the right decision in substituting Muntari off at half time, otherwise he would have got sent off. Then again, Mourinho has to make that decision every time Muntari starts a game because he gets booked more often than not.

Half Season Report Cards

In keeping with Henry's latest article, it is past the half way stage of the season, so here are my half season report cards for our players so far:

Goal keepers:
Cesar = Overall rating – 7. A good start to the season, but he dipped in form in November to January and made some uncharacteristic errors. Has started to play much better in recent games, notably the Milan derby and against Napoli. He set the bench mark very high after his sensational performances last season (where he only just finished second as my player of season behind Ibrahimovic), and he has not replicated that form this season on a consistent basis.

Toldo = Overall rating – 5. Rarely featured due to being back up to one of the best goal keepers in the world. When called upon he has been dependable, but less reliable than in recent seasons due to lack of playing time and the fact that his age is showing. Still, has remained an experienced professional who I am sure is a good influence in the dressing room.

Defenders:
Maicon = Overall rating – 6. He has been pretty mediocre all season. Like Cesar, he set the bench mark extremely high with his performances last season. However, this season he has lack the bursts of pace down the right wing, seems to have gone backwards defensively at times, his crossing has been off and he has needlessly got booked and sent off for dissent. He also gave away an avoidable penalty away to Cagliari. His performances have not all been bad, and there have been glimpses of last season’s form, such as his performance and goal against Milan in the first Milan derby. Overall, his performances this season have been average and nowhere near last season’s. Must try harder.

Lucio = Overall rating – 7. A good purchase as he is an experienced and quality centre back who has different characteristics to all of our other centre backs, notably his pace and his ability to run the ball out of danger rather than punt it clear. He has made some crucial tackles, is always a danger when in the opposition’s penalty area, and has formed a good defensive partnership with Samuel. However, there have been occasions where he has been clumsy, left gaps at the back after one of his characteristic runs forward, scored an own goal in an important game against Dynamo Kiev, and occasionally has made stupid challenges, such as giving away the second penalty away to Bari.

Samuel = Overall rating – 8.5. One of the best centre backs in the world, and thus far this season he has demonstrated why. Strong, technically gifted, can read the game well, good in the air and rarely mis-times a tackle. He has even got three goals this season, two of which were very important against Dynamo Kiev and a last gasp winner against Siena. Keep it up.

Chivu = Overall rating – 5.5. A low rating, but mainly because he has been played out of position, which is not really his fault. Chivu is a centre back, not a left back. Furthermore, he has played left back in nearly every game in a 4-3-1-2 formation where full backs are required to attack a lot down the wing, and he has no attacking attributes. He plays well defensively (unlike Maxwell last season), but offensively has disappointed in pretty much every game he has played in. He picked up a nasty head injury and will be out until late March at the very least. Me and all the Inter Milan fans wish him well and a speedy and healthy recovery. It is unfair of me to say ‘must try harder’ when he will likely to still be played out of position when he returns. Still, at least he is not being played out of position in centre midfield like he occasionally was under Mancini.

Santon = Overall rating – 6. Had a pretty bad start to the season. I think he got caught up in the hype of his wonderful debut season and the call up to the Italy squad for the 2009 Confederations Cup, which had a negative effect on his performances at the beginning of the season. His performance in the game against Palermo in the San Siro is a prime example. He also lost his confidence. He suffered a relatively serve injury that kept him out for a couple of months. Yet, Chivu’s horrible long term injury has been a blessing in disguise. Santon has taken his place at left back during his absence and ever since has reproduced the form that made him a house hold name last season. He has an equal balance between defence and attack, and plays with maturity, purpose and quality. His most notable performance was as a second half substitute away to Parma. He has made up for his bad start to the season with his performances in recent weeks and I hope he keeps them up during the business end of the season, which we are now entering.

Cordoba = Overall rating – 5.5. Since Lucio’s arrival he has become a defensive utility player and has played far less than in previous seasons. When called upon at centre back he has been his usual dependable self. However, since Chivu’s injury Mourinho has played him at left back a few times, where he has looked uncomfortable both defensively and offensively. Still, despite his lack of playing time he has remained a professional, not complained (like certain Inter Milan players past and present), and did not request a transfer amongst speculation of a move to Manchester City during the January transfer window when Mancini took over as manager.

Materazzi = Overall rating – 5.5. Similarly to Cordoba, played less than in previous seasons, but when called upon has been dependable and not complained about his lack of playing time. Has also provided valuable advice to Balotelli and set an example for the young striker to follow.

Zanetti = Overall rating – 7. Captain and Mr dependable. Although he no longer plays in his natural position at right back, he still provides the occasional burst of pace and energy from midfield, which no other centre midfielder at Inter does. Rarely has he done anything wrong, and is just as effective now at the age of thirty seven than he was when he arrived at the club in 1995. A leader both on the pitch and off the pitch, which is important when the current Inter team have two talented players I hope to develop into superstars.

Midfielders:
Stankovic = Overall rating – 8. I feared he would struggle when we signed Sneijder as he would a) get less playing time, and b) perform as well considering he was moved back into centre midfield after playing behind the two strikers for the previous three seasons. However, just like when he was written off when Mourinho first joined Inter he has proved me wrong yet again. He has been in stunning form this season, probably because he has been moved back into his natural position: centre midfield. He has shown his experience and quality by rarely giving anything away and always looking to start moves and keep moves flowing. He has five goals this season, including a characteristic goal in the Milan derby (a great long shot) and a fantastic long shot from pretty much the half way line away to Genoa. Unfortunately he sustained a relatively serious injury, but considering the way he was playing prior to his injury I am hoping for a quick return as he is a quality and important player.

Quaresma = Overall rating – 4.5. Hardly used. When he came on as a second half substitute against Barcelona in the Nou Camp he was our best and most dangerous player. That earned him starting place in the following Serie A game against Fiorentina, when again he was our best and most dangerous player. Unfortunately for him and for Inter, he got injured in that game for a couple of months. Since his return from injury he has only made a few substitute appearances, where he has showed the form he did last season resulting in him being branded a flop. I feel it is time for Quaresma to end his Inter career and move on. If it was not for his performance in the Fiorentina game I am pretty sure he would have moved during the January transfer window. Good luck Quaresma, and I would say thank you for the memories, but in a season and half there have not been too many of them.

Thiago Motta = Overall rating – 5.5. Best summed up as a summer arrival who has struggled. A questionable purchase in my opinion. He has done nothing too wrong, but nothing too right. He is just there. There has been the rare occasion where he has played a nice pass, and the highlight of his Inter career has been the opening goal in the first Milan derby of the season. Other than that there has not been a lot to note about his performances. I did not expect a lot when he has arrived (unlike Quaresma) so in that respect I am not too disappointed in his performances thus far. Still, he is a new arrival and still needs to adapt to his new team, new surroundings and the higher quality football. He did pick up an injury for a month at the beginning of the season. I hope he improves in the second half of the season, but as I said previously, I do not expect too much from him, and I do not think he has/will provide the quality that we have been lacking in centre midfield in previous seasons, and I expect us to invest in that area next summer, again.

Sneijder = Overall rating – 8.5. An excellent purchase. Finally, we have an attacking midfielder with the quality, technical ability, vision, creativity and positioning that we have been so desperate for in recent seasons. He has proved to me since being at Inter that he is the best set piece taker in the world. He has scored important goals against the likes of Dynamo Kiev and Siena, and when he does not play the team has suffered as he links up play between our midfielders and our strikers excellently. However, that is my only criticism of Sneijder so far; when he does not play. He has been sent of twice for dissent. He really needs to stamp that out of his game because we are lost and at a big disadvantage without him. He is such an important part of our system that when he is absent we struggle to create chances and our overall performance suffers.

Muntari = Overall rating – 3.5. Last season he was our best signing. Not just because the other two were Mancini and Quaresma, but because he played well. This season he has been a shadow of his former self. He literally has done nothing right in any game he has played in this season. Even his only goal this season was a fluke which he did not mean. There is a good way and a bad way to play as a defensive midfielder. Muntari does it in a bad way by rarely winning the ball without fouling a player, is clumsy, looses possession, gets booked pretty much every game, gives away needless free kicks and has a problem with dissent. It is not surprising that in pretty much every game that he has started this season Mourinho has substituted him at half time. He can be replaced by so many players in the world for not too much money. He is strong and powerful with no technical ability. He is a perfect Premier League player, coincidently the league he has been linked with a move to. I would not be surprised or disappointed if he left in the summer. Must try a lot harder.

Cambiasso = Overall rating – 7. Not a very exciting player, but has been his usual work horse self, full of energy with his never give up attitude. Unlike Muntari, Cambiass has played as a defensive midfielder in a good way by winning possession, closing down gaps, tackling (not fouling), not collecting needless yellow cards and no giving away pointless fouls. He has struggled a bit with fitness and injuries this season, and has not performed as well or scored as many goals has he has in previous seasons, but has still been a consistent enough performed. We need important players like him playing well as we enter the business end of the season. Continue as you are, and try and score a few more goals.

Krhin = Overall rating – 5.5 A young player who has rarely played. Has only made three appearances this season, two as a substitute. When he has played he has not done anything to shout about, but he did not do anything wrong. He did his job and what was asked of him.

Mariga = Overall rating – 5.5. A new signing, and similarly to Krhin has rarely played since his move, but when he has he has done what has been asked of him. Nothing too exciting, but he has done nothing wrong. A few promising moves. He is more of a centre midfielder than a defensive midfielder. I hope he shows more signs of promise between now and the end of the season.

Strikers:
Milito = Overall rating – 9. I wanted us to sign him every since the end of last season. He finished last season as the second highest scorer and did not forget how to score over the summer. Ever since his arrival he has scored and scored. Clinical and deadly. Has drifted in and out of games, but when given the service he more often than not puts the ball in the back of the net. I could not have asked anymore from him. Keep it up for the remainder of the season, especially in the Champions League.

Eto = Overall rating – 6. Disappointed thus far from an individual’s performance, but content (just) with his role in the team’s performance because of the goal scoring exploits of Milito. Ten goals in twenty six games. I expected more to be honest from a striker who is one of, if no the most well paid players in the world, who developed the reputation as the world’s most clinical strikers whilst at Barcelona, and was valued highly in the part exchange deal that took Ibrahimovic to Barcelona in the summer. He has shown some good movements when on the ball, but his finishing has been questionable on more than one occasion so far this season, with his guilt edge miss against Fiorentina when one on one with Frey being the notable example. The obvious reason for why he has thus far failed to score as often for Inter as he did for Barcelona is because he had more creative players creating chances for him at Barcelona, and he was the lone centre forward, where at Inter there is also Milito. Nevertheless, he is the only player in history who has scored in two separate Champions League finals, and we need that big game experience and quality if Inter are to finally win the Champions League. Must try harder.

Balotelli = Overall rating – 4.5. He has gone backwards for me this season, both in terms of his performances and his attitude. When he has played, he has only played well in short spurts, which have been rare. For example, he played well during the first twenty five minutes against Palermo. Most of the other times though he has been extremely lazy on the pitch. Giving up too easily, not chasing balls, being selfish, supplying poor crosses, and not listening to his manager’s orders. When he has scored his goals over shadow his poor performances, for example his stunning free kick in the crucial game at the San Siro against Rubin Kazan. Mourinho has tried many different ways to help him improve, and he seems to be loosing patience with Balotelli. Must try a lot harder.

Pandev = Overall rating – 8. A great January signing, on a free contract. Has given a new dimensions to our attack as he is a forward and not a centre forward like Milito and Eto. He also allows Mourinho to play three strikers at once. He has shown good movement, good awareness, and has scored quite a few goals since his arrival. The team has looked stronger since his arrival. He still has the bad habit of dribbling with his head down and running into opposing players and loosing possession, and his finishing is not as clinical as Milito’s as demonstrated against Parma and Napoli.

Arnautovic = Overall rating – 5. Only made two appearances, both as a substitute so has hardly played. When he has he has done his job and not done much wrong. He was part of the build up for Samuel’s dramatic last minute winning goal against Siena in the San Siro. As part of his loan agreement he has to start ten games this season to make his loan deal permanent, so I am pretty sure he will return to FC Twente in the summer, which I will not loose any sleep over.

Response To Susy Campanale's Article Entitled 'Multi-taskers Needed'

Susy Campanale, a relatviely incompetent writer for www.football-italia.net, has today written an article entitled 'Multi-taskers needed'. She essentially claimed that Italian teams cannot compete in three competitions, and bases her argument solely on Fiorentina's current crisis and Roma's last season. To read the not so long article, follow the link below:

http://www.football-italia.net/blogs/sc100.html

My reponse:

Dear Susy Campanale,

To generalise that all Italian teams cannot compete in three competitions is just plain wrong. Inter Milan for example are comfortably leading Serie A, are in the semi finals of the Coppa Italia where they have the first leg lead, and are in the Champions League knockout stage. Additionally, Roma, in the 2007-2008 season (the season before their poor season last season which you fequently referred to in your article), almost won the scudetto on the last day of the season, won the Coppa Italia, and went further than any Italian team in the Champions League, knocking out European heavy weights Real Madrid in the process, and being eliminated by eventual winners Manchester United.

Furthermore, if you are going to criticise (wrongly in my opinion) just Italian teams for failing to compete in three competitions, then have a look at teams in the Premier League and La Liga. Liverpool were realistically out of the this season's Premier League title race in November, and last season Chelsea were realistically out of it in January under Scolar's management. This season Liverpool failed to qualify for the Champions League knockout stage, and both Manchester United and Liverpool got knocked out of the third round of the FA cup, both against lower league teams (Manchester United got knocked out by a team two divisions lower than them) whilst fielding full strength squads.

Similarly, last season Real Madrid were effectviely out of the La Liga title race in January, although Barcelona were in outstanding form, got knocked out of the Copa Del Rey by lower league Real Union when thirty two teams were still left in the competition, and were kncoked out of the Champions League in the first knock out round in pretty humiliating fashion by Liverpool. After investing over £200 million in players during the summer Real Madrid's new generation of glactico again went out of the Copa Del Rey in the same round as last season in devasting style, again against a lower league team valued at a signifcantly less amount of money (Alcorcon, 4-1 on aggergate).

In conclusion, your generalisation was not only inaccurate, but you also conviently failed to consider the ability of teams in other leagues to compete in three competitions.

Yours sincerely,

Luke Best.