Where is Inter Milan at the quarter-mark of the season?

With almost a quarter of the season done and the second international break upon us, now seems like a good time to take stock of the performances of Inter Milan players so far this season. A lot was made of this Inter squad over the summer with many ‘experts’ touting them as the anti-Juve.

This hype all came to a grinding halt in Round 1 and the problems continued before Luciano Spalletti’s men went on a six game winning run. Over the next few days I will give my player ratings by position, starting with the defence.

Goalkeepers

Samir Handanovic

Want to start an argument amongst Interisti? Try suggesting that the club should replace their current #1. Or that they should renew his contract. Either way, you’re bound to meet some resistance and rightly so. Samir is a very capable goalkeeper and has pulled off some world class saves again this season (think PSV). He’s also made some terrible blunders which have cost Inter points (think Torino). Overall, however, I think he’s performed well to begin his seventh season at the club. His distribution has been sound, he’s helped organise the defence and he’s steadily improved as time went on. Hopefully this improves, and we see more performances that earn points for Inter.

Appearances: 10

Clean Sheets: 3

Rating: B

Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images

Daniele Padelli/Tommaso Berni

I thought it would be rude to ignore these two even though they are yet to make an appearance. I don’t expect either to feature in anything other than the early round of the Coppa Italia. That said, they’re in all the training videos so they are doing their jobs. You cannot ask for much more than that.

Rating: N/A

Defenders

Sime Vrsaljko

After a series of impressive performances at the World Cup, Sime Vrsaljko made a loan move to Inter in the final days of the transfer window with the task of filling the hole left by Joao Cancelo. Inter fans were hopeful, but unfortunately a series of injuries and fitness issues have limited the full back to only two starts and one substitute appearance in the black and blue. There have been positive signs during both his starts vs Torino and SPAL, but the player needs to begin making consistent appearances before we can properly judge.

Appearances: 2(1)

Assists: 1

Rating: C+

Danilo D’Ambrosio

After being moved to left back in light of Cancelo’s form last year, D’Ambrosio returned to the right hand side this season, albeit as a back-up. Vrsaljko’s injury issues, however, have meant that D’Ambrosio has featured heavily for Spalletti – both as a full back and (against Torino) as the right-sided CB in a back three. The extra competition for places appears to have brought the best out of the player, as we are yet to see any of the obvious defensive errors that characterised his early Inter career. A vital goal against Fiorentina gave the side three points – hopefully we see more of his attacking game as the season progresses.

Appearances: 8

Goals: 1

Rating: B

Kwadwo Asamoah

Asamoah is on a fast-track to club legend status. For so long the left back position has been one of weakness, but no longer. His performances in pre-season made people question why Juve would allow him to leave, and his form has carried over into the season. He has been solid defensively, made attacking runs and (perhaps most importantly) offered a sense of calm in possession. Even when other teams press, the Ghanaian is able to distribute the ball with ease. He looked exhausted against SPAL so the international break will do him a world of good. Probably Inter’s player of the season so far.

Appearances: 8(1)

Assists: 1

Rating: A+

Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images

Dalbert Henrique

After a disappointing first season in Italy, Dalbert delivered a series of performances during the pre-season and hinted that he may finally be ready to deliver on the promise which encouraged Inter to purchase him from Nice. The excitement took a hit following a poor season debut versus Sassuolo and another questionable display versus Parma, but the player would have taken a lot of confidence from his excellent showing against Cagliari last week. Dalbert appears to have earned Spalletti’s trust and will hopefully remain a solid replacement for Asamoah.

Appearances: 3(1)

Assists: 1

Rating: C+

Milan Skriniar

Skriniar was amazing in his first season for Inter, and his performances so far suggest that it was only the beginning. His value was obvious when he was absent against Sassuolo, but since then he has played 90’ minutes in all but one game and begun to form a rock-solid partnership with Stefan De Vrij. He also put in an excellent game in his Champions League debut despite playing at right-back for the first time. His distribution and ball carrying from the back is essential to Inter’s build up, and all that is missing is one of his trademark headed goals. Inter fans will be desperate from the club to lock the player down to a new, longer-term deal soon.

Appearances: 8

Pass Success Percentage: 92.7%

Rating: A

Stefan De Vrij

Although he’s only been at the club for a matter of months, you wouldn’t know it looking at the Dutch defenders performances. Week after week he has been a wall in front of Inter’s goal, displaying excellent timing and anticipation in defence, and also a calmness on the ball that is infectious to those around him. He also chipped in with a goal against Torino and will continue to offer a serious aerial threat to our opponents as the season wears on.

Appearances: 8

Goals: 1

Rating: A

Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images

Joao Miranda

The former Brazilian captain finds himself out of the first choice eleven for the first time in his Inter career, but still has an important role to play at the club. Unfortunately, it would appear that father time is slowly catching up with him, as evidenced by a series of inconsistent displays. Miranda has been excellent at times (think Tottenham and Cagliari) but has already given away two penalties in only four Serie A matches. His display against SPAL was particularly disappointing, and it may be the case of a player suffering due to the rotation. The club will be hoping for an improvement after the international break.

Appearances: 8

Fouls Per Game: 2

Rating: C+

Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images

Andrea Ranocchia

Yet to make an appearance this season, but Ranocchia plays an important role in the dressing room. The former captain causes Spalletti no trouble, and is always encouraging his teammates and congratulating them on social media. His p

Professionalism was never questioned – but we used to need more than that when he was our starting CB. As a fourth choice, however, a capable player who sets an example for the rest is perfect.

Rating: N/A

Dressing Room Dramas: 0

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