Controversial Corner: Strip The Strap - Lack Of Leadership Plaguing Inter

[capitano92]

New writer for Inter Worldwide Antoine analyses the horrific run of form which he believes comes down to a lack of leadership. Let us know your thoughts, and if you are interested in being apart of the new segment 'Contreversial Corner' which entitles our writers to be more subjective and opinionated.

Where do I start off? The off-field drama involving Perisic really affected Inter this January. Perisic wanting to leave & being left out of the last game really put a strain on our momentum. We might not like his attitude, but today’s game just showed how integral he is to the Inter lineup. Perisic is a world class player, and his eventual departure next window will leave Inter with a big gap down the left flank. Yahn Karamoh has big shoes to fill, but I have complete confidence in his ability.

I believe Spalletti’s days are numbered. Mourinho is available and let’s not forget Conte. Both coaches have the ability to bring out the best in players and both coaches would suit a team and a bunch of players who would perform based on actually having passion for the team they are playing for. Both coaches would bring an exodus of players leaving the club and bringing in what is right for the club.

But onto the game now. From the get-go we should have known that it wasn’t going to be our night tonight. Icardi missed an absolute sitter. A chance he would have buried at any other time. I think it’s time he gets off Instagram posting photos of his dog, and go back to the training ground. He hasn’t been the clinical striker we are used to as of late and his lack of goals are hurting us. We have a back 3 of Handanovic, Skriniar and De Vrij. These 3 alone would keep any team to a maximum of 1 goal. We need more from our front line, and cannot afford to keep dropping points, it is an actual surprise where we sit on the ladder and should count our lucky stars to not be lower. We have had other results swing in our favour and this cannot continue.

I’m not even going to start with our wingbacks, but I believe that Dalbert is putting in the effort and this should be acknowledged, and I believe he will slowly get better, however, to compete with Juventus in the future, we need world class wingbacks to match our world class spine in defense. Cedrics’ first start for the club was decent, but I will not comment on him until he has a few games under his belt to make a judgement.

With Icardi, I believe his off-field antics should also be considered, he and Wanda cause too much to not be punished. The bare minimum should be that he is stripped of captaincy, and if a good offer for him comes from Madrid we should sell. He will bring in a massive cash inflow and with it, bring in a few good players who would change our style of play. I feel Inter are a completely different team to when he is not playing, something that should be considered for the end of season.

In addition, Martinez, yes he is young, and yes he will develop to be an outstanding striker, but he has cost us too many points with his missed chances. I don’t think we should lose faith in him, but it makes me question why Gabigol was not given the same chance. He is an outstanding striker and he is tearing it up in Brazil. He was given a total of 76 minutes at Inter, 76! How can anyone show their worth in that time? I believe Inter should bring him back if they were to sell Icardi, and he would be able to prove himself. Martinez has been missing too many chances, and needs to join Icardi on the training ground.

It was a lackluster performace from Inter, and especially at home. Vecino is a player who wouldn’t even start for my local team. He reminds me of a post-injury Jordan Henderson, only able to pass sidewards or backwards, and only go forward when there is literally no one on him. He misses too many chances, and for me is not an Inter orange peeler let alone a starter for the club.

Inter keep on letting go of their young players and to replace them with what? We had Ibrahim Mbaye who was one of the star performers for Inters youth champions league winning team and he did very well against us. These players who would be so lucky as to be in the stadium of true Inter players. A big disappointment in Nainggolan this year, a player who I admired watching him at Cagliari and at Roma, and for Inter to get him at the expense of Zaniolo, and 30 million is a joke. Zaniolo now himself is worth that, and that is the most disappointing deal in recent years.

Soon the current players holding us together like Handanovic and Skriniar will realize that they do not want to be part of a team who is continuously moving backwards. We are lucky to be Inter and if it was any other club, these players wouldn’t even have signed in the first place. Whenever I feel like we are taking two steps forward, I feel we shoot ourselves in the foot and take one step back.

Inter and the players need to wake up to themselves, we should be getting a guaranteed 3 points from games like Bologna and especially at home. I believe the players are completely to blame, but we cannot look past Spalletti and his choices, where I believe he will be sacked very soon. I feel every year we go into the season with new belief but it is constantly a letdown. It is a disappointment to Inter fans worldwide and something we do not deserve. Inter should only keep the players wanting to play for the club, and reward players like Ranocchia who actually play with their heart on their sleeves, where I believe passion is more than talent.

I think it’s time to prepare for a world without Perisic and Icardi, both players who have done a lot for the club but players who are do not completely have their hearts in the team.

https://interworldwide.net/2019/02/04/strip-the-strap-lack-of-leadership-plaguing-inter/

 

[thatdude]

Lost me at Gabigol is an outstanding striker

 

[Sassuolu]

76 minutes under 3 different managers who probably know why and plus remind me how Gabigol did at Benfica?

Oh and this blame Icardi for everything nonsense is a tired argument, he scored over a 100 goals for us and is a great professional why shouldnt he be captain?

 

[capitano92]

Cheers for the differing opinions, thats the point of the corner

 

[capitano92]

https://interworldwide.net/2019/02/11/i-dont-want-no-mediocre-three-papering-points/

 

[capitano92]

MO MAURO, MO PROBLEMS - CONTROVERSIAL CORNER

More Mauro more problems.

I think it is safe to say, Mauro will not be at the San Siro next year. The player did not look like he was celebrating the win against Sampdoria today, as well as Spalletti coming out saying Icardi did not go to the locker room to celebrate the win, and it could only mean one thing. Icardi realizes that he is no longer the centrepiece at Inter. For the second time this week, Inter played without Icardi and were able to get the win. It is a new Inter without him, a team where every player steps up and puts their own contribution into the game. Each player digging deep and playing with passion.



What we need to ask ourselves is this due to the Inter players putting in more effort now that Icardi is not playing, and that they are willing to play for their new captain in Handanovic? Or is this due to Icardi not playing, and allowing the Inter players to play a different brand of football? Personally, I think it is both.

There has been plenty of locker talk about the players not being happy with Icardi, where he himself was voted out of the captaincy by his own players and the board. The players must be sick and tired of his off-field antics and finally had the balls to say something to the board and put in motion which I believe will be the eventual farewell for Icardi at the season end.

With no disrespect to Icardi, he is a world class player who will succeed at any club he goes to, but I think it’s time Inter got with the times and started playing more free-flowing football. Looking at the best clubs in the world right now, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Barcelona, they have approached the free flowing football, where they no longer require a typical number 9 upfront, with their goal poaching and lethargic agility.

I hate to say, but the times of a typical number 9 are over, Icardi possesses great poaching and goal scoring ability but in order for Inter to be a powerhouse again, it’s time for them to let him go and invest in free flowing attackers.

Inter already have Karamoh on loan, Martinez upfront, and Politano on the right, selling Icardi and investing in a fast, and agile goal-scorer will change Inter for the better.

Imagine a front 3 of Martinez – Martial – Karamoh. Inter would be able to invest in Martial, who is on the way out of Manchester even though he signed a new contract, for the price of Icardi. That front 3 will be great moving forward and have many years left in them.

Back to the game now, two games this week without Icardi and both resulting in a win. The players themselves had more involvement, and wasn’t a typical take it out wide, cross it into Icardi sort of game style. Inter looked more attacking creating more chances. There seemed to be more flair added to the attack which made Inter look more dangerous.

Early on, a very weak shot nearly found its way into the back of the net, and although it wasn’t the best of shots, it did just show how much that players these days lack the guts to take responsibility and shoot more often, where very easily that could have went in.

Inter created many chances, with again most coming from our Croatian contingent, with Perisic proving his worth and with Brozovic being absolutely relentless today, playing with heart and passion, a player who I would happily place as Inter captain. Naingollan is feeling more and more comfortable each game, with Politano’s weaving and brilliance showing that we have missed him in the last couple of games as well.

A momentary lapse caused Inter to concede, where, to be fair, could have very easily been a penalty against them. However, up stepped Nainggolan scoring a signature goal from outside the box. I just feel the players have more freedom without Icardi on the field, and that is not to place blame on him at all, it is just that they are allowed to take more chances and play a style more attacking style of play.

The backline today we’re not at their brilliant best, however, each player put in the effort, with even D’ambrosio contributing with a fantastic strike/tap in. Overall, it was a better result, with each player digging in deep and showing passion whilst playing. Inter have the talent, however, lately they have lacked the guts/emotion in each game to put them over the line, however, today’s performance was a great performance, and just showed that life without Icardi can be managed.

- Antoine Gittany

 

[capitano92]

Fiorentina – Inter was an eventful match where two teams fought to gain a positive result. And both did.

Nobody can’t deny the spirit and the effort Pioli’s men showed at the Franchi. Muriel free kick was a thing of beauty. Biraghi goal, later disallowed after consulting the VAR, was a peach of a goal.

Inter put on a display of prolificity the team missed so much. Perisic, Nainggolan, Politano were on and hot during the 106 minutes of the match.

Yes, 106 minutes. 48 minutes for the first half, 58 for the second. This Fiorentina – Inter is going down in the history of Serie A as the longest game ever. But it was also filled with some unclear decisions by the referee, only partially sorted by the VAR.

I thanked Lega Calcio, FIGC and AIA for the introduction of the VAR during the whole game, not only because it helped Inter to that point: as said before, Biraghi goal was awarded by Abisso, the referee summoned for this fixture, and only the VAR check by Fabbri cleared the decision as D’Ambrosio was fouled by Muriel; Abisso also failed to award a penalty to Inter for a handball by Edimilson and the penalty was awarded later on after another consultation with the VAR. Two mistakes that could have changed the game. Inter was, at that point, leading 3-2 thanks to that penalty and thanks to Fabbri’s check on the VAR. The video assisted referee system helps keeping the game as fair as possible, reducing post match discussions. But was Abisso ready to admit the third mistake, the one that condemned Inter? No, he wasn’t.

Would you say it is a fair assessment to affirm that if this episode would’ve happened at the end of the first half or in any other point of the match, Abisso would’ve recognized what the whole Italy and the whole world of football is saying, which is that Chiesa ball hit D’Ambrosio on the chest and not on his hand?

In the title I quoted Gianluigi Buffon after the Champions League 2nd leg of quarter-final against Real Madrid when a penalty awarded at the 93rd minute, ruled out Juventus from a sure semi-final. In that occasion, the penalty was clear and Buffon words sounded…so Italian?

Mind this, the man behind the keyboard was born and raised over there for over 20 years. I understand what Italians feel and how Italians think. When Buffon spoke at the end of the game, I giggled thinking of our mentality of awarding things based on questionable effort, lotting without meritocracy. He wished the English referee would’ve thought “it’s the 93rd minute, what a shame would be if I follow the rules instead of closing my eyes and pretending that Lucas dived. How pitiful would be for Juventus.”

I believe Rosario Abisso felt at the same way about himself. Two mistakes corrected by VAR, a system introduced to help referees and not punishing them, that changed the complexion of the game. Am I man enough to swallow my pride in front of the video assistance and overrule my decision? What AIA, the Italian Referee Association, will think about me? After all, Fiorentina deserves a point for the effort showed tonight. And I’ve punished them twice already.

The pressure was on. The images went forwards and backwards with different camera angle and there is nobody who reviewed that episode that will say that was handball, that was a penalty.

Italy is that place where there is a strong culture based on suspicion. Especially in football. And history shows how…we’re right to be suspicious! The average interista will think about a conspiracy, reposting Mourinho handcuff gesture on social network. The truth is much more simple: the referee was inadequate for the match and lacked in guts in stepping back and recognize his mistake once again. Wrongly. And most likely we won’t see him in a big Serie A match for at least a month.

The after math saw Spalletti going nut live on Sky Sport Italia, Brozovic and Nainggolan complaining on Instagram, even Handanovic revealing how furious the team is after that poor decision in an interview. Inter loses 2 points. A.C. Milan is now at -2 from Inter’s third place. Pressure is on but the team can thrive from this game, knowing their football is finally flowing the right way.

As for VAR in Serie A, the protocol needs to be improved. Referees need to be comfortable in using it. The system helps, the system works. Maybe it causes too many interruptions in the game, see those 16 minutes of extra time in yesterday’s game, and the clock should be stop when VAR is used.

Referee call must remain the last call. But perhaps talking on the mic, explaining their decision in the stadium loudspeaker could be a solution to integrate, like in Australian National Rugby League?

What’s your opinion? Let us know in the comments box below.

- https://interworldwide.net/2019/02/25/referee-has-a-rubbish-bin-where-his-heart-should-be/

- www.interworldwide.net

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[Linege]

Controversial Corner: Strip Wanda

 

[capitano92]

https://interworldwide.net/2019/04/...t-bank-on-any-team-making-the-top-4-in-italy/

Latest piece on the inconsistencies of the European qualification chasers. I personally think we will get over the line, some of our opponents fixtures are direct and tricky.

 

[capitano92]

Part 1:

https://interworldwide.net/2019/06/25/the-icardi-conundrum/

Part 2:

https://interworldwide.net/…/…/the-icardi-conundrum-part-ii/