Strength In Numbers For Inter

I didn't get the time to write a preview on Inter's season because my wife got into labour and I have been busy ever since. I did manage to catch Inter's first game of the season though. Inter had a delayed start to the season but I felt confident that we had the time to be adequately ready for the season. We have added experience in the form of Arturo Vidal and Aleksandar Kolarov. We have also signed a young player that tormented us last season in the Champions League, Achraf Hakimi. Returning from their loan spells and at the moment, staying in the team are Ivan Perisic and Radja Nainggolan. Losing Sandro Tonali to neighbours AC Milan was a piece of business that disappointed me a lot. But Inter's objective is to add experience to the team this season as the team looks to end their trophy drought. The main goal has to be to win the Scudetto.

Inter's Large Squad On the back of a thrilling 4–3 win in Inter's opening fixture against Fiorentina, the depth of Inter's squad has been regularly highlighted. We brought on Arturo Vidal, Radja Nainggolan, Alexis Sanchez, Stefano Sensi and Achraf Hakimi in the second half to change the game. All five players that were brought on helped Inter overturn a goal deficit to win 4–3. The depth in the team in terms of quality and quantity is as good as I have seen in a very long time. There could still be more outgoing and incoming deals before the transfer window is closed. There are players in the squad that will find playing opportunities very limited and will need to move on to find those opportunities.

Weakened Defence I was surprised that we allowed an experienced defender in Diego Godin to leave. He had a strong end to the season after his initial struggles. He could have still played a part this season. Stefan de Vrij was suspended for the first match. Milan Skriniar was a surprise exclusion from the first team with rumours circulating of a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur. The defence that lined up consisted of Danilo D'Ambrosio, Alessandro Bastoni and Kolarov. Bastoni played the best in defence. The ever-reliable D'Ambrosio always needs a few matches to get into the groove of things. Kolarov looked out of sorts. We were exposed on the counter-attack for at least two of the three goals we conceded. Having lost Godin, I am praying that we don't sell Skriniar. De Vrij will be back for our next match against Benevento but our first choice central defence should consist of Skriniar, De Vrij and Bastoni this season. If there is any area that we need to strengthen after losing Godin, it would be the defence.

The Performance I felt we fully deserved the win. We overcame a shaky start to settle down and end it with more possession and goal attempts. In the first half, we didn't have many shots on goal or created much in terms of clearcut chances but Lautaro Martinez got us back with a great goal. The attacking play was great and it got better with the introduction of Stefano Sensi. Christian Eriksen still looks like a round peg in a square hole, hardly influencing the game. Romelu Lukaku could have scored more than once but looked rusty and would need time to get up to speed. I was excited to see Achraf Hakimi so was disappointed to not see him start the game. Judging from Antonio Conte's post-match interview, it seems that it might take time for him to start in the first-team.

The Opposition I felt Frank Ribery had a fantastic performance. He showed his quality throughout the time he was on the pitch. Federico Chiesa showed defensive discipline to curtail the threat of Ivan Perisic and then showed his attacking quality to score Fiorentina's third goal. In their defence, I was impressed by a player linked to us, Nikola Milenkovic.

The team will need some matches to get to groove and full flow so it must be resilient now and most importantly not lose its way in January.