Inter Milan’s Mazzarri ‘hasn’t shown he’s the coach ... show me I’m wrong’ says Mazzola

Walter Mazzarri already finds himself under fire at Inter from club legend such as Sandro Mazzola, who look at former coach Andrea Stramaccioni longingly after his hot start with Udinese.

Inter Milan coach Walter Mazzarri has his side fifth in the Serie A table with eight points from five matches, seven behind leaders AS Roma and Juventus. Andreas Solaro / AFP

Former Inter Milan greats sent a wake-up call to Walter Mazzarri’s stuttering side on Wednesday as former handler Andrea Stramaccioni enjoys a high-flying start to the season with minnows Udinese.

Mazzarri, who led Napoli to the Serie A runners-up spot in 2013, took over the Inter hot seat in May 2013 following Stramaccioni’s sacking in the wake of his side’s ninth place league finish and led Inter to fifth place last season.

But after just five league games of the new campaign, the tables have turned.

Inter’s 4-1 home defeat at the hands of basement side Cagliari last weekend, when Swede Albin Ekdal stunned the San Siro with a hat-trick, left the Milan giants seven points behind pacesetters Juventus and Roma.

If a wry smile is to be found anywhere in Italy’s top flight, it is surely on the face of Stramaccioni – at 38, the league’s youngest coach.

Udinese are only three points adrift of Juve following a 4-2 win over Parma on Monday which included a double from veteran striker Antonio Di Natale.

Fans of Inter, the last Italian side to win the Champions League in their treble-winning season of 2009/2010, would be forgiven for welcoming Stramaccioni back to the club.

In the meantime, past greats have called on Inter to roll up their sleeves and show the “heart and hunger” that once characterised the Milan giants.

“This squad should be cohesive and Mazzarri’s character, and that of the players, should be coming to the fore,” former Inter great Sandro Mazzola, who played at the club from 1960 to 1977, told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Mazzarri hasn’t shown he’s the coach of Inter. Now is the time to show me I’m wrong.”

Argentinian striker Mauro Icardi raised Inter hopes when he hit a hat-trick in a 7-0 defeat of Sassuolo last month, a performance which also shone the spotlight on exciting 20-year-old Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic.

But a 1-1 draw away to promoted Palermo, 2-0 home win over Atalanta and last week’s sucker punch defeat to Cagliari has left fans feeling deflated.

Mazzarri is considering changing his usual 3-5-2 formation to a 4-3-1-2 that, in theory, would shift the focus to the ‘1’ – a ‘trequartista’ (playmaker) who sits just behind the two strikers.

But for Angelo Domenghini, who played at Inter from 1965 to 1969, Inter’s problems are not simply tactical.

“The three central midfielders lack fight and determination. They’re slow and robot-like, and I’m not just talking about Sunday’s defeat to Cagliari,” said Domenghini.

“This team needs heart, and hunger. Some players seem to be lacking in both, starting with the two strikers Icardi and (Rodrigo) Palacio.

“Di Natale runs more in one game than Icardi does in a whole league campaign.”

Ahead of two tough league encounters to Fiorentina (away) and Napoli (home), the pressure on Mazzarri is growing. The club’s Indonesian president Erick Thohir has kept faith, although fans whistled Inter off the park on Sunday.

“We’re all disappointed, first and foremost the president,” said Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio.

“The fans have been right to whistle us.”

Mazzarri’s side host Azerbaijan side Qarabag in the Europa League on Thursday having already prevailed 1-0 away to Dnipro in their Group E opener.

The 53-year-old coach, meanwhile, has called for patience: “In Italy we’re very good at turning someone from a hero to a zero and vice versa, depending on the circumstances.

“Only a few days ago we were playing well and the coach could do no wrong. Now everything’s changed.”

He added: “Our squad consists of players who are still trying to gel. Obviously, we’re going to hit some bumps along the way.

“Juventus and Roma are both off to a great start ... but nothing is definitive in football, especially something that happens in week five.”

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