Ras' Football World

Inter didn't start the season well. I noticed something was not right from the pre-season results but didn't read too much into it because it's pre-season after all. We got off to a flying start in our first match and I thought, we are on track after all but we made it hard for ourselves. Things were only to get harder. We looked off the pace, short on fitness and it looked like the doubts in the summer surrounding Milan Skriniar's future at the club had an effect on him and his team-mates. The players seemed easily irritable and they weren't focused.  We lost a lot of ground in the title race early on losing head-to-head deservingly against Lazio and Milan, less so against Roma. In between, we lost deservingly to Udinese as well. Our form picked up after losing to Roma with 4 wins on the trot before another head-to-head defeat away to Juventus but that was a punctuation of a run of 6 wins in 7 matches before the World Cup break. After the break, we started well inf...

After winning the Supercoppa, I had written an article that the triumph merely covered the cracks that are emerging. In the aftermath of that triumph, news has emerged that Milan Skriniar will not be extending his contract and would thus be allowed to leave on a free transfer in the summer. It is a huge loss for Inter and their management as they would have got a big fee for selling him in the previous summer. Not to mention, the status of being an indispensable member of the team and a fan favourite. Like many Inter fans, I was troubled to hear the rumour of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)'s interest in him. I prayed the deal will not take place and Inter would get him to extend his contract just as our directors, Beppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio thought would be the case.  Just before the game, Skriniar's agent conducted an interview stating that Inter was looking to cash in on him in the summer and they rejected Inter's contract offer as it didn't meet their financial reque...

Juventus was handed a 15 points deduction by an Italian soccer court on Friday. I read about a possible 9-point deduction a prosecutor had requested before I slept that day. I woke up to the news that they have been deducted 15 points but I felt indifferent about it. I am not a Juventus fan, far from it. They are my arch-nemesis but then again in Serie A, you either support Juventus or hate them. There is no in-between when it comes to Juventus.  Juventus fans feel that rival fans and the Italian football authorities are jealous of their success thus this sentiment of love or hate and no in-between. If you speak to Juventus fans about this episode or Calciopoli in 2006, they will paint themselves as the victims and point out why others aren't punished as severely as them. The world of Serie A is full of conspiracy theories. Many times when favourable decisions have gone in favour of Juventus, their rivals have said that the referees have either been bought by Juventus or favour Juv...

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-...

The business Inter does in the January transfer market will give us an indication of the ambition of the club and what kind of season we are expected to have. I am not keeping my hopes high though because we are well aware that our owners, the Suning Group are broke and would need to sell someone to be able to reinvest in the team. It's not a healthy situation to be in for the club.  In the summer, Inter sort of put all the eggs into one basket and went out of their way to sign Romelu Lukaku on loan (on loan, not even a permanent transfer). This signing coupled with the failure to sell anyone for a big fee meant that Inter had to sacrifice on the signing of Gleison Bremer and Paulo Dybala despite being favourites to sign both players. Six months on, this risk has not paid off. Inter probably thought they were getting the Lukaku that left Inter for Chelsea but the reality was very different as Inter got the Lukaku they go when they signed him from Manchester United. The difference i...

 Inter ended the 2021-22 season with two trophies in the trophy cabinet and nearly a clean sweep of domestic honours but had to relinquish the Scudetto they won last season to neighbours, AC Milan on the last day. Inter ended a long, excruciating wait of 11 years to win the Scudetto last season but we couldn’t enjoy the triumph for long as days after, Antonio Conte left by mutual consent. There was plenty of news report as well that our owners, the Suning Group was broke and had to balance their books which meant selling key players. The first painful sale the club made was of Achraf Hakimi. We thought that would be the only one. Later during pre-season, another bombshell was dropped when Romelu Lukaku was sold. This time it was because the player wanted to challenge himself again in the Premier League for a club that is dear to his heart. During Euro 2020, Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest and would not be able to play in Serie A with an implantable cardioverter-defibril...

  As the dust has settled on the Coppa Italia final, I share my reflections on a dramatic final. Nicolo Barella scored a great goal to open the scoring at a time when the game was still in its infancy. Neither team had exerted total control at that point of the match. The opening goal gave Inter the momentum to dominate the match in the first 25 minutes of the match. Thereafter, Juventus grew into the match. It is tough to completely dominate and keep out a team with quality like Juventus. I also felt that a reason why Juventus grew into the match was that our forwards, Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko struggled to keep hold of possession and were second best to any ball played forward. Giorgio Chiellini epitomised Juventus’ fightback in typical fashion with determination and tenacity. In matches such as this, it is expected for Inter to face different phases of the match; from dominating the match, we had to dig deep and defend. Generally, we did a good job to withstand Juventus’...

I was cautious on Italy’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup as unlike previous editions, this would be played on a knockout basis and Italy would have two knockout matches to navigate. The draw for the first of these knockout matches was favourable as were drawn against North Macedonia, on paper a winnable match. I was confident that given the importance of this match and the quality Italy had, they would have enough to see off the Macedonians. What lay ahead in our path after this match was what worried me as we would likely face the previous European champions, Portugal. But football, like life can be unpredictable. Italy ended the game with 32 attempts on goal and 16 corners but North Macedonia had the most crucial statistic, the only goal struck in injury time to knock four-times champions, Italy out. For the second World Cup in a row, the mighty Italians with a significant and reputable history in football, a team with prestige and pedigree, a team that only nine months befo...

Inter has ended 2021 on a high as Winter Champions. Personally, it is not a title that I cherish as it means nothing in the grand scheme of things. I would have been happy finishing the year in second or third but within touching distance of the top but I will take whatever good that comes my way. Dark Clouds In The Summer We impressively clawed back a deficit on AC Milan and Napoli who both had perfect records in the early months of the season to get to where we are now. Inter didn’t enter the season with an air of optimism after losing our manager, Antonio Conte, one of the best wing-backs in the world, Achraf Hakimi and when we thought that is all we would lose over the summer, we lost our most prolific striker in the last two seasons, Romelu Lukaku. We had also lost a key player in our title charge over the summer in the European Championships, Christian Eriksen, due to a heart issue. Composure Of Inzaghi The jury was out on Simone Inzaghi on how he would manage this Inter te...

 Italy was playing against Switzerland in a playoff for top spot in the group and with that came automatic qualification to the 2022 World Cup. I remember the first time I heard of Switzerland and found out that they were no pushovers in the qualifiers for the 1994 World Cup. We drew 2-2 and lost 0-1 at that time but qualified top of the group. Fast forward to 2021 and we beat them well in Euro 2020. We drew 0-0 in Switzerland, missing a penalty. After the result in Euro 2020, I was confident that we could win and seal the deal but that wasn’t the case. Sluggish Start, Lacking Intensity In The Final Third We were held to another draw. Since beating Belgium in the Euro 2020 quarter-finals, we have drawn four matches over 90 minutes, lost once and only won twice. We were not at our best and were sluggish from the start. Our control of midfield and possession has been a key feature of this new-look Italy and that was what was lacking in the game. We kept misplacing passes and our ...

Inter needed to beat Milan if they are to close the gap on their neighbours who have started the season unbeaten and on-fire. Inter’s start to the season has not been too bad, but it pales in comparison to the frantic pace Milan and Napoli have set this season. We did not win the latest edition of the Derby Della Madonnina but at least we did not lose and the gap between the two teams did not get bigger. Common Theme In Big Matches Inter’s performance in the derby warranted a win but after a very good recent record over Milan, I always fear Inter might lose to Milan as they did last season and because in derbies, the form book goes out of the window. However, it has become a theme for Inter in big matches this season; play well but fail to score enough goals to win it. Inter has failed to beat Atalanta, Lazio, Juventus and Milan in Serie A and Real Madrid in the Champions League despite playing well in most of these matches. The only match Inter struggled in was against Atalanta and ...

Inter’s win over Juventus last season was seen as one of the most important results of the season as it gave the team belief in their quest for the Scudetto. The reunion of their hostilities this time came a bit early in the season but for both teams, it was vital to pick up three points as they try and keep pace with Milan and Napoli on top. There was also a matter of pride to play for as always when these two teams meet. Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci stoked the flames pre-game by suggesting that Inter’s Scudetto win last season owed more to his team’s mistakes rather than the merit of Inter. There wasn’t much of a response from the Inter camp, but I am sure they wanted to prove him wrong on the pitch. Right Tactics After being involved in some open matches this season, I felt tactically Inter and Simone Inzaghi were set up well to neutralise Juventus and dominate the game. The only pity is that Inter didn’t create enough chances to capitalise on the dominance. The goal we scored was t...

After watching one of my teams lose in a concerning and disheartening manner, I switched to another favourite team in Serie A, Inter. They too lost but the manner of the defeat is different. Dominant Performance But Didn’t Finish It Off This season, Inter has shown remarkable character and a strong winning mentality to ride out stormy periods of a game, overturn a deficit and win it. We did it against Hellas Verona, Fiorentina and Sassuolo. Against Lazio today, it was different. Inter took the lead from the penalty spot. Arguably the penalty was a bit soft but there was some contact and it was fairly given. Ivan Perisic took it and finished well. Up until that point, the game was even and after taking the lead, Inter dominated the game. We were comfortable but we were lacking the precision to create chances to increase the lead and that was gnawing at me. I remember what happened at the Stadio Olimpico last season against Lazio where we took the lead and were comfortable until out ...

Over the years, Inter’s matches against Sassuolo have been tricky outside of two 7-0 wins for us.  The Mapei Stadium is also a tricky ground to go to. Sassuolo, traditionally have been a team that is not afraid of taking the game to their opponents regardless of who they are and they have a trademark of playing neat, tidy, short passes and have tricky players. Sloppy & Lucky First Half Inter got off to a good start and were the better team in the first 10-15 minutes before sloppiness allowed Sassuolo into the game. We kept losing the ball in our half, trying to play out from the back and that is a dangerous thing to do. Samir Handanovic has had a lot of criticism for his errors in goal but he was immense in keeping the score low. Deservedly, we conceded first and even there he nearly saved Domenico Berardi’s penalty. Milan Skriniar who has been immense in recent weeks and the Man Of The Match against Shakthar Donestk in midweek made an uncharacteristic error of bringing down ...

It feels like Inter are cursed to struggle and score goals in the Champions League. Two games played and 0 goals scored but yet are the top scorers in Serie A. Another game against Shakhtar Donestk and another goalless draw. To be honest, it's more our doing than a curse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-xT_xg7mfE Difference Between This Season & Last The difference between this match and the two matches we played last season was that Shakhtar played better this morning compared to last season. They passed the ball better, kept possession longer and threatened more. They had good technical and fast players and made good use of them. Roberto De Zerbi used his in-depth knowledge of Inter to set his team up tactically to dominate us. Poor Performance From Inter Inter played better in the first half than we did in the second but overall, a poor performance. In the second half, we struggled to keep possession, hardly mustered anything going forward and couldn’t pass the bal...

I have finally got around to writing this. Inter and Atalanta played out a breath-taking match, full of drama and incidents at the San Siro on Saturday. It was a good thing that after the match I went to sleep as I was left breathless and needed to lie down. Inter Start On Top The match ebbed and flowed. Inter started the match very well and should have been at least 2-0 up had we been clinical. Instead, we were only one goal in the lead and it was a great goal too. A great assist by Nicolo Barella and a fantastic volley by Lautaro Martinez. In this moment of ascendancy, we lacked a bit of precision with our finishing and touches in the final third. Atalanta Gains Control Atalanta grew into the game, had some half-chances but never really threatened our goal until Ruslan Malinovskiy unleashed a typical howitzer. There was nothing any goalkeeper in the world could have done to stop that. I was disappointed with the defence because it’s no surprise what Malinovskiy is capable of bu...

If this morning’s Fiorentina vs Inter was played at the back end of the season, it would bode well for Inter in terms of their quest of retaining the Scudetto and adding a second star to their crest. Nevertheless, it was a strong response from a poor first-half. Over the seasons, we have seen Juventus respond in similar clinical and strong fashion when they are losing or not playing well. I have just looked on in envy and respect but this morning, my team showed similar resolve and quality and I feel proud. Off The Pace In The First Half Inter was struggling to get to grips with Fiorentina in the first-half. Fiorentina pressed us aggressively high up the pitch, they were sharp, moved well with pace and passed the ball quickly. The tactic of pressing us high so that we are not able to build moves from the back and our midfielders don’t have time on the ball was used with varied success previously by Hellas Verona and Sampdoria as well. The pace of our game played into Fiorentina’s str...

Inter responded very well to a couple of disappointing results with a 6-1 thrashing of an in-form Bologna. However, it was far from easy in the early parts of the match. Strong Start By Bologna I felt Bologna started well and played with confidence. They moved the ball around well with authority without threatening our goal too much but were looking to penetrate our defence while we were misplacing some of our passes and when in the Bologna half, our passes went sideways more than forward. We were excited to see the partnership of Joaquin Correa and Lautaro Martinez but we hardly saw any combination from both players. Clinical Inter The difference between this game and the ones against Sampdoria and Real Madrid was that we were ruthless and clinical in front of goal. We scored from our first chance and first shot on goal. Milan Skriniar made it 2-0 after missing from good positions in the last two matches. Bologna was still in the game up until 2-0. We killed them off at 3-0 and ...

 It’s nice to qualify for the Champions League; the prestige and honour of being the best or one of the best four teams in your country playing amongst others of equal standing. Then there are the memories of glorious Champions League nights of the past as well. For the club, it is financially beneficial if a club is involved in the Champions League as well. After a long period of absence, Inter has been qualifying for the Champions League for the past three seasons now but have disappointingly exited the tournament in the group stage in all three seasons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFKNJiTSBTE Another Defeat To Real Madrid We started this campaign against Real Madrid as champions of Italy at home in the San Siro. The last time we played them at the same venue, we were beaten and outplayed with 10 men for large periods of the game. Like in that match, I felt Real Madrid was no longer the power that they were and can be beaten. They had experience on their side from having ...

 The last time Inter lost in Serie A before they secured their 19 th Scudetto was against Sampdoria at the Luigi Ferraris. It was a highly frustrating match as Inter missed several chances including a penalty and conceded twice on the counter-attack. Inter made a return there in the early game on Sunday. Dimarco Smashes One In The Top Corner It wasn’t the perfect performance as Sampdoria hounded our midfielders which resulted in erratic and erroneous passing.  We were fortunate to take the lead as we were awarded a soft free-kick. Federico Dimarco didn’t turn down the gift and thundered in a superb free-kick. Before that goal and after it, we carried little threat going forward. Lautaro Martinez had a decent chance that was saved by Emil Audero after Inter had scored. Fortune Favours Sampdoria Sampdoria got a fortunate equaliser too although you can argue that we should have done better in dealing with the corner that led to Maya Yoshida’s goal. The fortune part was tha...