Inter and his midfield – football.ua

Inter’s first game in the 2020/21 season caused a lot of excitement. A dramatic 4: 3 win over Fiorentina with sudden plot twists is an excellent announcement of Serie A as such and, at the same time, a safe starting position for the ‘Nerazzurri’ themselves, who made the most difficult of his character. Of course, it is not just about moral and volitional qualities. The staffing capabilities of the two teams were different. As the “squadra viola” was launched to replace Vlahovic and Cutrone, Inter were reinforced by the more experienced players who knew how to change the course of the match. Antonio Conte should be grateful to the league board for the decision to leave five substitutions.

The center of midfield is especially interesting. This is the key to the dominance of the Interistas at the end of the game. Along these lines, Inter has a powerful squad of original and versatile players. By name, it even seems somewhat more interesting than Juventus, but Conte needs to make the right decisions throughout the season and trust those who will deliver the result. Let’s try to understand this complexity.

Players

Marcelo Brozovič – a player who has managed to become irreplaceable in five years at the club. Horvath does a great deal of work, and it’s as much about running as it is about passing count. More surprising is the news that Inter are not averse to ditching him. Such a twist recalls the fate of Miralem Pjanic at Juventus, who surprisingly quickly went from midfield leader to player on transfer. In the case of Brozovic, you can also talk about a difficult character, Marcelo loved to get involved in ridiculous stories.

Nicolo Barella – a boy with a future. Last summer, Barella spent in the status of Cagliari’s main star and the main player of the Italian team. Nicolo combines speed and stiffness, he knows how to connect well and scratch the ball on the slide. The only thing he lacks is stability, after all, he is quite young (23 years old). In general, Barella, of course, is a typical Conte soccer player, but it is not a fact that he will be one hundred percent main this season.

Stefano sensei – He was the best to torture the wounds. A year ago he fit in perfectly with the Inter that is being built before our eyes. Sensi was in charge of promoting the ball and creative passing. Small, agile, with an excellent vision of the field, it is not in vain that he is compared to Xavi. Unfortunately, the disappointments went further: even when Stefano played, he was just a pale shadow of himself. Inter, however, trust the footballer and bought his contract from Sassuolo. The new season so far gives new hope: Sensi distinguished herself in the match with the national team and did well against Fiorentina.

Roberto Gallardini He is a mysterious soccer player that Conte loves. His career at Inter is quite disappointing. Gagliardini was remembered for his general clumsiness and the most stupid mistake in the summer game against Sassuolo, but how could he not notice that in the summer Roberto was suddenly one hundred percent the main player of the “Nerazzurri”. The head coach appreciates him for his endurance, physical performance and discipline. But can a team with such a player win the Scudetto?

Matthias vesino – For reasons of form, let us note the Uruguayan. In Spalletti’s day, he was the leading man and even specialized in the most important balls, but with Conte he withdrew from the squad – injuries were largely avoided too. There is little doubt that Vecino will be leaving the team soon, at least Napoli are in talks.

Christian eriksen – a mysterious acquisition from January. Miracles were expected from the Dane, and occasionally he even performed them, but the overall picture is dismal. Eriksen never made it to the main team, and even when he left, he often looked like a foreign body. There is a suspicion that Christian, for all his sophistication and creativity, doesn’t really need Conte with his penchant for “runners” and “workers.” But why then were Eriksen taken away and what to do with him now?

Raja Nainggolan – “Ninja” is back at Inter. It seemed that we will no longer see the Belgian with the black and blue jersey, but he returned from Cagliari, where he had a very good year. It is pertinent to remember that one of the reasons for his departure was the health condition of his wife, who was being treated for cancer in Sardinia. Now, after his recovery, Nainggolan can once again try his luck in the first team. If only the conflicts with the coach do not start over, the risk is high.

Arturo vidal – Conte wanted it very much. The Chilean is well known to him from Juventus, where he was one of the key figures in the middle line. “This is a fantastic player, I would go to war with him,” Antonio praised Vidal, a footballer who perfectly fits the characteristics of “Conte’s midfielder.” Inter even turned down the acquisition of Tonali when the opportunity to take over Arturo arose. With such a beginner, you can compete for the “scudetto”.

Choices

An interesting puzzle: eight players in three positions. Even seven, though without Vesino. What can Conte choose?

Option number 1. “Squadra Nerazzurra”. There are more Italians at Inter now than we are used to. Surprisingly, in the recent Nations League fights for “Scuadru Azzurra”, it was the centers of Inter Barella and Sensi who scored. The idea of ​​betting on them looks promising, both players are young enough and complement each other well. The third would have looked good Brozovich, as, in fact, it did a year ago. Minus: some lightness, Sensi’s injuries and lack of experience will be essential for the decisive matches.

Option number 2. “Old thieves”. We saw it at the end with Fiorentina, when Vidal and Nainggolan appeared and won the midfield for Inter. You can trust these guys at a critical time. Such a combination in the main lineup would have seemed more than organic, if only there was enough physical strength; of course, rotation is indispensable. Well yes: the Vidal – Nainggolan – Brozovic trio is an explosive mix of heavy characters.

Option number 3. “And if it works?” Eriksen hasn’t left yet, so let’s not rule it out in advance. Conte has a variant in reserve with a 3-4-1-2 scheme (“one” is actually a Dane), who tried to play in the summer. The problem is that Eriksen himself does not shine, and for, for example, Brozovich, such an arrangement is unusual. In general, the option is quite theoretical: it is much more logical to get rid of Christian, who clearly does not want to sit on the bench.

Option number 4. “Conte and Kante”. The transfer campaign is far from over. Therefore, Inter is not averse to buying Chelsea Ngolo Kante, a player who can be called synonymous with efficiency and, moreover, has already played successfully with Conte. For this transition, Inter can sacrifice several players at the same time, for example Eriksen, Brozovich or Shkrinjar. If this happens, Ngolo will take Brozovic’s place and become a “breakwater”.

Of course, either of these options is quite arbitrary, and during the season Conte will rotate the squad. Although let’s not forget that at a critical moment Antonio always relies on the same players, he only remembers the base without changes in the Europa League playoffs. One way or another, we are primarily talking about the wealth of options in midfield, which was not a year ago. Then the “Nerazzurri” vanished in the middle of the championship, but now they hope to resist the race for the “Scudetto”. Of course, the obvious bet on mature players who are forced to deliver results in the here and now can be criticized, but it is hard not to admit that year after year Inter look more and more like a top team.