Team Focus: Andrea Stramaccioni’s Inter

As they claimed victory in one of the most intense and ill tempered Milan derbies in memory, it was a very different looking Inter side than the one we have grown accustomed to watching over recent seasons. Only four members of the team which secured a historic treble under Jose Mourinho started the match but, more than the change in personnel, it was the way those players lined up which most caught the eye.

Even as one of the cornerstones of that 2010 side – Walter Samuel – scored the only goal of the game, he did so as part of a tactical system which would have been almost unthinkable during the tenure of the ‘special’ Portuguese Coach. Andrea Stramaccioni has, in just over a year at the club, earned the full respect of Inter management who are more than confident in backing the choices of the 36-year old and that has in turn allowed him the space to make changes other simply could not.

While Mourinho’s success was built on an unbreakable and resolute 4-3-1-2 which produced a master class in counter attacking football, it was the failure of that very same formation which prompted the most recent switch. As the full time whistle blew on a 2-0 loss to Siena at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in late September, it did so on an Inter that had lost two of their opening four Serie A matches as well as suffering disappointing draws at home to both FC Vaslui and Rubin Kazan in the Europa League.

Stramaccioni knew something had to change and, even though it has only been four games, it seems he has accomplished something none of those who preceded him had been able to. While Rafael Benitez seemed unsure of exactly how he wanted to change them, first Leonardo then Claudio Ranieri would merely ape Mourinho’s ideas. The one Coach who truly tried to alter the approach – Gian Piero Gasperini – did so with the very formation now seemingly so ideally suited to the squad.

Adopting a three man defence against Chievo, Fiorentina, FK Neftchi and, of course, Milan has seen the Nerazzurri concede just two goals while scoring eight themselves. According to the average rating system here at WhoScored.com they have recorded team ratings of 7.3, 7.11, 7.21 and 6.96 over those games, giving them an average of 7.15, which is a marginal increase on their season average of 7.06.

Of course the biggest improvement has been seen in the new look defence which – not counting that Europa League tie in Azerbaijan – has been made up of Andrea Ranocchia, Juan Jesus and Samuel in all three league games. The trio have been among the most impressive performers in the early season, themselves recording average ratings of 7.99, 7.52 and 7.87 respectively. They are joined by fellow defender Matias Silvestre (7.55) and goalkeeper Samir Handanovic (7.41) in being the five best performing players at the club in 2012-13.

Indeed, despite Samuel’s goal giving him his tenth consecutive Derby della Madonnina triumph since joining Inter, it is perhaps Ranocchia who deserves most praise; his aforementioned average rating is the fourth highest in the league and tenth best across Europe. It is appropriately due to his defensive statistics that he has stood out as he has recorded averages of 4.4 tackles, 3.7 interceptions and 7.3 clearances per appearance over the seven games he has played so far this term.

He also made a superbly weighted pass for Antonio Cassano’s goal against Fiorentina which registered his only assist (and completed through ball) of a campaign in which he has made a solid 35.4 passes per game at a completion rate of 88.3%. Samuel and Jesus have recorded very similar numbers, themselves respectively making 40.6 and 31.3 passes, completing 87.2% and 89.4% of them. Jesus has also made 3.6 tackles, three interceptions and 7.6 clearances per game as Samuel recorded averages of 3, 2.3 and 9.3 per game in those same categories.

They have been ably backed by Handanovic who has, since recovering from an injury which delayed him taking a regular place in the starting line up until mid-September, made 19 saves, which has in turn allowed him to keep three clean sheets in his five Serie A appearances to date. That figure is only bettered by Napoli’s Morgan De Sanctis (4) and his WhoScored.com rating is the highest among Serie A goalkeepers and the 24th highest in the league.

Massimo Moratti may have been overdoing it when he compared the derby win to the Champions League triumph over Barcelona two years ago but he did go on to add “the defence did very well and credit there must go to the coach.” Indeed it must, as three undoubtedly proves to be the magic number for Andrea Stramaccioni’s Inter.