Inter digs deep to pull off another late draw
Source: Agencies |
January 11, 2010, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
INTER Milan coach Jose Mourinho lamented his lack of options on the bench after his side was forced to rely on its unrelenting spirit in a 4-3 comeback victory over bottom side Siena on Saturday.
The Serie A leader was 2-3 down with two minutes left but a second free-kick by Wesley Sneijder and Walter Samuel's stoppage-time winner sent the San Siro wild with delight and put the champion 11 points clear.
Injuries to a host of players, the loss of Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o to the African Nations Cup and this week's sale of Patrick Vieira to Manchester City have ravaged Inter's squad, although Mourinho was careful not to demand the club make big buys.
"If we have a few injuries, it's a problem. I had kids on the bench. I had to throw them into the fire," a breathless but thrilled Mourinho said. "I would prefer to have a bench which gives me solutions."
Inter, which often digs itself out of holes and did so to reach the Champions League last 16, has barely missed striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic since his July move to Barcelona. Saturday's game was one occasion where a big forward would have been useful but Mourinho said he was fine sending defenders like Samuel up front in such situations.
Lanky forward Marko Arnautovic, on-loan from Twente Enschede, came on at halftime but has yet to impress the Portuguese, whose defence looks an even bigger problem with left backs Cristian Chivu and Davide Santon both injured.
"Technically we were lost, tactically we had great difficulty," Mourinho added. "Siena were better than us. They were calmer, had mobility, speed, they were good on the counter-attack. They didn't deserve to lose."
Mourinho's comments did little to soothe Siena coach Alberto Malesani, who was seething about the foul awarded for Sneijder's free-kick. "I speak on behalf of all the little teams who don't deserve to lose because of such banal things. That was not a foul," he grimaced.
Elsewhere, Daniele De Rossi scored early to give 10-man AS Roma a 1-0 win over Chievo Verona.
The Serie A leader was 2-3 down with two minutes left but a second free-kick by Wesley Sneijder and Walter Samuel's stoppage-time winner sent the San Siro wild with delight and put the champion 11 points clear.
Injuries to a host of players, the loss of Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o to the African Nations Cup and this week's sale of Patrick Vieira to Manchester City have ravaged Inter's squad, although Mourinho was careful not to demand the club make big buys.
"If we have a few injuries, it's a problem. I had kids on the bench. I had to throw them into the fire," a breathless but thrilled Mourinho said. "I would prefer to have a bench which gives me solutions."
Inter, which often digs itself out of holes and did so to reach the Champions League last 16, has barely missed striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic since his July move to Barcelona. Saturday's game was one occasion where a big forward would have been useful but Mourinho said he was fine sending defenders like Samuel up front in such situations.
Lanky forward Marko Arnautovic, on-loan from Twente Enschede, came on at halftime but has yet to impress the Portuguese, whose defence looks an even bigger problem with left backs Cristian Chivu and Davide Santon both injured.
"Technically we were lost, tactically we had great difficulty," Mourinho added. "Siena were better than us. They were calmer, had mobility, speed, they were good on the counter-attack. They didn't deserve to lose."
Mourinho's comments did little to soothe Siena coach Alberto Malesani, who was seething about the foul awarded for Sneijder's free-kick. "I speak on behalf of all the little teams who don't deserve to lose because of such banal things. That was not a foul," he grimaced.
Elsewhere, Daniele De Rossi scored early to give 10-man AS Roma a 1-0 win over Chievo Verona.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
