Pioli can salvage Inter
With a vote of confidence and the customary training retreat imposed, Richard Hall assesses Stefano Pioli’s time at Inter so far.
To say a month is a long time in football is an understatement. In March, Stefano Pioli’s team took Cagliari apart and then demolished a very good Atalanta side 7-1, 12 goals in two games showing their aggressive and seemingly determined side. They had lost to Roma, Juventus and Lazio since the start of the year and this deluge of goals was seemingly an answer to their few critics.
Pioli had taken over from Frank de Boer in November and, from December 8 to January 28 they won all nine competitive games. Pioli had steadied the team, found a way to reinvigorate the full-backs, enable the wide men to feed Mauro Icardi and had found their metronome in Roberto Gagliardini. Inter looked hungry, focused and showed ‘grinta’ by winning games when they did not play well. The Chinese money had many thinking Inter would ‘go big’ and employ an internationally-renowned Coach, but he was changing people’s perspectives.
When the Nerazzurri then humiliated themselves against Fiorentina on Saturday night, it was not for the first time, but instead a cherry on top of the most depressing of months. A frustrating draw against Torino was followed up with a lacklustre performance against Sampdoria, an embarrassing defeat at Crotone and the fumbled 2-0 lead in the Derby.
The frustration on Pioli’s face was evident, all the good habits and hard work were being thrown away, as the team looked unable to dictate the tempo of the games and instead gave the ball to Icardi, got on their knees and prayed. This fear was not Pioli’s doing, it was a habit ingrained in the club for years. The new Coach had managed to keep the team in good habits, but like a regressing alcoholic, they soon went back to the bottle.
Ironically it is bottle they have lacked in recent months and some of the blame may land on Pioli’s shoulders. Does the lack of victories against big teams affect their mentality in the long term? Why have the substitutions been so negative and why does he rely on Eder and Rodrigo Palacio at times? Why did the side look so different without Gagliardini (when injured), why can they not control the tempo anymore and what on earth is wrong with Gabigol?
At least there was one refreshing aspect at Inter, as Pioli received his backing from the owners. He is not perfect, that is for sure, but few Coaches are. He has been there for sixth months and deserves the chance to work with the players, as he has already made Inter look more like a cohesive unit than they have in some time.
If Inter can bounce back against Napoli, then they will prove a point to themselves and their Coach. These problems lie in the mentality of the team and Pioli will need more time to change that.
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