`We are human,` said Dumfries. And who can blame him? Some react in one way, others faster, while some need time to process. It`s not about being repetitive: the players themselves say it, they are all still anchored to that cursed 5-0 in Munich. Then the pitch delivers its verdict. Lautaro has so far been the guide Chivu has relied on to navigate this intermediate phase that is the Club World Cup. `We must follow the new coach, he surprised me a lot,` revealed the captain. That is the way forward. Because Inter also needs the other big players, the other dressing room leaders who have been missing so far.
The Flame Extinguished
Barella, in an interview, said: `Among the older players in the group, we talked a lot, we tried to compare notes, but everyone had different feelings, which means that evening was a combination of factors.` Now, those factors all need to be addressed, erased, or at least processed. Because tomorrow`s match against River Plate is the first knockout game since the Champions League final. There`s no room for error. And who better to ask for help than the veterans? Barella, Bastoni, Dimarco, Mkhitaryan: their spark still needs to reignite, their performances have been labored so far, quality hasn`t matched the desire, which hasn`t been lacking, in fact. It`s up to them to carry the group, it`s up to them once again to change the momentum and send a signal also looking ahead to next season. They did it two summers ago: in Japan, with a squad revamped after Istanbul, the group`s veterans led a very rapid transition, from which the second star was born. This squad has been affected less, but has changed technical leadership. Chivu has decided to propose some immediate changes: the sooner the `old` Inter embraces them and starts winning, the sooner they can definitively leave behind that fixed thought of Munich.
Because the feeling is that the group hasn`t quite understood that 5-0 yet. They haven`t processed it. So far, it`s a continuous `we haven`t found an explanation`, and then there are two possibilities: either the negative components were multiple and all different from each other, or the real reason for that defeat cannot be confessed publicly. In any case, only a great tournament here in the United States can push them to forget, it can help Chivu not to start the next training camp with the questions about Munich still open. The big players know this too; they`ve discussed the issue among themselves and with the new coach. That`s why it`s reasonable to expect an important signal already from tomorrow night`s match to fly into the round of 16.
`We need lightheartedness,` said Bastoni. He`s absolutely right: life is always better with a smile.
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