by Ryan D. Jaeger
For fans of Inter Milan, one of Italy's premier professional football
sides, this Serie A season hasn't gone as well as it could have which is why
many are scratching their heads. Remember that this is the first time in five
seasons that Inter have not been far ahead of their rivals at this point in the
season.
There seems to be no rhyme or reason why the club is playing so 'poorly', and
has been for at least 3 months. Ask any Serie A fan the last time Inter Milan
played with any 'sparkle' or 'vigor', and chances are 99 percent of them will
say back in January, when the side thumped AC Milan 2-0 in a heated derby.
But that was 3 months ago and since then the team's lack-luster stats speak (or
should that read 'reek') for themselves. Since their AC Milan victory, Inter
Milan has played 12 games with a potential of 36 points. However, many feel they
have been lucky just to have scraped through with the 18 points they have.
Some fans have attributed Inter Milan's woes to the amount of energy and effort
the side has expended on this season's UEFA Champions League. Although many
Italian football fans would argue that today in European professional football,
teams must be strong enough to play at their best in all competitions.
So if you prescribe to that way of thinking, you'd agree that Inter Milan
requires a much-needed 'overhaul' ahead of next season's Serie A to get the side
firing on all cylinders once again. Or you may be reading this and saying to
yourself, 'What the heck is this guy on about? Inter are only one point off the
lead.'
Well my football friends, the point is that Inter Milan are an exceptional team,
but just not as exceptional as they have been prior to this season. And if Roma,
who are currently top of Serie A with 68 points to Inter's 67 points, continue
to play the way they have been, there's a good chance Inter will be De-throned.
Here are the current standings by points in Serie A and the results of each
team's last five matches:
1 Roma 68 - W W W W W
2 Internationale 67 - D W L W D
3 Milan - 64 D W D L D
4 Palermo - 54 W L W D D
5 Sampdoria - 54 W W D L W
6 Juventus - 51 W L W L L
7 Napoli - 49 L D W W D
8 Fiorentina - 46 D D W L W
9 Parma - 46 W D D W D
10 Genoa - 45 L D D D L
11 Bari - 43 L L D W D
12 Cagliari - 40 L L D L L
13 Catania - 39 D W L W D
14 Chievo - 38 L L D D D
15 Udinese - 38 W W L D L
16 Lazio - 37 W D D W W
17 Bologna - 35 L L L L L
18 Atalanta - 31 L W L W W
19 Siena - 29 W L D L W
20 Livorno - 26 L D D L L
