OPINION Inter look impotent right now
Impotent. Inter haven't just come away from the Juventus Stadium with their hands empty, they're proving that 2016 has been a completely different kettle of fish. 3 wins, 3 draws and 4 defeats are a poor return on fans' expectactions, especially when Juventus, who at one stage were 20 points short of Inter, now find themselves top of the league.
The most disheartening thing about the 2-0 defeat was that the Nerazzurri didn't show up to not concede, but to not concede too much. Their opponents played a game of cat and mouse with them, all whilst avoiding falling into the trap of underestimating the opposition.
In fact, Juventus were very much up for it, and the taste of blood drove them into a physical frenzy. Combine that with their technical superiority, and the outcome was a foregone conclusion. It's galling that Inter were unable to do the same when they were on top: the year of the Treble, for example, they needed a mistake to break through and beat Juventus 2-0 at home. This time round, Juventus didn't even need to make the most of Jeison Murillo's early clangers, else the score would have been even more embarassing.
Could Inter have made up for it tactically? Well, Mancini certainly got those wrong, choosing to mimick his opponent's 3-5-2 instead of coming up with something original. Then again, playing a more aggressive 4-4-2 would have allowed Juventus dominance in the middle.
Mancini chose not to speak after the defeat, choosing to let Javier Zanetti and Director of Sport Piero Ausilio to do all the talking. The latter had no problem accusing the players of lacking personality and, er, balls. And to think that I'd exhorted the Nerazzurri to do just that in the game, with my title (“Icardi, shut Bonucci up!”) turning out to be a huge own goal. Though I'm ready to take all the ribbing that is sent my way, I get the feeling that it wasn't ballsiness that won it for Juventus. They also won because they're much better. It's not about individuals: even swapping a number of players wouldn't have made a difference.
Sod's law would have the very same Bonucci score the opener, thus keeping to his promise that he would down Inter and cancel Icardi out. The Argentine striker can hardly be blamed for the fact that he is alien to the rest of the team: Icardi is a goalmouth striker, someone who adds the finishing touch to the buildup. Since Inter don't have any buildup whatsoever, could it be time to sell the Argentine whilst his value is still high and bring in a more workmanlike alternative, someone who is willing to run for 90 minutes?
Obviously, I'm just teasing: it would be just another own goal for the Nerazzurri.
Cristian Giudici (@CriGiudici), translated by @EdoDalmonte
