Club Focus - Inter - Resolutions

With only a home tie against Lazio to go, Inter are once again the winter champions in Serie A. Despite the fact that the first half of the season has had good and bad moments, as far as domestic progress goes, José Mourinho has every reason to be proud of his squad. The final game before Christmas, against a Lazio side who will be buoyed by their victory over Genoa last week, could prove a stumbling block if they do not approach it with the right attitude. But if Inter can produce a commanding performance and get a victory to go with it, it will serve as another reminder to the rest of the league that the blue and black half of Milan is still where the power in Calcio resides.

There are, however, certain New Year resolutions that need to be made at the Giuseppe Meazza, preferably as soon as the winter break starts next Monday, in order for the team to maintain their position at the top of the tree, and we have picked our top 5:

1 – José Mourinho needs to calm down. The way that the Inter Coach has fallen out with one person after another this season is truly remarkable, even by his own high standards. This latest tussle with journalist Andrea Ramazzotti should concern the Nerazzurri faithful because it seems to be a sign that the pressure is finally getting to the ‘Special One.’ If the club are to have success in the second half of the season they will need their Coach to be at his charismatic best.

2 – Play with determination in Europe. Inter’s performances in the Champions League group stage were just a notch above abysmal, and will have to be considerably better if they are to beat any team they draw in the knockout rounds on Friday. One thing that characterised their early performances in the competition this season was a lack of drive, the team seemed to give up as soon as they realised that the games would not be as easy as in Serie A. The matches against Dynamo Kiev and Rubin Kazan showed a resilient side to la Beneamata, and this is what they will need if they want to progress in the competition. A good run in Europe would no doubt raise the confidence of the players as well, and ultimately result better league performances.

3 – Samuel Eto’o. Although the former Barcelona striker has been decent since signing for Inter, he has not shown the sort of form that made fans laugh at the Catalan side when they offered him as part exchange for Zlatan Ibrahimović. This has left Diego Milito to shoulder the goal-scoring burden, and although he has done admirably, just imagine how good the team could be with two free-scoring strikers.

4 – Cut down on club drama in general. Not a week goes by without somebody relating to Inter complaining, arguing or causing trouble, whether it is the Coach, the President, a player (step forward Mr Mario Balotelli) or a club legend like Sandro Mazzola. It cannot be easy for the players to concentrate when everybody seems to have something to say about them. If drama is generated about the Nerazzurri, let it be by external sources, but people who are involved with the club should strive to maintain a tranquil environment which will help the club to flourish.

5 – Let Marco speak. The fifth resolution for Inter is something of a personal indulgence. Since Marco Materazzi has not been playing much this season, his comments which keep us all amused have become all too rare. We want to see Marco back in front of the microphone as soon as possible so we can all benefit from his pearls of football wisdom.