One of the hottest football topics of the summer in Italy is Antonio Conte’s probable departure from Inter after just one season from joining the black-and-blue side of Milan. Former Milan and Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has been tipped as the bookies’ favorite to replace him once again. So what should the Serie A fans around the globe expect from the “Inter of Allegri?”
Back in the summer of 2014, an earthquake threatened to shatter the newly established Juventus dynasty. What was supposed to be a calm and sunny second day of pre-season ended up with the shocking departure of manager and former captain Antonio Conte, reportedly over disagreements with the board over the transfer market.
After bringing back the Scudetto to the Old Lady and adding two more league titles, the Bianconeri faithful were heartbroken to see their inspiring coach walk away after three incredible years. Luckily, the Juventus board didn’t panic (at least not in public). President Andrea Agnelli and General Director Guiseppe Marotta decided to make a quick call.
A few hours later, an unpleasant surprise awaited the Juventus supporters, as a man who they’re not too fond of has arrived to take charge of a squad orphaned and shocked by Conte’s sudden exit.
And yet, five Scudettos later, it turned out that Juventus had made the right phone call after all, as Max Allegri took the club into unprecedented heights in the post-calciopoli era, especially by reaching two Champions League finals in 2015 and 2017 during his five successful years in charge.
Now, Antonio Conte is about to walk out on yet another Italian giant. Although this time it won’t be as dramatic or heartbreaking for Inter fans, and it wouldn’t be too shocking either as the Lecce native has proven to be an expert at bad breakups.
Luckily for Inter, CEO Beppe Marotta is now a part of their club, and the former Juventus director knows just the right number to call, as Massimiliano Allegri is increasingly likely to receive the honor of coaching the biggest three clubs in Italian football history during the span of his illustrious career.
So how would the Beneamata look under their potential new manager?
The System
Max Allegri is far from being a man who likes to complicate situations. When he took over at Juventus, he initially maintained Conte’s famous 3-5-2 formation despite never adopting this system before, but instead of running the risk of destabilizing the squad, he decided to take the first step and built his team on the backs of the famous BBC defense (Barzagli – Bonucci – Chiellini) just like his predecessor had done.
Slowly but surely, The Livorno native inserted his own ideas into the squad and kept reverting between the old 3-5-2 and his personal favorite that he so eloquently calls the “4-3-then we’ll see” formation, adding different dimensions to the Italian champions.
Although the Inter management has already built a side suitable to play 3-5-2 (with the presence of numerous defenders and wing-backs), Antonio Conte’s reign lasted for only one season, thus his methods might not be as deeply rooted as they once were at Juventus. Thus, a return to Allegri’s more familiar four-man defense could be on the cards while maintaining the three-man defense as an option B.
Now let’s try to figure out how every department could look like in Allegri’s Inter.
The Defense
The fact that we aren’t even sure which formation “Mad Max” would initially choose will make this department a difficult one to guess. But we’ll build our analysis based on the four-man defense theory which we believe could be Allegri’s plan A as mentioned above.
A change in the system could lead to the revival of Milan Skriniar (in case he stays at the club – as he could potentially be linked to multiple market operations) who already worked pretty well alongside Stefan De Vrij with four at the back during Luciano Spaletti’s reign. Veteran Diego Godin would also benefit from this change and is a capable alternative to the younger Slovakian.
Youngster Alessandro Bastoni might struggle to earn a spot as a center-Back despite coming from a solid season, but he can cement a starting position at left-Back as he had already done while on-loan at Parma in the past. His presence would help to balance out the defensive line, as new-arrival Ashraf Hakimi is expected to push forward from the right flank.
Ashley Young will probably suffer from the system change after enjoying himself last season as a wing-back, but the veteran Englishman would still add useful depth to the backline alongside the underrated Danilo D’Ambrosio.
The Midfield
Allegri might decide to change his system at Inter every once in a while, but he’ll more likely maintain three players in midfield – as he usually does in every system he adopts.
Luckily for Max, he’ll have a host of quality midfielders to choose from. With Marcelo Brozovic, Nicoló Barella, Stefano Sensi, Christian Eriksen, Matias Vecino, Roberto Gagliardini, and Borja Valero all currently present at the club, as well as the expected return of Radja Nainggolan from his loan stint at Cagliari and the presumed arrival of Brescia’s golden-boy Sandro Tonali, Inter’s main problem at this department is actually deciding who to cut from next season’s squad.
The Attack
Now that we reached the “we’ll see” part, it must be mentioned that this line refers to the different shapes in which the Inter attacking trio could line-up in the Allegri formation, which is always based on the characteristics of the said players – as the man himself would explain.
In view of the incredible partnership between Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez, the tactician has his work cut out for him as it is compulsory to allow these two to play side by side as the two main strikers. Plus, Conte has already dispatched the club’s two best wingers (Ivan Perisic and Matteo Politano) so there isn’t any other choice than a 4-3-1-2 formation.
As for the Attacking-Midfielder role, Inter’s incredible depth at midfield will allow them to find an inside solution for this spot. Christian Eriksen is probably the best option if he can find his top form in Italy. Stefano Sensi could be the alternative, while the returning Ninja Nainggolan should never be counted out.
Conclusion
Despite winning six Serie A titles with two different clubs, Max is still somewhat an underrated figure in Italian football.
But if the former Cagliari coach can once again build on the work of Antonio Conte at Inter while adding his own personal touch and deliver where his predecessor just felt short, then Massimiliano Allegri could become an unlikely candidate in the “greatest Italian manager” debate.
