Inter Milan Squad Analysis (Emirates Cup)

Marco Materazzi said after the Nerazzurri were granted the Serie A title of 2005/06 following the match fixing scandal involving mathematical champions Juventus, “we could not really celebrate it properly. It is important we win the title in our own right” Awarding the ‘Scudetto’ to Inter was the moral thing for the Italian F.A to do, yet the Inter Milan players clearly had unfinished business. This sentiment was clearly felt by Materazzi’s team mates. Finishing ahead of second placed Roma by an astonishing 22 points Inter Milan nearly achieved the feat their Emirates Cup hosts managed to accomplish during the 2003/04 season. They were within one game of going through a whole season unbeaten. Winning 30 games, drawing 7 and despairingly losing one sole match. This defeat wasn’t against one of the big names of Italian football with Inter doing the double over their bitter rivals A.C. This was another moral victory for the blue and black half of Milan. They finished 36 points ahead of A.C Milan, 28 if you take into account the points deduction. This is a remarkable achievement and just shows that Inter were clearly the dominant force in Italian Football last season.

It is not easy to see why they ended up such clear winners. One glance at the squad shows it has all the necessary make-up to be one of the best in Europe and the World. For some reason Inter Milan seem to have a hoodoo over them in Europe in recent times. They have failed to reach a major European final for nearly 10 years. This however was the Uefa Cup and the Internazionale fans would clearly wish to be challenging for the Champion’s League, the last time they reached the final of this competition was the season of 1971-72. They were many people’s favourites for this title this year and the fans were very confident. However they bottled it at the first hurdle, losing out to their opponents in the Emirates Cup, Valencia. To add salt to the wound, A.C went on to win the cup many believe they shouldn’t have taken any part in.

It is a mystery why they have failed to get any further in such competitions after their domestic domination. As I said their squad has quality in every position. As all major Italian teams are their foundations are built on a solid defence. With veteran Francesco Toldo competing with the younger, constantly improving Julio Cesar they have two solid keepers fighting to play behind the defence. They can call on an older goalkeeper, but someone who definitely still knows what he is doing or bring in the very apt younger option. Either way they have someone very reliable between the posts. The defence itself is built on both experience and flair. Club captain Javier Zanetti is still going strong, is there a much better example of the saying “class is permanent”, you’ll be hard pushed to find much better. Fighting for the right back slot is Maicon, the energetic fullback who has the flair of Brazil in him. Having taken the shirt from Cafu in the Brazilian national team he has received many flattering comparisons to the legend himself. On the other side they had Fabio Grosso, the awkward but skillful World Cup winner, the man who killed Germany with a priceless goal in the Semi Final. In Maxwell they have an able back up who many European clubs were linked with, including Arsenal and Manchester United. With Grosso moving to Lyon this summer it is Maxwell’s chance to really step up and claim his place. The centre of defence simply has so much depth. Again they have the perfect balance between youth and experience. Materazzi was fantastic last season, the no nonsense hard man clearly more determined to win the league fairly than anyone else. Alongside him he played with different partners, the experienced duo of Walter Samuel and Ivan Cordoba. They are both players that know what they are doing in big game situations. The older players also have a benefit towards the younger players. Andreolli and Burdisso are the future and they will benefit no end from such expertise within the squad.

Moving into midfield you get very much the same blend. The wide positions filled by veteran Luis Figo and Dejan Stankovic. Figo is another example of someone who never loses the natural skill they have always had. This is shown by the fact he has just signed an extension to his contract after such a successful season. These two are backed up by Marino Gonzalez, again someone who will learn hugely from these two players. Alvaro Recoba was the leading assist maker in Serie A last season and he delivers a mean set piece to take advantage of the height within the team. All these players are given the freedom to roam due to the system Inter deploy with 2 defensive midfielders. The Gunners Legend Patrick Vieira was ever present, determined to win the Serie A title after having his medal removed when he was at Juventus. The powerhouse midfielder shined in the Inter midfield and looked more like the Vieira of old all Arsenal fans remember, scoring goals while at the same time protecting the back line. Next to him is the neater more skillful and equally able Esteban Cambiasso. A regular for the well fancied Argentina during the World Cup in Germany, he does a very similar job. Leaving the flair players to do their stuff while doing his with little fuss.

Having read about the depth in the other areas it may be a surprise to hear that is their forward line that is the scariest aspect for any opposition. Zlatan Ibrahimovich, Julio Cruz and Hernan Crespo all came up with the goods when needed, shown by the 80 goals Inter scored in the league last year. Although Crespo is officially a Chelsea player it seems likely he will not return and the loan deal between the clubs will continue. Inter will be keen to make sure this happens and as the Argentinian hit man was a consistently good performer for the Nerazzurri. Ibrahimovich finally seems to be showing the potential many people saw when he emerged from Sweden and signed for Ajax. Cruz is the sort of striker that won’t grab headlines but will get you goals when you need them. Another scary thing is that they still had Adriano to call upon. The big Brazilian had a poor season by his standards but the guy still has the talent to play at the top level and if the Mancini can get the best out of him Adriano can be lethal.

The Inter squad has so much depth they can have many different plans for certain games, they can mix it up, play good football and grind out results if needed. This is the sign of a good squad. Internazionale will put up a stern test during the Emirates Cup. Despite losing to Valencia in the Champions League they seem to have far more within their squad to better Valencia in this competition. They have the ingredients that are perfect for the pre season tournament. They concede few goals and can score for fun; this is exactly what’s needed when teams gain an extra point for every goal they score. They will provide the biggest tests for Arsenal and the game on Sunday will surely be a tasty encounter.