"It's never easy to maintain the same hunger for victory from one year to the next." This was the sentence that Chivu used at the end of the 3-1 derby loss against Milan, opening an interesting topic. It provides an explanation for the moments of lack of concentration of a team that has lost its consistency and security, while until now it had managed to save situations through impressive reversals.
But this evening Lautaro Martinez, who had often pulled the team out of difficult situations, was missing. With him in attack alongside Thuram (or Pio), everything changes. Moreover, the plan to play with a single striker, Thuram, due to the emergency in the team, did not work. Why was this scheme chosen? It was not a risk taken willingly by the coach, as he had no other alternative. This is also a factor that broadens the analysis of the way events unfolded. “We were forced to improvise, as emergencies arose over the last two days,” said Chivu.
"We had to make changes. Bonny was vomiting all night, had a fever and confirmed to us that he was only available at the last minute. These days we have had players with a stomach virus. Pio had a fever. We tried to play between the lines. Diouf had to attack the spaces more. We thought this was the best solution, but we had to adapt to emergencies", explained the coach. However, the fact that Inter have not managed to win a derby in two years has made the problem even more obvious. Some matches can only be won, or at least have the possibility of winning them, if the mind, heart and legs work together. This team has often shown moments of detachment in this regard.
"Losing a derby hurts, especially when our expectations were high. We started the game wrong, but not everything should be dismissed. We reacted, we could have equalized after that Maignan save. We are sorry, we expected to do better and we expected to give something more. We need to improve in the way we start the game, in the attitude and in the determination that we lack at some moments. We need to turn the page, because in three days we have another equally important game." This is precisely where the crux of the matter lies. In that "provincialism" that the coach mentioned in the press conference. What did he mean by that?
The awareness of being a team can be a double-edged sword, especially when you no longer have enough defensive mechanisms to maintain consistency and perception of danger. The latter is what, at certain moments, pushes you to do the simple things, even the less elegant ones, but necessary. “I don’t look for excuses, alibis and I don’t look to the past, but we have to accept it. We have a hard time finding the right aggression, except when we go into a disadvantage, and sometimes then it’s a little too late. We have our responsibilities for staying on the field and for the ease with which we defend. Last year we had more grit. We have to bring it back,” concluded Chivu.
