Antonio Cassano has praised Cristian Chivu’s coaching and character but called on the Internazionale manager to abandon his current defensive system after the side’s 2-1 comeback victory against Fiorentina.
Speaking on the “Viva el Futbol” show, Cassano questioned how long Internazionale can continue recovering from difficult positions after an unconvincing first half.
“In my opinion, Ivan Provedel was a bit asleep when Jimenez scored. But I want to ask: how many more comebacks can you pull off? I didn’t like Internazionale’s first half; they didn’t play well. The second half was better, though.”
Cassano said Chivu deserved recognition despite his tactical concerns, describing him as “a very, very good coach and a decent person”. However, he made clear that he wanted to see Internazionale line up with four defenders.
“I still want to praise Cristian Chivu, but I want to see him use a four-man defense,” he said.
Internazionale were without Lautaro for the match, while Federico Dimarco and Hakan Calhanoglu have also been frequently unavailable, according to Cassano.
“Currently, the team is missing key player Lautaro, and Dimarco and Calhanoglu are often unavailable, but how long can they keep pulling off these comebacks?”
Despite his reservations, Cassano believes Internazionale remain capable of challenging at the top of the league and winning the title. He said, though, that changes were required and that the team continued to leave him with an unresolved concern.
“I think Internazionale can still finish in the top three in the league and ultimately win the title, but some things need adjusting. I always feel like something is missing, I can’t quite put my finger on it, and I hope Cristian Chivu switches to a four-man defense soon.”
