This was supposed to be the easy part of the schedule. Chievo away, Siena home and then Bari away. Three games top get back into the swing of things before the Milan derby. An easy nine points that will have us comfortably in first place.
Yes Inter has picked up seven out of nine points from these two games, but these have not been convincing performances. Too often Inter has fallen behind and it has taken a tremendous last 20 minutes in order to get something from the game.
Where is that effort in the first 70 minutes?
So now we get the derby this week (click for tickets to the game) and suddenly Milan are right behind us and playing really well. AC Milan are six points behind Inter with a game in hand, so if they win on Sunday and win their game in hand they will go top.
The next ten days are the most important days of the domestic campaign so far. Beat Milan on Sunday and Juventus the following Thursday in the Coppa Italia and Inter will once again be winning trophies this season. Losing them both is unthinkable.
Am I right to be nervous about the Milan game and how Inter is playing at the moment?
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I am nervous too. Inter had been struggling lately. I am also worried abt Mourinho and Balotelli. Both are having some issues, i believe. Mou had been complaining abt Mario. I feel tat Mario is very impt to the team. He can score or create crucial goals, esp now that Eto is not avail. Both must have respect for each other.
The Mou and Balotelli relationship is a strange one. I agree that he is an important part of the team, but he seems to be always battling with Mou which is a battle he cannot win
I tink that Mou is trying not to be over-reliant on Super Mario. Mou wanted Pandev, so there are 4 strikers competing for 2-3 places. Eto and Militio will take the 1st 2 spots if they are fit, so that will leave Pandev and Mario competing against each other to be the 3rd striker. Regardless of his attitude, Mario is young and talented, so he can only improve.
Totally agree. I just hope that Mario is ok being the 3rd forward behind Eto’o and Militio
I´m not nervous with that games. I´ve seen during the Mourinho´s career that kind of situations before. Mourinho is a super-inteligent person and dominate not only the game,but is a master in psycologic terms. Mario Balotelli is a young person with a very dificult personallity and earning lots of money, but without intellegency sufficient to understand that the attitudes he takes when was substituted, when disagree with referees and continue with the ball , with suffer a fault,etc are not the best for him and for the team. Based on my experience, I know that Mourinho only put Mario on the team, because he have an huge potential and can do the best and the worst! If Mario doesn´t have that potential you can be sure it was out! Remember what Zanetti always said about Mario! But José continue to change the mind of Mario, speaking with him,transmit messages through others and speak publically when he fails. Mourinho always applied the proved theory that no one is above the Group, because its a collectively game and the group is more important then the sum of the individuals. Thats something that its completely diferent for most of the players! Remember also, another important thing; Eto,scheneider,pandev,milito,muntari , lucio, all just join the team and plays and in a good way. Eto and scheineder in the past talk bad things about Mou,but now its different,and why? Because they are intelligent and understand the Mourinho Bibble! The only flop was Ricardo, and trust me he is magic like Harry Potter. When he was in Sporting Lisbon with Cristiano, is better. If you ask a opinion from Cristiano about Quaresma he will say that doesn´t understand why Ricardo its not adapted yet to Italy. But the question is in my oppinion very easy, when Mourinho starts at Inter he designed before some models based on the players they have and counting on Mancini and Ricardo to broke as wingers some teams that put the bus in front of the goal.During the pre-season it works,but in the first game wasn´t. why ? Ricardo and Mancini doesn´t know how to defend,but work hard to do so. Mourinho prefers players that attack and defend, and Ricardo and Mancini got same opportunities, and because they are so obsessed to follow Mourinho orders to defend, they loose their main characteristics. But the topic its about nervous, ok! I believe Inter will at least got a draw, but I think will win with Milan, and for the cup, depends on the confident after Milan. For sure, Jose will put zanneti,cambiasso, scheinder and stankovic,Millito and Pandev. And Mario will be on the bench! If Mario start initial you want be sure that Mourinho will follow all reactions of Mario, and have no problems to take Mario off after 3 “faults” like respond to agressions, talk with referee or not defending well. In my opinion, Maicon its not in a good form, and the result will depend to much on his performance. Lucio is ok, and Samuel also, but the left may be Mourinho will use Zanneti,and in this case Mourinho try to decid to include Mario or another midfield! You must understand that Mourinho already studied all the possibilities in Inter players and models game and also in Milan, and he have fixed also some problems in the balneary like Vieira and others. Inter are forming a new team, with new people that need tittles, and taking out old players with lots of tittles.And takes time. I´m not suprised with the matches agaisnt Siena and Bari, because there was games when some players enter the pitch thinking thats a question of time, and the motivation its completelly diferent. Mourinho will create a spirit of wariors, like a battle and lets see how the team respond. About the Champions League its different, about what I said is the Inter players, collectivily and some individuals doesn´t achieved yet the Mourinho´s mentallity.You could have the best players, but when they heard the song of Champions League, some of them tremous a lot! All of my opinions are based on deep knowledge I got from all the Mourinhos career. And messages like Morati pass to the press about Mourinho stayed on Inter if even fails with Chelsea, are just to shut up the press that are agaisn´t Inter! A lot of notices, like Munited,RealMadrid, Mourinho agressions to journalist and other things are just to divide and disturb Mourinho players. But as I said prior, Mourinho is a master using that kind of low and unfair games to motivate the players. Lets see and dont be nervous,just wait see and trust.
Some great points here. Mourinho is a master at playing mind games with his players and opponents. He will often deflect attention away from the players but doing or saying something that gets the press all riled up.
Thanks David, as you problaly know I´m Italian or English, but from Setubal, Portugal and I know José very well. Not only in personal terms but as a professional. I think also,that Inter must be carefully with José, because the way Italia lives Football, its a way Mourinho hates! And why? Because he cames from UK, where today Football is like NBA. And in Italia, like or latino countries, the players and all people related to clubs are always aborded in very good or very bad terms. Doesn´t have a middle term, and the press is of course controlled by one person that everybody knows who is. That opinions just reflect my own personal view.If José have in mind to go to other country, you could be surehe will figth even more to win everything before leaving, because is very professional and don´t like people speaking bad things after he left! And that occurs since I know José from 46 years ago. For sure, by that time its taking in all the press is saying about Inter and players and use that to motivate the players. And I´m sure he will also, provoque the ACMilan fans or players or others just to pass the message inside his players that he is defending all attacks. So, with this any player will let all the blood on the pitch.
So my friends?? Comments on my opinion? Exactlly what I expected! Warriors, Mario on the bench. All agaisnt us and 3 more points on the bag!
You were right. There were times in the game; Sneijder sent off and the first 20 mins of the second half, when Inter could of caved in. But they didn’t today, they fought for each other and that was really pleasing to see
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