AFP/Getty Images
The five reasons why Inter should not sack De Boer
- The team is underperforming, too many games start from losing position
“We are strong, but we are not a group”, Eder said last Sunday after the Atalanta clash. The Italian-Brazilian striker openly admits that the manager is not the only one to be blamed for the team’s crisis. Inter have started eight games out of nine from losing position this season. They managed to win against Pescara and Juventus, but Inter have not been able to react after their opponents’ goals in the other games.
- Individual mistakes
Most of times, the approach is the wrong one. There is lack of balance and it is not easy to start almost every game from losing position. Then there are individual mistakes which depend on the players’ mentality, something that De Boer’s cannot change, as the Dutchman said after the Atalanta clash.
- Relaxed approach and Europa League squad list
Inter should have made it through the Europa League group stage without too many problems, with clubs like Hapoel Be’er Sheva and Sparta Prague in their group. However, two defeats in the opening two games of the tournamnet have complicated Inter’s path, pointing out once again how many problems Inter players have in terms of mentality. Inter have also been forced to register a reduced squad list for the European tournament due to FFP rules, excluding the likes of Joao Mario, Kondogbia, Jovetic and Gabigol.
- Inter have changed eight managers since 2010
De Boer’s successor would be the 9th manager appointed after the Mou-Treble era. True, the club’s ownership has changed twice in that time, but changing manager would be like admitting that the club got the strategy wrong once again, not to mention that another change may create even more confusion around the team. The club’s chiefs are physically far from the team and the manager. Inter need people with operative powers based in Milan and ready to help the team when hard times comes and when decisions makers are needed.
- Transfer market made under Mancini’s influence
Frank De Boer arrived at Inter at the beginning of August. The club had already started the transfer activity following Roberto Mancini’s guidelines, which are not the same of De Boer who needs even more time to settle the team and find the right lineup. Joao Mario is the only player that both managers wanted to sign. The likes of Jovetic and Brozovic failed to part ways with the club in the summer but they could both leave in January, generating incomes for at least one new signing, backed by the Dutchman.