Supercoppa Champions (Again!) Cover The Cracks

Inter swept past Milan 3-0 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to retain the Supercoppa Italiana. I couldn't watch the match as it wasn't shown "live" in Singapore. It is always great to win a derby in this fashion but the feeling is lost when you don't actually watch the match. We have continued the trend of winning trophies in consecutive seasons which is an excellent habit to cultivate and this victory has proved that there is no doubt that Inter can beat anyone in a one-off match. 

However, this victory just papers over growing cracks at Inter. When I see the club President, Steven Zhang get involved in the trophy celebrations, I feel he is not embarrassed. To be honest, his involvement looks a bit awkward as well. The squad is increasingly heading towards degeneration as the best players are slowly getting picked apart and replaced by ageing players. We know the reason why this is the case - the club is broke and they have to sell to invest in the team. The 30-something-year-old players that we sign are on a free transfer and are low-cost options. To give credit where it's due, these players have come in and done well for us but they are not the future of the club. It is good to have some experienced players in the squad but that needs to be balanced by signing younger players that have still got some years to develop and get better. 

I am grateful for what Suning Group has done for Inter since they took over and they made a strong start in the transfer market to eventually generate a title-winning team. I like the transfer strategy the club took as they signed players that were in their 20s. However, that changed when the money dried up in the midst of the pandemic. Suning Group was one of the businesses that were badly affected and became bankrupt. I felt at that point, they should have done the right thing and sold the club to someone that is financially stable instead they have remained stubbornly in charge of the club while the club goes on losing targets that they were after to our rival clubs. 

In this January transfer window, we are in desperate need to sign a striker but the club doesn't look at it that way. We have two passengers in the squad; Joaquin Correa and Romelu Lukaku. Correa has not been the signing we thought he would be and isn't contributing much in his appearances this season. In Lukaku's case, he will need time to get in shape physically and in terms of match fitness. He might still contribute some goals but it is unlikely he will replicate what he did in his first spell at the club. He may never be the same player until he finds Antonio Conte and Pintus again and if he is to be that Lukaku, he will need time to get going and I doubt Inter can afford him that time. Signing a proper forward will boost the team in the final stretch of the season. We are relying on a soon-to-be 37-year-old in Edin Dzeko to start matches every 3 or 4 days and that epitomises where we are at now. 

We need Marcelo Brozovic to be fit as well to give us another option in midfield. The discovery of Hakan Calhanoglu in Brozovic's position has meant that we have not missed Brozovic in his absence but his return would give us an extra body in midfield and allow 33-year-old, Henrikh Mkhitaryan some rest instead of going through the rigour of playing every 3 or 4 days. 

I am sorry to paint a glum picture after a big win over our neighbours but I had to share my concerns. We might still add another trophy this season like we did last season but we are going to find it very difficult to maintain a good run of form in the league with the limited options available in central midfield and attack.