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At Inter Spalletti creates what he needs, not what he wants

At Inter Spalletti creates what he needs, not what he wants

  • Richard Hall
“Inter have their own identity and tonight played like a mature team that knows when to wait for the important moment but at some moments we don’t maintain the idea of the football we want” Luciano Spalletti to Mediasport Premium
 
The Inter coach has proven this season that he is nothing but adaptable in his style, that is as long as the result is consistency. The 2-0 win against Atalanta highlighted once again, the ruthless pragmatism employed by the Tuscan ‘mister’ and as he walked into the tunnel, he knew his team were still undefeated. Juventus’s second loss of the season, this time to Sampdoria, made sure Inter secured second spot by the end of the weekend and whilst they are not turning heads with their style, they are looking like genuine Scudetto contenders.
 
Spalletti’s exploits with Roma last term saw them win many friends, as they were classed as one of the most entertaining teams in Serie A to watch. Luciano played multiple line ups and multiple formations, they liked to attack from wide positions and were arguably one of the best counter attacking teams in the division. The coach morphed, in game, between a 4-3-3 and 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 with his players like Emerson, Mohammed Salah and Juan Jesus, being just some examples of players who could fit in in numerous positions. His team could pass through a midfield and if they could not would often use the pace on the wings, play long balls and by pass it. Multi-faceted, multi-talented and often cavalier, they managed to blow many opponents away but ultimately, they won nothing after crashing out of Europe, the Coppa and finishing second in Serie A.
 
Perhaps looking back at Spalletti’s first spell in charge at Roma gives a clue as to how he has consistently been dictated to by the sum of his team’s parts. Who can forget the famous 4-6-0 he used to incorporate Francesco Totti and whilst this is again, creative and innovative but ultimately, they trophy cabinet was similar. Perhaps the only similarities in Spalletti’s team are that defensively they have often been found a little wanting but not anymore.
 
When Spalletti arrived at Inter he was convinced that he would have a creative trequartista playing behind Icardi and supplying the wings but the inability Marcelo Brozovic and more importantly, Joao Mario have shown in doing left him with a conundrum. As the team has emerged throughout this season Luciano has infact surprised many in his approach, there is no creative innovation here, instead the formula is defensive consistency and finding Icardi. The midfield now uses Matias Vecino, Roberto Gagliardini and Borja Valero to provide solid cover for the back four and supply the wings when possible. The work rate in the collective defensive responsibility has also been seen in Icardi’s constant tracking back to find the ball in deep areas. Here, this constant midfield press to get the ball and distribute to the wide positions often looks turgid but it works.
 
‘The raptor’ as Spalletti now calls Icardi, has 13 goals in 13 games and is in electric form. Whilst the team would be lost without him in the side, he is still fighting fit and whilst this is the case the coach does not have to be creative. It is this consistency of line up that has also paid dividends. If you perform you are in and the fact that only Davide Santon’s selection for Yuto Nagatomo is the only change in five games says it all. Inter have a system that defensively is miserly, they have only conceded nine goals (like league leaders Napoli) and only Roma better this.
 
Spalletti has certainly looked at the current squad and gone against his usual mantra. He admits that this isn’t the ideal type of football he wants to play but it works. Later in the season he certainly may need to get more creative, but this will be something the coach wants to avoid. The Tuscan has spent many years impressing the fans with a slick attacking style, but it has won him nothing. Now he has the opportunity to see if defensive stability and a gloriously dangerous striker can bring him home the Scudetto.

@RichHall80