In my view, Frank de Boer was never given a proper chance. His failure is the club’s failure. He has simply taken the fall for it. For me, the saddest thing is that Inter lost a coach that could have made a real difference to the club going forward both in terms of playing philosophy and the promotion and development of young players. Inter lost a coach that was different from any of the shit we have had in recent history and could have made a long term difference if given a proper chance. To those that believe he was given a proper opportunity to manage our team, please consider the factors below.
Nowhere in the world of football will you see a club that has been mismanaged the way Inter have been managed this season. Inter has become a coach’s graveyard. The performance of the players on field are as clueless and directionless as the club’s management. The club’s Captain cares more about Instagram and the money in his pocket than he does about the club, and the club’s management are an embarrassment. Prospective new coaches will think long and hard before signing for such a basket-case club.
No one is kidding themselves. Inter is not the club it once was. It has fallen from being at the top tier of European football to being a club that struggles to qualify and perform in the UEFA Cup. There used to be great pride and prestige associated with Inter but that has been replaced by dysfunction and performances on the pitch that fluctuate between embarrassing and disgraceful.
The way I see it, our whole season was compromised and ruined by:
(1) The delay in getting rid of Mancini;
(2) The fact that the squad were not clicking with him and obviously sensed that something was wrong in preseason;
(3) A pointless shit tour of the US that compromised our preparation and fitness levels for the start of the season;
(4) Mancini leaving two weeks before the start of the season and the subsequent appointment of Frank de Boer;
(5) Frank de Boer having no time to make a call on the players he wanted in the squad and those he wanted to move on;
(6) Frank de Boer trying to adjust on the run to a dysfunctional club;
(7) Frank de Boer having no time with players whose fitness had been compromised due to the club focusing on exposure, money and a pre-season tour at the expense of everything else;
(9) Management buying presents in the form of players when a coach has not been appointed and consulted on a given purchase and how that player is going to be utilised;
(9) The club continually renewing player contracts based on what the players have done in the past as opposed to what they have to offer in the future; and
(10) Following on from (9) above, the club’s absolute failure to adequately identify and assess below par performing players and get them off our books.
Most of the above has nothing to do with Frank de Boer and Inter’s management are delusional if they believe that changing coach will save our season. Management would do well to recognise that our season is over. They should start planning for next season by lining up a coach that they are willing to back without exception; giving that coach the time to adjust and manage his squad without a pre-season tour, as well as select the players he wants in his squad and those he wants targets in the transfer market. The new coach should be consulted throughout rather than waiting for him to arrive at the end of July and start again with the same useless shit players at his disposal.
The only other thing that I would like to add is that I sincerely hope that our dysfunction does not became so bad that we spend the season hovering above or battling against relegation. If you think that sounds far fetched, think again: psychologically, our players are fragile; they play in fits and starts; they have little to no composure, structure or desire to improve and play good football; they have a loser mentality and cannot put together 90 minutes of football. We have reached this point and it is not even January yet, the time in the season that Inter always struggle and fall away.
The next instalment of our terrible season comes on Thursday night against Southampton. Inter have always struggled when they play under the bright lights in England. The only difference to encounters of the past are that our opponents are far less illustrious and the prospect of an embarrassing result for a former European giant has never been greater.
Lastly, my thoughts are with Frank de Boer. Thank you for coming to Inter and attempting to try something different. Thank you for being willing to give us a go. I hope that wherever you go in the future, that you will find a much more tranquil environment that will support and back you without exception and will work at your side so as to allow you to move forward together.