Normally, a team with 32% possession would be on the losing end of things. This was different for Inter. In fact, they even managed to get more shots on target. They had 7 compared to Bayern's 6. These statistics scream out "counterattack" and indeed this is a fair assumption to make. Inter were a counterattacking team. As soon as they received the ball, they aggressively pushed it forward to get it to the opponent's net as fast as possible. Some classic examples would be the build up to Maicon's goal against Barcelona, Milito's second goal against Bayern, and Eto'o 's away goal against Chelsea. This type of play was also accompanied by immense defensive and tactical discipline.
When Mourinho left, things drastically changed. Under Benitez, it was difficult to understand what style they were exactly playing. It seemed more of a hybrid, although it often changed. His results were mediocre. Then Leonardo was appointed manager. Inter immediately got back to winning ways. One major tactical change was obvious. Leonardo preferred to use his 4-3-1-2 diamond he used at Milan, to Mourinho's beloved 4-2-3-1. Although Mourinho occasionally used 4-3-1-2, such as against Chelsea in the Champions League, the 4-2-3-1 was his holy grail. It was the perfect counterattacking formation, and it relied on pacy winger/strikers such as Eto'o, Pandev, and Balotelli. The 4-3-1-2 was a much narrower/wingerless formation, that was more possession based and focused on attacking down the middle. In the league, it seemed perfect for Inter. They were winning game after game. The defense pushed very high up as with all possession based teams to relieve pressure from the midfield and support them. At first, things seemed ok. However, flashes of Inter's weakness were beginning to show.
Defensive Weaknesses: The Downside of Experience
Benitez's team had been 4-0 up in the first half against Redknapp's Tottenham. Every Inter fan was ecstatic. In the second half however, Gareth Bale was to make himself a household name throughout the world with his breakout performance. He proceeded to score a hat trick, with all goals being scored in a similar fashion. He used his pace to single-handedly dismantle Inter's defence. Maicon, the world's best right back, was completely found out. He simply could not keep up. Let's fast forward to the encounter against Schalke a few months later. Stankovic had put Inter one goal up with an amazing volley from the halfway line. It seemed as if though Inter had already won the match. This was way too easy. However, it wasn't. Schalke proceeded to score 5 goals away from home, and completely shattered the defensive legacy Mourinho had built. Inter's weakness had been exposed. Their world class defense could not defend high up against pacey players. Pace was the key to beating this team.
Mourinho's reputation as one of the best managers of all time, mainly comes from the tactical discipline he instills in his sides. At Inter, he was aware his defense was old, that was the reason he preferred counter-attack. He let them lie deep, and when they won the ball, the front four attacked aggressively with pace. He told them to sit back. He didn't let them do as they pleased. Leonardo was different. He brought back the chemistry that was lacking under Benitez, but he failed to instill the tactical discipline that Mourinho did. The Inter players were European champions. They weren't simply going to sit back. Now that they had proven their worth, they were going to bring what they had to the opponent, instead of absorbing pressure then counterattacking. Although this worked from time to time, it also highlighted Inter's weaknesses. Inter's defense had become a laughing stock. Sneijder's reputation had took a huge hit. Eto'o seemed to be the only player unaffected.
Possession Football: The Pros and Cons
Eto'o did not mind playing with a possession based team. After all, at Barcelona it was where he reached his peak. He seemed to be playing even better than he did under Mourinho. Sneijder was completely different. His performances became extremely inconsistent. He misplaced too many passes. Too much responsibility had been placed on him. To many he seems as if he's a midfielder, while in reality his true position is a second striker, exactly the role Rooney fulfills at Manchester United. A second striker is not that much different to a trequartista, however there are subtle differences. A trequartista lies much deeper, he plays more safe passes, and has more responsibility when it comes to controlling the tempo of the game. A second striker is required to make more defense penetrating passes, shoot and score more, and stick more closely to the main striker. Under Mourinho, Eto'o did not score as much. That is because him and Pandev had a lot more defensive responsibilities, they were essentially wingers. Sneijder was told to stick close to Milito. Although on the outside the formation seemed like a 4-2-3-1, in most cases it became more of a 4-4-1-1, some could even say a 4-4-2 with Sneijder and Milito as strikers. Sneijder was allowed to hit more risky passes, which is the style that suits him most. Since they also played counterattack he seemed to have a lot more space. When Inter play possession football, the other teams sit back instead, and Sneijder has a lot less space to work with, and so he just ends up shooting for himself, with very little success.
In fact, one of the reasons for the downfall of Inter would be their over-reliance on Sneijder. Sneijder's role at Inter can be best summed up from the assists he made to Eto'o against Chelsea in the Champions league, and the 2 assists he made to Eto'o when Inter won the Coppa Italia against Palermo in 2011. In both cases, he had immense amounts of space to operate and he made the best of them providing some exquisite passes. Sneijder unlike let's say Xavi of Barcelona, is a very dynamic player. He is not one to take a hold of the tempo of the game, and slow it down. He is a player that likes to make risky passes every time he gets the chance. He shouldn't be trusted too much with the ball. One statistic I was shocked to read was that when Inter beat Barcelona 3 - 1 in the Champions League, Sneijder only completed 10 passes the whole game. 10 passes!!!! How is that even possible for a midfielder who played the whole 90 minutes? Yet, he had an outstanding performance, scoring a goal, and sitting on Xavi and denying him space. Mourinho knew how to utilize his skills properly, which is something Leonardo only did occasionally through luck. One of the reasons why Ferguson did not buy Sneijder is because he had Rooney to do exactly what Sneijder did best. He knew Sneijder was not the one to replace Paul Scholes, who liked to control the tempo from deep.
The Present and Future
Inter's transition from counterattack to possession football was something that seemed to have happened because all of Inter's managers during the post-Mourinho era, failed to instill tactical discipline and it was the players' natural inclination to take charge and bring the game to their opponents, because after all they were European Champions. However, they did not become European Champions in that manner. This is not to say that Inter should not play possession football. This is something they do well too, but as mentioned there is 2 major downfalls. Their defense is old and is extremely prone to being beaten by pacey players, and Sneijder's influence is limited as Inter's opponents sit back and there is less space for him to operate. However, one knows not what the future will bring. Under Stramaccioni, Inter seem to be playing possession football as well. Although, the defense is not pushing as ridiculously high up as they did with Leonardo and Ranieri too at times. Sneijder is seeming to slowly adapt to his new role too, however he's still struggling. Maybe it is truly time for him to say goodbye. The Premier League would suit his style more, as they tend to play more wide open, and are more dynamic as a league. Manchester United is not the team for him though.
For now, Inter should resume playing possession football, however they should remain conscious of their shortcomings. This is the best style of play for them, as it allows for more personal freedom, unlike counterattack. The funny thing about counterattacking football is that it is said to be usually played by weaker teams, who do not have the technical and stamina requirements to play high-pressing possession football. This may be to some extent true, but to be successful playing counterattacking football requires a much higher degree of tactical discipline, something that only great sides can properly carry out, such as Inter during their 2009-2010 season.
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