Midfield crisis at Inter Milan surfaces as Calhanoglu struggles

Despite 5 goals, Hakan Calhanoglu’s recent errors — and wider midfield fragility — haunt Inter Milan’s performances

The playmaker, Hakan Calhanoglu, is not performing as usual — but he is not the only one.

“The paradox of Inter Milan playing well and not winning is summed up in Calhanoglu’s numbers. 

With five goals, he is among Serie A’s top scorers. Yet in the last two games he cost the derby defeat — losing possession that led to Pulisic’s goal and then blasting the penalty for a possible equaliser straight at Maignan — and he also contributed to the European disappointment in Madrid, where he again had the ball ripped from him under pressure, unintentionally creating the counter-attack that produced Atlético’s first goal.”

The midfield issue

“But the malaise, more than concerning a single player, seems now to extend across the entire central midfield. 

Not by chance did Inter Milan nearly sign Manu Koné in the summer — a mobile pivot at the core of league-leading Roma. 

They needed a defensive midfielder capable of shifting the rhythm of possession and physically recovering loose balls. 

Instead, in the final days of the transfer window came another Frenchman, Andy Diouf, who at Lens had been an indispensable cornerstone but in Italy has so far played just 31 minutes. 

Since Chivu and his extensive staff observe training closely, it is legitimate to assume that too much money was spent (about £21.5 m including bonuses) for a mezzala who has been seen only in three brief scraps of matches — one of them even in the makeshift position of right wing.”

Frattesi, Sucic and the “lost generation” of midfielders

“And it doesn’t end here — more turbulence looms. Think about it: from the largest midfield contingent — seven central midfielders for three positions — Inter Milan has gained the least satisfying contribution. 

An example of this incompleteness is Davide Frattesi, a young player once rightly praised for his potential to be a champion: neither under Inzaghi nor under Chivu has he managed to climb the ranks to become a regular starter. 

This season he has started only 3 times out of a possible 17 combinations. He has also lost confidence at national-team level: will Gattuso still wait for him after seeing him struggle against Norway? Come January, he will likely leave, to make room for a colleague more dynamic in the style of Frendrup.

But it doesn’t end with him. While awaiting Mkhitaryan — who got injured just at his best moment and freed up a spot — the new arrival Sucic seemed a very valid substitute by quality and character (just look back at that masterpiece goal against Fiorentina). 

Yet, even he has recently shown some embarrassment, especially in high-intensity matches. In his case, his young age — 22 — and the need to adapt to a new country and a new culture advise some leniency in judgement.

However, Inter Milan can’t afford to stall like a driving school instructor. On the contrary, it needs to accumulate wins immediately to push away dark thoughts.”

Source: fcinter1908