This was the kind of season that made me so appreciative of all the successes that Inter enjoyed throughout the 2000’s. I can’t say that I was anywhere near as dialed into the team in the 90s as I am now, there just wasn't the technology or the access. But there were ways to keep in touch until the magic of the internet made more possible.

Those were dark days, even darker than people would have you believe these this season was. There were worries once or twice that Inter would be relegated. Of course later things eventually brightened. Keep in mind that there wasn’t the same kind of media saturation there is now either, so the perception now is so out of proportion only because it’s so pervasive.

But that isn’t to say that it’s not bad now. It is. It was bad when I first looked at the roster and the coach and said that expectations needed to be tempered. But the Italian media didn’t want to believe that story and declared that Inter must perform at a certain level. And when it didn’t, well, then Inter had to be punished. Not the dummies who couldn’t tell you the first thing about the sport that got the scouting of the team wrong all those months ago, those guys get off scot free to perpetuate more crimes against journalism and are probably still employed making up transfer stories as we speak.

And here we are. Is the coach going to be fired? I don’t know. Does he deserve to be fired? I don’t know. Am I happy that we got a whole year of stability out of the coach instead of the usual circus? Yes. Moratti probably could have hired another coach to spur the team to a couple more wins until the team figures out that the new coach won’t have any more power to cut them/make meaningful changes than the old one did. But the next coach/Strama will at least get the appearance of backing from Management.

But meaningful changes are needed. The team needs to say a final goodbye to the old guard. And this time actually back a coach who wants to sit Cambiasso and Zanetti – who we all know are coming back.

The team needs to find a formation that they want to use and THEN find players who can fit that system. That’s a lot saner than just finding guys and then deciding how to play them. Plan first, act second. The problem is who is making the plans.

The job for Branca, if he still has one – and frankly I think that if the coach goes, he should be holding Andrea’s hand as they leave together – will be to completely rebuild the attack with players who wouldn’t remember the previous President (Pellegrini, not Facchetti). Of course, this has been Branca’s job for several years and he’s failed abysmally at it so far. Ibra and Eto’o essentially fell into his lap and he probably ended up giving too much away for Milito. Making mistakes isn't a sin, I've been told. But not learning anything from those mistakes certainly is.

So the job becomes rebuilding the attack with an eye to the ever dwindling budget. There will very probably be sales to facilitate some of the moves that will be required. I know that we all have our favorite candidates for the chop. Time will tell if Branca can prove up to the task this time.

FORZA INTER