Although Inter start the new year 11 points behind league leaders Napoli, they can still kick off the second half of the season with confidence, Richard Hall details.
There is no option other than to admit that Napoli are favourites for the title this year. Luciano Spalletti has been impressive this team and despite losing Lorenzo Insigne, Kalidou Koulibaly and Dries Mertens in the summer, the team have stepped up and are strong favourite.
Inter have struggled with the big games this year, against Lazio, Milan and Juventus they have floundered but with players returning from injury, they can be confident of chasing the Partenopei all the way to the finish line.
Marcelo Brozovic and Romelu Lukaku have been key to the Nerazzurri’s success in the last few years, despite the Belgian’s brief departure. The lack of these two game-changing individuals has had an effect as injuries have taken their toll. However, they are looking at coming back into the first team and this will help boost the Nerazzurri squad as they continue to chase down the Neapolitans.
Inter are arguably in a better place – from a strength-in-depth point of view – than they were last year and they have Simone Inzaghi at the helm, someone who is becoming more embedded in the club’s philosophy.
The reason for positivity for the Milan side is their strength in depth. Samir Handanovic, the club captain, may not be number one anymore but his performances in the recent friendly games have shown his ability to shine as a superb Nerazzurri custodian.
He might be needed as Andre Onana exited the World Cup with Cameroon under a cloud of controversy. Despite being phenomenal in the early campaign, Inter can only hope his issues with the national team won’t affect his club form.
Whilst many in Milan and abroad are desperate for Marcelo Brozovic to return, Hakan Çalhanoğlu has filled in and been a maestro in midfield providing a creative presence that has been missed. The Turk, along with Federico Dimarco, have been potentially Inter’s best players of the season and his ability to work with the team and the fact that his set pieces and his ability to shoot from range are an asset, is a positive along with his influence in the dressing room.
If we are talking about set pieces and range of passing, Dimarco has been immense this term. He has almost redefined what the modern full back has to do in the game we see today.
He is quick, has football intelligence and manages to dictate the play from a wide position. Andreas Brehme would be proud, as he is taking what a left back should be to another level. He is arguably Inter’s player of the season and a second half of this calibre would guarantee it.
One issue for Inter however, is the amount of games they have coming up. The Supercoppa against Milan, the Coppa Italia clash with Parma, the Champions League test with Porto and their Serie A commitments make the start with Napoli crucial.
The run-in will test all their resources and Inzaghi will have to be clever when it comes to rotations but this is where the first half of the season could help them; they have been pressed, they’ve had to use squad depth.
However, when teams will be pressed after the winter World Cup as players come back tired, the Nerazzurri will be confident that due to poor circumstances earlier in the season, many squad players have minutes under their belts.
It is for this reason that the Nerazzurri can approach the second part of the season with confidence. Players back from injury, squad players getting minutes and the cold hard fact that they have to catch a Neapolitan team that, whilst brilliant, still show some signs that they could drop off.
Milan and Juventus have had issues also, but the one issue Inter need to address is the ability to win in big games. Napoli, therefore, is the test. Inter know they can do it, referring back to Barcelona, but they need to do it in the league. 2023 is here now, and despite what they do in the transfer market the challenge starts in the first game.
@RichHall80
I expect new owners.