Antonio Conte

[Sassuolu]

Before any lunatics start complaining about people dissecting and/or criticising a big win, let me say GTFO because that is exactly what forums are for: in-depth discussion and critical analysis. If you want mindless cheerleading, stick to posting black and blue heart emojis in instagram/youtube comments.

So, Conte has obviously made a tactical adjustment to have the team sit deeper in recent matches than we did at the start of the season. This has coincided with him abandoning the 3412 nonsense and reverting to the tried and tested 352 flat with Brozovic at DM - both good moves that I've been begging for. Seems that when we sit back like we did against Verona or Spezia, we can contain the game comfortably and concede very little chances (while also exerting very little attacking energy).

Naturally I'm happy with the win today but that defending for the opening 15 minutes was utterly ludicrous. Seems that if we bring our overall shape even a few steps forward, we start getting pulled all over the place and completely lose our compactness. That needs to be addressed. We can't exist on these two extremes of the scale: forward and exposed vs sitting deep and doing nothing. We need balance and we need to be able to transition effectively.

Also, while I was satisfied with the attacking plays, especially coming off a break, we really need to rotate more. We played our strongest XI in the two easiest fixtures of the entire season, at home against the two Serie B teams (still conceding 3 goals btw..) That simply shouldn't be necessary and as I mentioned last time, if not in these games, then when? These are literally the easiest fucking games of the entire 40-something games in the season. If your system requires your best players even against the worst 2 teams in the league (and you still concede shit goals), then your system clearly has some issues.

I give Conte credit for the subs today which were timely and proactive. Like Lukaku demolishing a Serie B side though, I want to see this kind of performance against the top teams for once. We need more tactical guile than simply bulldozing shit teams with brute force and a sheer gulf in quality of players.

I think you're overrating how good we are defending deep, that Napoli game was awful.

I still agree with you, we literally threw the Scudetto away last season when Conte started experimenting with the 3412 only to shift back to 352 which led to our good end of season run and our Europa League run.

[CafeCordoba]

Results have been on par in the last games, but overall we are still below par (losing the derby, European display was abysmal and results were even worse).

The only way the season can be considered a positive is if we win the league and reach the Coppa final.
If we lose the Scudetto that is once again, like last year, ours to lose, even if we win a cup it'd be a season with a negative note. The trophy would be welcome, but it'd be more of a consolation peize than anything. The cup should have been the target in Spalletti last season and if our expenditure pace was the same, maybe last season as well. You need such a trophy to get a momentum going. But if it's disguised in failure, it doesn't mean much. Our last Coppa trophy was such. Just a consolation for fucking up the league and the CL quarters vs Schalke.

It's Scudetto or bust. Our recent streak of results may buy some patience, but the way it has been reached reminds more of Mancini 2015 than a genuine Scudetto challenger. So far our main rival is falling behind, Napoli is still a weird mess, Roma won't do much damage in the long run and Milan is pretty much in that same Mancini 2015 vibe. The only difference is that this is their peak while us doing the same => below expectations. When the results stop coming we must be ready to react. Cannot tell if we can. We seem too fragile this season.

It's indeed Scudetto or bust.

So far it looks good, we are on a 8 game winning streak. That winning streak started with the Torino debacle win but it really started after the Real Madrid home defeat. We beat Sassuolo away 0-3 and I think we introduced the lower backline in that match. We gave them some chances in the first half, in the second half they couldn't do much.

In our streak only troll win was the Napoli one. The one which the opponent deserved to take at least 1 point for themselves. Other than that, we've been quite good honestly. Verona match was like a perfect plan and almost perfect execution. Only individual, out of the blue Handa blunder kept the game tight for a short time. Crotone match was not good in the first half but there was no worry at any point of the match that we wouldn't win it. We can put the confusion at the start for the Christmas and the New Year. We managed to get chances so easily throughout the match and the end result tells the same story.

But soon starts a really tough period. We play Roma, Fiorentina (Coppa), Juve in 1,5 week time. And within a month time we play those + Milan and Lazio. This is the string of games when this "new" Inter is really tested. We need to win most of the matches listed to qualify as the clear Scudetto favourite by then. If Juventus can close the gap within these matches, it will be really hard for the team mentally I feel. That will be then another test to cope with the pressure because they will be coming from behind, hard (yeah, dirty!)

[Adriano@10]

Well it s scudo or bust since we went out of the CL group....

Next wednesday is pretty much gonna decide whether or not jube is still in the race they dont win against bbilan and their chances are heavily decimated. It s jube and imho they have the best team so even if they lose i wont write them off completely.
That being said if they lose and we win we d be 12 points ahead of em and they have a game in hand vs Napoli, meanwhile bbilan would sit a point ahead of us. Now not winning the scudetto under these circumstances would e a huge failure, losing to a inferior bbilan squad with pioli at the helm is unacceptable just like losing a 12(9) point lead to Pirlos jube would be.

Hope we can all agree that no matter the circumstances that finishing the season behind a pioli led bbilan is unacceptable,
especially now that we re out of CL.

[CafeCordoba]

And if anything, one thing Conte is good when there's one main competition he needs to worry about. He can train and plan full week for the weekend match. And this starts after few weeks when the 2 match per week schedule ends (for us).

We just need to get through that hard schedule period first without too much casualties (lost points).

[Pimpin]

[brehme1989]

Is there a chart for teams that leak the most chances in?

[magnesium]

And people still think Brozovic is not good enough

[Fitzy]

100% deserved criticism to come.

[Batman]

Again with questionable substitutions (Perisic instead of Darmian, Vidal instead of Sensi). Lukaku should have been subbed on at HT, or even start the match. I have no idea why Sanchez started the game when he didnt play a single minute in almost a month.

[morrisama]

such a bad time to lose. Milan have good chance to beat rubentus tonight. Conte must stop messing around with line-up. playing Gagliardini and benching on-form both Sensi and Darmian is a very poor decision. quite surprised he subbed on Erikses earlier.

we wasted so many opportunities. that's on players. but failed in a critical moment of reaching the top of the table is on Conte as well. Rube are in their worst form in years. Milan and Roma have EL while Lazio, Napoli, and Atalanta all are struggling. and we have no injury crisis. Conte have no more excuses.

[varmin]

Yep, very stupid subs. Should have been Darmian and Sensi instead of Perisic and Eriksen. The latter two are done at Inter and contributed zero today.

[Nero Indigo]

Bad loss ... still a fraud in his typical fraudulent style!

[Ethor]

Poor performance and poor pitch. Sensi on that pitch would have resulted in a season ending injury. Darmian not starting was questionable, allowing Sanchez for penalty was ill advised. Barella nearly lost his mind today. Really everyone on the squad needs to take a long hard look in the mirror after this bottle job.

[wera]

He will also lose against Juve and then the real downfall begins.

[Nero Indigo]

He will also lose against Juve and then the real downfall begins.

He’s preparing to lose against Roma not to talk of Juve. SSDD! The Inter way for the last decade.

[Palacio]

He will also lose against Juve and then the real downfall begins.

I don't want to be the harbinger of bad news but there is no way this team can win against Roma.

[bubba zanetti]

Tactical genius.Magician. One and only..Don Cuntonio!

[Palacio]

His love for dying players will destroy what's left of his career.

[CafeCordoba]

He will also lose against Juve and then the real downfall begins.

This is what I fear. He submits to Juve, AGAIN and then it's over for us as the team just falters further to downwards spiral.

With this result, we basically need a win against Roma and a draw against Juve as an absolute minimum. It surely works the otherway around too (Roma draw, Juve win) but highly unlikely will go that way. Since if we draw with Roma, the pressure in derby d'Italia is even higher to get a result out of that match.

Our defence wasn't secure today and that's what worries me again. We got a good stretch to matches were we didn't give that much to the opponents. Crotone scored two yes, but their 0-1 was kind of a fluke mishap and we were going to win that match anyway, other one was a penalty (again). But today, Samp put us in difficulties in the first half, by just playing. And they got a good counter in the second half too when Jankto almost made it 3-0.

[brehme1989]

There are no excuses for not beating Juventus at home. He has to win ONE big game. This is the one to win. Otherwise we gift them yet another Scudetto (assuming they beat Milan tonight and don't lose to Napoli in the game in hand).