Inter's Coaching Conundrum

Bluenine

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It seems like no coach can make Inter work. I am sure we all have wondered why, and I think we all have come to the same conclusion. Its because of the management's lack of vision. There is no consistent strategy in hiring a coach, we seem to ping-pong between completely different playing styles every time we change the coach. And the timing is usually wrong too, as in the case of FDB.

The problem runs a bit deeper. Inter are pazza in many ways, and it comes from the top. In the 30 odd years I have supported this club, its always been like this. Perhaps some of you could throw some light on what it was like before. The chaos from the top runs across the club and reflects on the pitch. That is because the top management lacks a vision, and because of that the directors (and coach) pull in different directions. That results in random new coach selection, and a patchy transfer strategy which becomes worse with every new coach. Its hard to win a Scudetto at any club, but at Inter all this makes it even harder. That is why we see so many coaches (and players) having a career blip at Inter.

How do we make this work? Let me break down what I've learnt from the last 30 odd years:

28 Stints: I have now seen 28 different coaching stints over the years, and 4 presidents. This has included some of worst years of Inter's history, as well as a few of its best.

6 Scudetti: Over these 30 years, we have won 6 Scudetti.

5 Stints of Stature: Out of the 28 coaching stints, only 5 of the stints included coaches who had the stature or personality to have a big influence on our transfer strategy. That is Trappatoni, Lippi, Mancini, Mourinho and Mancini again.

3 Successful Stints: We won all the 6 scudetti only in 3 coaching stints. Interestingly, all 3 of these stints were among the "5 Stints of Stature" as defined above, when the coaches had the personality/stature to influence the transfers. That is Trappatoni, Mancini (1st) and Mourinho. I don't think this is a coincidence. Because when the coach influences the transfers, he somewhat delinks the top management from the team. So the chaos at the top does not completely reflect on the pitch and the team becomes more attuned to the coaches strategy.

2 Years: So what is the difference between the 3 successful stints and the 2 that weren't (Lippi and Mancini's 2nd). Interestingly, the two stints which failed were the ones which lasted less than 2 years. Now IMO this is largely a coincidence, but there is something to learn here as well.

Inter is an unique (pazza) environment as we are all well aware. We need our unique solution, and the recent past gives us a good idea of what works. We need a coach with the stature/personality to be able to influence the transfers. Someone who has a track record of winning, so the management has enough confidence to give him at least 2 years even when the immediate results don't go our way. Someone who can manage the big egos in the management and dressing room. Someone like Simeone, for example.

I know there is another way, as I am sure Bandiera is dying to talk about. If the club has a vision (like Barca does) then we can hire young, upcoming coaches who share that vision and build a sustainable success story. For example, someone like Di Francesco (who I rate as a coach). But thats a big IF, as far as Inter are concerned. I doubt Thohir or Jindong have the football knowledge to develop a clear vision. If we hire someone like Di Francesco in the current environment, I am afraid he will be lost like many others before him - he will have to depend on the competence of Ausilio and the sincerity of Kia Joorbachain, with everyone pulling in a different direction. And we know how that story ends. FDB is facing a similar issue, and not surprisingly this is not going well.

We need to learn from our recent past. We need a big name coach who can influence our strategy, and align our efforts in one direction. Ideally someone who can use some of our existing players, so that we don't have to start from the beginning again. Not saying that this is guaranteed to work, but I believe this has the best chance of working at a place like Pazza Inter.
 
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Harpsabu

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Think its Simeone. We need to get him and allow him control over almost everything, on a massive contract.
 

Ronin

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What happens if Simeone comes but he fails the same way as the other coaches post-treble?
 

Provenzano

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Everything is possible, but there is no way to know without trying.
 

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Think its Simeone. We need to get him and allow him control over almost everything, on a massive contract.

That is what I am saying. Get someone like Simeone who has the stature, give him control and 2-3 years to work. We seem to have the budget now. There are no guarantees, but this has the best chance of working at the chaotic environment that is Inter.

Till we get Simeone or someone of that stature, there is no point in changing coaches and paying multiple coach wages. FDB can have his chance.
 
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M.Adnan

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You'll never have a successful project if:

1. Threatening to sack new managers for every bad series of games.
2. Sign scrub managers who obviously add nothing new and give them full confidence and more time than they should have.

Common Inter habits.
 

Javier'sSon

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Appreciate the input and it does seem to hold a substantial weight behind it. However, I think in the modern game managers should be able to work within the clubs parameters a.k.a what players they will provide the manager. I've voiced my opinion before that a manager shouldn't ask for a specific player rather a type of a player he'd like to work with. Granted, us being Inter you can't really put faith in the management to even know what type of players will benefit the team in the long run, let alone a bloody blueprint in which the club, as a whole, should work within. That is perhaps why we had the most success when managers get exactly what they want. It still doesn't seem the right approach to me because when something wrong happens, and it inevitably will, we're left with a big mess for the sad bugger who'll come in next. I.e if something worked once, doesn't necessarily mean it will always bear fruit.
 

Bluenine

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Appreciate the input and it does seem to hold a substantial weight behind it. However, I think in the modern game managers should be able to work within the clubs parameters a.k.a what players they will provide the manager. I've voiced my opinion before that a manager shouldn't ask for a specific player rather a type of a player he'd like to work with. Granted, us being Inter you can't really put faith in the management to even know what type of players will benefit the team in the long run, let alone a bloody blueprint in which the club, as a whole, should work within. That is perhaps why we had the most success when managers get exactly what they want. It still doesn't seem the right approach to me because when something wrong happens, and it inevitably will, we're left with a big mess for the sad bugger who'll come in next. I.e if something worked once, doesn't necessarily mean it will always bear fruit.

True. But I have looked at the last 28 coaching stints, all pretty much in the modern age with Directors of Sport. Thats a big enough sample size, and it tells us what works in the chaotic Inter environment. The problem that happens at Inter is that if we hire a "puppet coach", we don't even listen to him when we do transfers. Just like when we signed Gabigol and Mario in the FDB reign, I doubt we even asked him what he wants. Our management is incompetent. If you have someone like Marotta for e.g., then yes I agree with you. But we don't, we have Kia Joorabchian instead.

So I much rather Inter get a good coach, and leave him to work within the financial parameters along with Ausilio.
 

firmino

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A little game: among the names we have read these days: 1. Who do you think will be our next coach; 2. Who would you choose.

The options are: pioli; blanc; mandorlini; Leonardo; guidolin; vecchi (the coach of Primavera); de Boer confirmed.

I think they will choose blanc and I personally would go for guidolin.
 

Bluenine

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A little game: among the names we have read these days: 1. Who do you think will be our next coach; 2. Who would you choose.

The options are: pioli; blanc; mandorlini; Leonardo; guidolin; vecchi (the coach of Primavera); de Boer confirmed.

I think they will choose blanc and I personally would go for guidolin.

If these are the only choices, I would rather save some money and let FDB stumble through this season.
 

M.Adnan

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If these are the only choices, I would rather save some money and let FDB stumble through this season.

True. It's not like these guys will magically improve the team at this situation.

I think the only way to improve the team is the transfers windows with someone who knows what to look for.
 

Wings

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A little game: among the names we have read these days: 1. Who do you think will be our next coach; 2. Who would you choose.

The options are: pioli; blanc; mandorlini; Leonardo; guidolin; vecchi (the coach of Primavera); de Boer confirmed.

I think they will choose blanc and I personally would go for guidolin.

Undecided on whether I want FdB to leave but of those names Pioli and Blanc make the most sense.
 

tanorini

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It seems fdb lost control of his locker room. He is stubborn and I don't like the arbitrary punishment, icardi was let of the hook while others were made an example of. The worrying thing is if we change the coach yet again, maybe this will become a plan for the players, whenever they don't want the coach they will just play randomly.Our players need a coach that deals with them like kids. Their mentality is so low, I have no idea how they are suppose to be professional. Weak,weak and careless when pressured in a match easily succumb to the opponent. When they lose against an Israeli team that I just knew about this year, they go win against juventus and play in a great way. Its not the coach its from them, they play when they want to and stop when they don't want to.



Changing another coach without dealing with the bigger issue means we will fall in the same trap.
1)We need a person who can liaise between the management and the coach, preferably an inter insider like oriali or bergomi.
2)We need to have a strict set of rules and those who don't follow will receive punitive action.
3)We must get a coach that understand Italian football and tactics behind it and he must be given time.
4) We must not get moratti back as president because he is one of the the reasons for the disorganization of the team.
5) The team must have clear objectives in the transfer market that fit these two parameters , sporting and financial.
6) The management should not force the coach to follow a specific tactical approach.
7) Steven Zhang needs to be in Milan to follow the club closely and communicate directly with Suning.
8) This one is overlooked but we need a PR team that repudiates harmful nonsense from the media as that causes unnecessary pressure.
 

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achilles

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Benitez, Leonardo, Gasperini, Stramaccioni, Mazzarri, De Boer.

Now, if we had given market power to all those coaches, that is bad enough. But actually, post-Treble, we were FINANCIALLY HAMSTRUNG and the mercato strategy (or lack thereof) suffered tremendously.

So for about 6 years (!!!) we signed EXCLUSIVELY based on what was available, and very rarely based on what we needed, or would help the club longterm.

This resulted in the signing of:
Ricky Alvarez
Jonathan
Juan Jesus
Mauro Zarate
Kuzmanovic
Kovacic (a good buy, but bad decision to sell)
Coutinho (same as above)
Alvaro Pereira
Belfodil
Silvestre
Taider (better than Medel/Melo, IMO, and with a promising future)
M'Vila
Podolski
Vidic...

And thats without even getting into the good players we sold, just to put some money in the owner's pockets! It has all stemmed from poor financial stewardship of the club, IMO, running the club for the owner's bank account's benefit, for the last 6+ years.
 

A.l.i

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Hopefully things will turn around with Suning now.
 

Bluenine

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And thats without even getting into the good players we sold, just to put some money in the owner's pockets! It has all stemmed from poor financial stewardship of the club, IMO, running the club for the owner's bank account's benefit, for the last 6+ years.

Hahaha! You are joking, right?

I think its quite likely that in the last 20 years, Inter have been THE WORST in the world for "owner's pockets". The only time our owner's pockets have got ANY money is when they got rid of the club.
 
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