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.