A 1-1 draw between Roma and Milan was just about the best result that Inter could have hoped for, giving the Nerazzurri a chance to gain points on both its rivals. However, the display against Genoa on Sunday night looked like that of a team which has run out of ideas, with Jose Mourinho even resorting to throwing on Ricardo Quaresma in order to try and break down an organised Grifone defence.
Upon reflection, it was certainly not the worst display that the Nerazzurri have given this season, but the worrying thing is that a strike force containing so many highly talented players is struggling to score goals. Samuel Eto’o started on the bench because his form since returning to the side from the Africa Cup of Nations has been poor, and his replacement, Mario Balotelli, who has been playing well lately, spent more time complaining and rolling around on the pitch than he did carving out goal scoring opportunities.
The truth is, every team has nights where it finds it difficult, and fortunately for Mourinho, it happened to be the same night that Inter’s two rivals were also suffering. Next week’s game away to Catania will provide an opportunity for the team to get back on track ahead of their big game at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League.
One thing that Mourinho will be hoping is that Carlo Ancelotti did not see the game against Genoa. Should Chelsea get an early goal against Inter then they could do worse than to study Gian Piero Gasperini’s game plan and try to stifle the Nerazzurri attack. They employed a similar tactic against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final last season when managed by Guus Hiddink, and were only undone by a fantastic late strike from Andres Iniesta. However, with all due respect to Inter, they are no Barca, and certainly have no players that can do what Iniesta does. Mourinho, still as outwardly confident as ever, would do well to spend time formulating a contingency plan just in case his side were to go behind early in the game.
Meanwhile, in the murky world of transfer rumours, it seems that Inter really are serious about purchasing Andrea Ranocchia from Genoa and Bari (as the player is co-owned). The defender, currently playing for Bari, would be a good signing for two reasons: firstly, he is a quality young player that could be a mainstay of the Nerazzurri defence for years to come, and secondly, he is Italian, which would provide a much needed injection of home-grown talent to the squad. Along with Balotelli and Davide Santon, Ranocchia could give la Beneamata a solid Italian base upon which to build for the future.
The best thing to have come out of this weekend from an Inter standpoint is that Roma seem to have given up on any hopes it had of claiming the Scudetto. Both Claudio Ranieri and Daniele De Rossi have said that the title is now Inter’s to lose, and given that the Giallorossi are still 7 points behind, it is an assertion that is hard to argue with. The last hope that la Maggica have of closing the gap would seem to be their game against Inter at the Stadio Olimpico on the 28th of March, but Roma will need to show a lot more quality than they did against Milan.
Finally, and thankfully, Marco Materazzi has reappeared in the news this week after Zinedine Zidane said that he would “rather die” than apologise to the Italian. In response, Materazzi said that he had no words to say to Zidane. The fact that this incident is still being brought up almost four years after it happened can offer no delight to Materazzi, especially as nobody ever seems to mention that it was the defender who scored Italy’s equalizing goal and, after Alessandro Nesta got injured, played excellently throughout the tournament to help Italy triumph. Poor Marco, perhaps he is forever destined to be misunderstood.
Inter Club Focus 2009/10
Pre-season
Another Scudetto for the Nerazzurri? – August 18, 2009
Week 1
A stuttering start, and a Portuguese explosion – August 25, 2009
Week 2
It’s derby time – August 28, 2009
A wonderful derby but the champions of Europe are waiting – September 1, 2009
All is well for la Beneamata – September 4, 2009
International week (Georgia-Italy, Italy-Bulgaria)
Friendlies, injuries and stolen boots… – September 7, 2009
Week 3
Nerazzurri look to the future as Ibra looks back – September 11, 2009
Inter get a point, but that’s not the point – September 18, 2009
Week 4
They never had a problem with ugly wins – September 22, 2009
Week 5
Partenopei are beaten Black and Blue – September 25, 2009
Week 6
Blucerchiati run rings round Inter – September 29, 2009
Champions League? You’re having a laugh – October 2, 2009
Week 7
I’d rather be lucky than good – October 6, 2009
The international break – October 6, 2009
International Week (Republic of Ireland-Italy, Italy-Cyprus)
Transfer Talk – October 13, 2009
Back to Genova – October 16, 2009
Week 8
The Puzzle continues – October 20, 2009
Week 9
What next? – October 23, 2009
Papering over the cracks – October 27, 2009
Week 10
The pressure is on as Inter almost throw it away against Palermo – October 30, 2009
Week 11
Judgement day awaits – November 3, 2009
Just in time – November 6, 2009
Week 12
A draw with Roma, but things look good – November 10, 2009
Week 13
Back to the day job – November 20, 2009
A Messi situation – November 24, 2009
It was embarrassing – November 27, 2009
Week 14
José gets ruffled – December 1, 2009
Week 15
Derby d’Italia – December 4, 2009
It could be worse – December 8, 2009
Week 16
Disaster averted – December 11, 2009
A missed opportunity? More for them than us – December 11, 2009
Week 17
Resolutions – December 18, 2009
How do you solve a problem like Mourinho [does]? – December 22, 2009
Winter break
Grazie Marco – December 29, 2009
Inter transfer rumours beaten black and blue – January 5, 2010
Week 18
Mario Balotelli, hero and villain – January 8, 2010
Wesley Sneijder: the human get-out-of-jail-free card – January 12, 2010
Week 19
A potentially beastly decision – January 15, 2010
Week 20
Bari wasn’t great, Milan must be better – January 19, 2010
Week 21
Derby della Madonnina and Jermaine Jenas? – January 22, 2010
Inter show why they are the champions of Milan – January 26, 2010
A derby win, a semi-final, and disciplinary charges. Just another quiet week for Mourinho – January 29, 2010
Week 22
Snow game this weekend – February 2, 2010
Week 23
Coppa win and Gerrard in? – February 5, 2010
The Goran Pandev show – February 9, 2010
Week 24
Nine points clear – February 12, 2010
Week 25
Mourinho and Chelsea – February 16, 2010
Mourinho needs league form fast – February 19, 2010
Seriously José, what’s going on? – February 23, 2010
Week 26
It’s in your own hands now – February 26, 2010
Week 27
Worry about yourself, not your rivals – March 5, 2010
