During CBS Sport Golazo, former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry spoke about Inter’s bad elimination
During CBS Sport Golazo, former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry spoke about Inter’s bad elimination.
Do you think Christian Chivu will come under scrutiny after this result? Or, given the situation in the championship, does it not matter that much?
No, it really matters. I’ve said it several times: Inter is first in Italy almost “by default”. We’ve been talking about it for a long time. The team that plays the best football in Italy today is Como. We can discuss the budget, the quality of the squad, but this is the current moment. Last week you asked me where the Italians fit in, and unfortunately the situation is clear. We will also talk about it with Alessandro, because the theme is always the same: the Italian teams must find each other.
In front of a Bodo/Glimt–Inter one might think: “What a surprise!”. But watching the game, in reality, there was no surprise. A team played united, with the right attitude and everything needed to be competitive. The other appeared slow, without intensity, unable to react against any opponent, even against Bodo/Glimt.
Chivu will have to explain some choices: why didn’t so many players play? Why did certain changes arrive so late? It’s true that there was the match against Lecce and the objective was to get to +10 in the league – and now they are actually at +10. But if we talk about Serie A, there is little to say: they are in the lead with a big advantage. However, if we talk about the Champions League, questions will be inevitable.
Bodo/Glimt is a good team, without a doubt. But Inter have lost their coach and it’s not easy to start again with a new one. This is not an attack on Chivu: the question was whether there will be criticism. Yes, in the Champions League yes. Less so in the championship, because the advantage is consistent.
Tactically, Inter are different. We no longer see that construction with the three central defenders who stood up in midfield, those movements that made it unpredictable. Simone Inzaghi’s Inter were ready for the big European challenges, even if they sometimes struggled against lower-ranking teams. This one, however, seems to be in difficulty against everyone else, at least in Europe.
He continues to win in the championship, also thanks to rotations, but this can make it more difficult to find understanding and continuity. Tactically it is not the same Inter as before.
Judging Chivu just because he didn’t get far in the Champions League? Maybe not. But it matters who you go out against and especially how you go out. In Serie A he is leading, in the Italian Cup he is still in the running: he can even aim for the double title. However, questions will come in the Champions League, especially with the way the group stage ended and the defeats, both at home and away.
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