The victory last Sunday against Milan means more to the team than just the three points gained, but it was one of the most important victories since Mourinho left the club.
This victory against Milan was probably just as satisfying as winning the Club World Cup.
Inter had a bad string of results against Milan since the days Mourinho was leading the side, and since the arrival of Ranieri, the team has started to take shape again.
The victory against Milan should propel Inter to new heights, as they showed they can beat the best teams when they are ready.
Much has been said about the way Inter played on Sunday. Milan's coach Massimiliano Allegri and even former Inter player Ibrahimovich complained that Inter played a defensive match. Watching the match, I saw a a team defending when it was needed, and on the counter attack started by Inter's one and only Javier Zanetti was enough for Milito to score the winning goal. The only thing that matters is the final result.
Could all this talk from the Milan camp be because Ibrahimovic could not find the free space that he is used to? or is it because the team is cracking because of the transfer saga of Pato? It is always the same from the Milan camp, they cannot handle the defeat, especially when it is by their city rivals Inter.
This victory has put Inter in the title race again, but the team should not make it a fact that they are going to win the Scudetto. Milan and Juventus are still favorites and Inter's main goal is a Champions League spot.
Ranieri and his players can now look at each team they face straight in the eye again. Inter's opponents are starting to dread playing them again as they know they will be playing against one of the best teams in the world. A compact team that knows how to defend and bite you on the counter attack.
The seasons following Mourinho's absence have been hard for Inter, but Ranieri has now put the team back together, and most importantly he has helped Milito find his form in front of goal.
Ranieri is doing the job without any crying for new players as Benitez did. Ranieri made a plan, and it was to get the Treble winning team back on its feet again. Yes, a lot has happened since that fantastic season, but it was not that long ago, and Inter still have 90% of the Treble winning team on hand.
You can see the relief on the players faces after the Derby victory. And the victory also proved to Moratti that he made the right decision in hiring Ranieri.
Many of my readers might be saying I put a lot of emphasis on the coach, but I am right in doing so.
With Benitez and Gasperini, Inter started to dig their own grave. I honestly started to think Inter where going to end this season on a really bad note. But thankfully, we have a mature coach now that has turned everything around with the same players. So it is the coach and nobody can deny it.
The second half of the season will be a exciting one, as Milan are starting to show cracks and Juventus cannot seem to win a sequence of games. Yes, Juventus are unbeaten, but they won ten games and finished eight in draws.Inter as well won ten games, but drew two and lost six. If Juventus continue like this, they will let other teams catch up. The difference between first and fifth is only six points now and that is very few when you still have 60 points to play for and have a team like Inter playing such good football.
Forza Inter!!!!
