Inter Milan changed their coach before Christmas, Benitez was sacked and Leonardo took over. What will Leonardo's Inter Milan be like? In the 15 league games that Benitez coached for Inter Milan, there were only 20 goals scored, and the weak attack was also the main reason for Inter Milan's poor performance this season. Leonardo's arrival urgently needs to solve the team's offensive problem, and his blue-black army is likely to use a 4-2-1-3 tactic, breaking through opponents with attacks and improving Inter Milan's performance.
Besides freeing Sneijder, Leonardo will also strengthen the wing attacks of the blue-black army. The reason why Sneijder performed so well last season was because he had support from Eto'o, Balotelli and others on the wings, sharing the offensive pressure. However, under Benitez's management, Inter Milan did not do this, leaving Sneijder often isolated and without help. Leonardo habitually used a three-forward tactic when at AC Milan, and upon arriving at Inter Milan, he may continue this tradition. Milito will serve as the fulcrum of the entire team's offense in the front field, while Eto'o and Pandev will provide support to the Argentine forward on both wings.
However, these two are not traditional wingers but forwards who move around on the wings; they can enter the penalty area at any time to score. Looking at the number of goals scored by Pato and Ronaldinho last season, one might even say that Milito is merely a decoy to attract the opposing defenders, while Eto'o and Pandev are the main scorers. However, if Milito is thus overlooked, the Argentine will deliver a fatal blow when the opportunity arises. The three forwards and Sneijder will form a quartet in the Inter Milan front field, which is also the most important part of Leonardo's offensive football.
Transfer Analysis: Central defenders and the frontline become the key
Tactical Play: Freeing Sneijder, reviving the magical quartet
The frontline has more significant problems. Although Milito, Eto'o, and Pandev have considerable abilities, Bianchi and Suazo on the bench struggle to complete the goal-scoring tasks. If any of the main strikers in the team go down, Leonardo's offensive football will face significant obstacles. Moreover, Pandev's performance on the wings has been lackluster. If Sanchez from Udinese can be successfully brought in, Inter Milan's performance might improve. As for the involvement of the Brazilian Kaka, it doesn't seem so urgent. If Ranocchia and Sanchez signings can be completed, Leonardo's future at Inter Milan is worth looking forward to.
When coaching at AC Milan, Leonardo was a coach who liked attacking. He favored using short passes to penetrate and maneuver the opponent's defense, seeking opportunities to deliver a fatal blow. The current AC Milan has many technical players who have excellently completed this task. Leonardo's Inter Milan is unlikely to frequently use defensive counter-attack tactics like Mourinho; instead, it will adopt ground-based short pass cooperation, using high ball possession and attacks to achieve victory. According to the analysis by "Milan Sports Daily," Leonardo is likely to continue using the 4-2-1-3 or 4-3-3 tactics from Milan. Italian media believes that when Sneijder hasn't recovered in January next year, Inter Milan will play 4-3-3, with Stankevich, Motta, and Cambiasso forming the triple pivot, and Eto'o, Milito, and Pandev forming the frontline; and in the future after Sneijder recovers, it will change to 4-2-1-3, with Sneijder playing as an attacking midfielder, forming a quartet with Eto'o, Milito, and Pandev (Sanchez).
The biggest difficulty for Leonardo to implement a 4-2-1-3 tactic at Inter Milan lies in the central defenders and the frontline. Samuel has already been ruled out for the season, and apart from Lucio, Cordoba and Materazzi all find it difficult to handle the starting lineup. If a capable central defender like Ranocchia cannot be successfully introduced, the blue-black army's defense will be very worrying. Last season when Leonardo coached AC Milan, the defense ranked second in Serie A, thanks to the central defender duo of Nesta and Thiago Silva. To succeed at the blue-black army, the strength of the central defenders must be enhanced.
But different from Benitez, Leonardo will free Sneijder, pulling back the Dutchman to the midfield organizing core position. One failure of Benitez in the first half of the season was not using Sneijder well. Although the Dutch playmaker scored 5 goals in the World Cup, his sense of goal wasn't good, and most of his scores were achieved through long-range shots and set pieces. By letting Sneijder get closer to the penalty area, Benitez not only wasted his organizational ability but also squandered Inter Milan's shooting opportunities. The fact that the Dutchman had 62 shots in 13 games in the first half of the season without scoring a single goal is proof. Leonardo letting Sneijder return to the role of organizer not only allows him to have some intimidation on the opponent in the 30-meter area in front of the penalty box but also uses his excellent passing to create more opportunities for the forwards, enhancing Inter Milan's offensive efficiency.
Tactical Thinking: Admires attacking, short pass penetration