betting
Inter
By David, BettingExpert.com | Edited
Playing the waiting game …does not pay
Mourinho has left for a new adventure but the squad he left behind has won all three trophies available last season – a historic achievement in Italian football. That is why president Moratti has been reluctant on making new additions. Benitez, however, is not one to have become famous for the clarity in his ideas. Will he manage to tame the wild horse reared by the arrogant yet successful Mourinho?
Coach: Benitez
Tactics: 4-2-3-1
Players In: Coutinho, Castellazzi, Biabiany, Faraoni
Players Out: Balotelli, N. Burdisso, Quaresma, Obinna, Krhin, Toldo, Biabiany, Arnautovic, Destro
Current Probable Formation: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, J. Chivu, Cambiasso, J. Zanetti, Eto’o, Sneijder, Pandev, Milito
The Inter fan could not have asked for anything else last season. After years of suffering, mumbling and trying to repress the jealousy at cousins Milan for their higher profile on the international stage they were finally served the meal of their lives. They can now boast the only triple-trophy season in Italian football history and they will be making sure that their feat goes on to live long in the years to come. But can that memory survive this season as well or will Benitez make such a blunder that Inter fans will have to rethink their team’s potential?
What Mourinho has managed to achieve last season was incredible. Spanish and English giants have managed to win everything before but their leagues have been, and still are in the case of Barcelona and Real Madrid, much less competitive, with 6-0 thrashings a frequent occurrence against the likes of Almeria, Racing, Wigan or Stoke City. In Italy tactics take centre stage so even the smaller clubs can prove a handful over the weekend, taking away most of the team’s energies ahead of midweek fixtures.
The big question now is, can Benitez replicate that success? It is always difficult for any team to repeat itself. That has been so for many
legendary sides in history and even the great Barcelona of our times stumble
over a few stones every now and then, preventing them from exercising total
dominance over European football. 
Overcoming complacency is an undeniable
obstacle for a team which has achieved a lot in the previous months. The
mission is a tough one for the Spanish manager and even more so when
considering his track record with the club he was in charge of for so many
years in England.
At Liverpool he has not managed to match up to the likes of Wenger or Ferguson despite cash loads of funds being made available to him. He spent most of that money on people he would have wished for to be the new Premier League revelations, Dwight Yorke-style. But that was not to be as he worsened the financial situation at Anfield and in the end he could not even match up to one of his predecessors at the club, Gerard Houllier.
His continuous search for answers by getting on board relatively unknown players and his endless change in tactics prove his uncertainties as a manager. Many would at this point mention his most recent Champions League success when in charge of the Reds, but that final has got to be the wildest ever in football finals. The three goals they recovered in just 6 minutes can have no explanation other than Milan having thought the trophy was theirs already and of course Liverpool’s immense heart and determination.
The players of course are all there for a repeat of last year’s achievements but the manager is not one to boast a strong enough personality to deal with the politics in Italian football as his predecessor did bravely and effectively in his short period there. Even Mourinho had found trouble dealing with his first season at the club as he acclimatized to the Serie A. Luckily for him there was no team that could match Inter’s strength so his path to success was guaranteed at the time. This cannot be said of Benitez who was quite unlucky in having had to read the headlines linking stars to Milan and Roma and finally swallowing the bad news as the likes of Robinho, Ibrahimovic, Burdisso and Borriello signed on to the now main rivals for the Nerazzurri’s throne.
The Spaniard would have liked to make a few signings of his own, and for once he would have been right in asking for them. But Moratti saw it fit not to squander money to reinforce an already successful team. Benitez would still have made his huge mistakes though with his wish list topped by the name of Mascherano, a defensive midfielder which Inter can cover for to levels of excellence with Cambiasso, Javier Zanetti, Muntari, Mariga and at times even Chivu. With two places available for that role that would have been money down the drain for a player who may be good but not enough to replace any of his fellow Argentine midfielders at Inter.
His wish to have Kuyt made more sense. He is a hard working
man on the flank and occasionally can find the goals as well. He would have
actually been ideal for the 4-2-3-1 which Mourinho adopted last year. Yet that
formation
presupposed Eto’o’s sacrifice in a more defensive role. The Cameroon
international, however, has already made it clear that he will not be content
with filling up for that role this season. He is missing the goals and after
all, it is the goal scorers who get all the credit, like Milito’s award of best
Champions League player last season which snubbed Eto’o completely despite his
immensely important role in that Inter. So no one can really blame the
ex-Barcelona star for wanting to go back at doing what he does best.
Last year’s 4-2-3-1 will therefore have to evolve into a 4-3-1-2 in time and the way Benitez will be handling this will determine Inter’s fortune’s this season. His past meddling with Liverpool’s tactics suggest it will be a long and weary journey for Inter and perhaps it is the games against the top clubs which will see them suffer the most. This will be giving time and precious points to Roma and Milan on the domestic front but perhaps Inter will find themselves still very much in the game when it comes to a competition like the Champions League where the two-legged tough encounters will be making their way into their calendar later on in the season.
Predicted finishing position: 3rd
Although the team is still one of the strongest in Europe they have gaps to fill, especially a decent replacement in attack and an all-round player in midfield. Their need for someone to play the deadly through balls will have them rethink their plans and go back to the transfer market in January. That will be too late for them to patch up their journey for the Scudetto but they will go close to making a first Champions League double. Chelsea and Barcelona should be out for revenge and will want to have their say on that issue though.
Write a comment
Please read our debate etiquette before commenting
MLB, USA
General
Men's Champions League, Eu...
NHL, USA
Other
NBA Western Conference Finals 2012 Betting Preview 
Horse Racing
Football
Formula 1
| 
|