Few coaches would have dared challenge the club leadership as Antonio Conte did this season when he complained that Inter Milan had made “important mistakes” in planning, leaving him with a wafer-thin squad.
But not only did the famously combative Conte — who had only been in charge for five months at the time — get away with his public criticism, he was also given what he wanted with several reinforcements arriving in the January transfer window.
After watching his side win 2-0 at Udinese on Sunday night to maintain their Serie A title challenge, Conte said his haranguing of the Inter board had paid off. Romelu Lukaku scored a quickfire second-half double as Inter ended their run of three successive 1-1 league draws.
“A club like Inter must also have a strong substitutes’ bench,” said Conte, whose side stayed three points behind leaders Juventus as they bid to end the Turin side’s run of eight consecutive titles. “When you have more quality within the squad, it allows you to find more solutions.”
Playing away to teams such as Udinese was exactly the sort of match in which he needed more options, Conte added. “You always find difficulties here in Udine, where they are good at closing down and then breaking. Putting more quality in the squad helps unravel these situations. The victory was deserved, even if it was complicated.”
Inter have spent around 180mn euros ($199mn) in the transfer market since Conte arrived, including a reported club record 80mn euros on striker Romelu Lukaku who has repaid the investment with 16 Serie A goals.
However, a series of injuries and suspensions, plus a crowded fixture list, left Conte short of options between September and December. The coach also complained he lacked proven winners. But the arrival in January of Victor Moses, Christian Eriksen and Ashley Young, all from Premier League clubs, has taken a weight off his mind.
Moses and Eriksen made their Serie A debuts against Udinese and, although the Dane struggled to make an impact, Conte was not concerned. “Eriksen arrived five days ago and we were forced to rush him into the team,” said Conte.
“I think he’s entered in a positive way, it’s a new way of playing for him but he’s still got to get into our idea of playing. He’s a great player, he has to find the right pace, but I’m satisfied with his performance. Conte said he now had the right blend of youth and experience. “In our staring line-up, we had a lad of 20 years old (central defender Alessadnro Bastoni) and one of 17 (forward Sebastiano Esposito),” said Conte. “We are working for the present and the future.”
Inter, with 51 points from 22 games, stayed three points behind leaders Juventus, who beat Fiorentina 3-0 earlier on Sunday, and two ahead of Lazio, who thumped SPAL 5-1. However, Lazio have a game in hand, at home to Verona on Wednesday.
“Lukaku has important qualities although he didn’t have his best game today, other than scoring a double,” said Inter coach Antonio Conte. “He’s still crucial for us and I’m happy to have insisted that he came.”
Udinese created enough chances to have had a first-half lead. Seko Fofana fired into the side netting while Young did well to block Jens Stryger-Larsen’s shot and Rodrigo De Paul had a chance in first-half stoppage time but shot straight at defender Alessandro Bastoni. It was third successive league defeat for Udinese who dropped to 15th.
Inter Milan, with 51 points from 22 games, are three points behind leaders Juventus in the Serie A. (AFP)
