Position: 3rd
Points: 72
Previous season: 2nd, 84 points
Best Serie A scorer: Lautaro Martinez, 21 goals in 38 Serie A games
Serie A Rating: 6/10
Season overview
This season for Inter was a strange one. Perhaps expectations have been rising ever since Antonio Conte won the Serie A title but Simone Inzaghi’s job has not been easy. Financial restrictions have been tough, Inzaghi still ended the season with two more trophies and a Champions League Final. However, when one looks at the Serie A table, there is a glaring issue. The 12 defeats are simply not good enough and the lack of draws suggests that the Nerazzurri really are a cup team, all, or nothing. If Juventus hadn’t fallen into the abyss it would have been worse.
Turnaround moment
This came against Empoli in April. The 3-0 win wiped away a poor run of form that had seen Inter almost fall off a cliff. Losses to Spezia, a draw against Porto and defeats to Juventus and Fiorentina were followed by draws against The Old Lady in Coppa Italia and then Salernitana in Serie A. The final indignity came against Monza when they were well beaten by a single goal, a result that saw many questions if Inzaghi had lost the dressing room and whether his substitutions were just simply too chaotic. The stabilising win against Empoli then saw eight straight wins in all competitions and effectively saved the season.
The Coach – Simone Inzaghi
Terribly hard to predict, his team still performed this season and when players were fit, they looked unbeatable. However, the Nerazzurri were never credible title contenders and struggled for consistency for several months. Some of Inzaghi’s tactical decisions looked dubious in the campaign. Late substitutions and sometimes a defensive look in big games saw many ask questions and yet, other times saw his teams look invincible as he managed to put a squad together and demolished some of Italy’s and Europe’s best, including Napoli, Milan and Barcelona.
Player of the Season – Lautaro Martinez
The Argentinian has edged this over the likes of Nicolo Barella and Federico Dimarco but either of those two players could have easily taken the crown for their displays. Perhaps Lautaro deserves this not just for the total of goals he has scored but the quality of them as well. His ability to play alongside Edin Dzeko and Romelu Lukaku made him untouchable in the eyes of Inzaghi and the numbers justified it. Only Serie A’s Capocannoniere Victor Osimhen managed more goals than Lautaro’s 21 in 38 league appearances. It has been mentioned before but El Toro is also a selfless player who will assist as much as shoots and for this reason, his tally is even more impressive.
Disappointing player of the Season – Joaquin Correa
Whilst many eyes will look to the defence here, it must be said that whilst not disappointing, frustrating is certainly the word. Joaquin Correa got to play 26 games this campaign albeit half of these off the bench. The talent and pace he has should make his totals better but three goals and a single assist have been a poor return for a man of obvious talent. At 28 years of age and playing for a coach he knows he should have been able to at least double that tally but alas for Inter, he could not come up to the standards necessary in this campaign.
@RichHall80