Inter Milan has entered this new season with ambition and an unprecedented project: place Cristian Chivu, former emblematic defender of the club, on the bench to embody continuity and a new identity after the departure of Simone Inzaghi following the triple successive failure in Coppa Italia, in Serie A and in the final of the Champions League. But after only three days of Serie A, the counter is worrying: three small points, only one victory in the inaugural match and then two consecutive setbacks which cooled enthusiasm. If talking about the crisis is still premature, the scenario already worries tifosi and management. This team, among the favorites announced in the race for Scudetto, tripped where it was not expected, revealing fragility that was thought to be settled. The defeat against Udinese had already left traces, but it is above all the huge slap received this Saturday at the Italia derby which resonates like a thunderclap: a violent (4-3) for Juventus at the Allianz Stadium, a score that recalls bad memories. The inter collecting six goals in three games – an average of two per game – an untenable figure for a contest for the title.
In a championship where, for years, the team that concedes the least goals ends up champion, these statistics are making a task. The defensive principles, supposed to be the DNA of Chivu, did not comply with the Bianconeri assaults and the image of Manuel Akanji, late on Lloyd Kelly during the first Turinian goal, went around social networks, transforming the newly came into a scapegoat of the moment: “The team dominated in the first minute. We were carried out, we reacted and we lacked clarity in the interpretation of the moments. Being pragmatism and pragmatism would have allowed us to return to Milan happier. The performance remains the same, I'm happy. Unfortunately, there is also disappointment, because we have won nothing, but we know that by setting the small details, we can obtain some satisfaction in the near future. And then, now we have the Champions League, which gives us the opportunity to transform our anger into something positive, to better understand the moments of the match, especially when we worked so hard to overthrow the situation“Said Chivu at a press conference.
Three points in three games …
At the end of this defeat, Cristian Chivu wanted to reframe his group. More than a question of system or players, the Romanian denounces a lack of attitude and concentration in key moments. From Appiano Gentile, he hammered the same message behind closed doors. The mentality must change, the fighting spirit must become central again. The coach no longer wants excuses linked to the Lost Champions League final or summer injuries. It requires an immediate questioning to prevent the start of the season from turning into a shipwreck. “”The after -effects of the Champions League? It has nothing to do with the final of the Champions League … You have to understand that sometimes, instead of being beautiful, you have to be concrete. In 20 years, I have never seen the Inter achieving such a performance here in the Juventus stadium. Unfortunately, we go home empty -handed. I have seen a lot of quality, a lot of determination. I take the performance of performance and what we showed from the start despite two delays. It is never easy for anyone in this stage. We should have managed the last ten minutes differently, but we have to rely on the good things we have shown today». His speech, repeated on television and at a press conference, is clear: finished the game too pretty, no more unnecessary passes, you have to defend, get out, fight.
For Inter, the emergency is therefore mental as much as tactical. The club has chosen Chivu to rebuild a cycle, but patience is not unlimited in an institution accustomed to winning. With already four goals of delay conceded in total and a calendar which promises to be full -bodied, the pressure rises: “I am confident, because if this team can play like that, I do not worry. We must be pragmatic and improve our chances of winning. I am thinking of winning matches after a performance like this. You have to know when to be nice and when to be more mean. We can analyze performance, even the second half against Udinese. You can erase something from the past to find calm and bring the result home. You have to know how to recognize the right time and know when doing certain things. During the match, the team made a lot of effort to reverse the trend: you can train and work on its habits. We go home with the regret of not having won». If the Nerazzurri do not react quickly, the “chivu parenthesis” could close faster than expected, a scenario that nobody wishes in Milan but that many begin to whisper. The former central defender, renowned for his almost “banking” rigor as a player, must now prove that he can transmit this inviolability to his troops. Otherwise the beautiful story could turn short, and the dream of a new Scudetto with a homemade coach becomes a painful memory.
