Football Special Report: Inter Milan- The paper champions
After the humiliation at the hands of Tottenham, will Inter Milan bounce back to answer the critics?
Yes Inter Milan are the European and Serie A champions and the records and the trophy cabinet will prove the fact as well. However, after the 3-1 loss, being crowned European champions does seem a long time ago and even in the Serie A, they don’t look like
champions at all. Much has changed since Inter Milan took the trophy home last and if somebody asks who the best team in Europe is, will Inter be the fair answer?
A 3-1 loss to a team that’s playing in the Champions League for the first time is not a phenomena unheard of especially when Roma were embarrassed by F.C Cluj some years ago and Inter themselves still have wounds of the humiliation at the hands of Helsingborg.
With all due respect to Tottenham, they are a good side and they have been good in England for some time now, but for Inter Milan, who apparently have the best team in Europe losing out 3-1 should be a warning sign.
When Inter beat Bayern Munich, it was different than the 2008 and 2009 finals because on these two occasions, the best team won as Manchester United and Barcelona were actually the best teams of 2008 and 2009 respectively. But in 2010, was it true that Inter
were the best in Europe?
Yes, defeating the mighty Barcelona and Chelsea was a great performance but for some reason, it was felt that there was something missing. Maybe it’s because they defeated Bayern Munich who were underdogs for the final or maybe it is that much has changed
since the architect of Inter success Jose Mourinho left for Real Madrid.
In 2009, after winning the 2008 edition, Manchester United reached the final and lost to Barcelona who were the better team throughout the tournament and then in 2010, Barcelona managed to reached the semi-final before losing to eventual champions Inter
Milan but have Inter Milan got what it takes to go to at least the last four under Rafael Benitez?
Rafael Benitez had a chance to at least get things right in Serie A when they played Brescia but they could only manage a 1-1 draw. In all honesty, Inter Milan are missing Jose Mourinho badly. The special one did leave his mark and Inter have now become
a team that is full of individuals who are no doubt the best in Europe but don’t seem to gel together as a team.
Rafael Benitez is only carrying on where Jose Mourinho left and the absence of Thiago Motta, Stankovic and Esteban Cambiasso is making Inter Milan look more and more vulnerable even in the Serie A. Goran Pandev seems lost while Chivu is proving to be a flop
of the season so far. Maicon, who is considered to be the best right back in the world is already living in the future and seems to be on the verge of linking up with his former coach at Inter, Jose Mourinho.
The only silver lining for Rafael Benitez so far is the goal-scoring form of Samuel Eto’o and the form of Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder. Many Nerazzurri fans have already started pointing the finger at Rafa Benitez and consider him to be the wrong man
for the club and think that the Spaniard can’t achieve half of what Jose Mourinho, his predecessor achieved a season ago.
But in all fairness to Rafa Benitez, he has inherited a squad that is plagued with injuries. The whole first-choice midfield has been sidelined and to make matters worse, Walter Samuel has been sidelined for the whole season. Results at the start of the
season were decent but not in comparison with those of last season and Massimo Moratti is unlikely to accept anything less than a Serie A trophy.
New faces haven’t done as well and Jonathan Biabiany is great to watch but still has to learn that pace alone is not enough to become a top player or to justify your place in the starting XI. Philippe Coutinho is a breathtaking player but is very young and
will realize his full potential in a year or two. The only man who seems to be doing well is Samuel Eto’o with 8 goals so far. A little bit like “The Portrait of Dorian Gray”, the striker seems young but those around him are ageing too fast.
Rafael Benitez needs to do something very quickly and in due time before it’s too late. Winning the Champions League seems out of reach but they are still in touching distance with Serie A leaders A.C Milan and need to close the gap and win the Scudetto
if they are to prove that they are still almost the same team that won the treble last season. Till then, the term “Paper Champions” seems to fit the Milan giants.
Tags: