“It’s like he never left“. When you ask the regulars of Pinetina (Appiano Gentile), Inter’s training center, this is the phrase that comes up most often about Romelu Lukaku. After a year of exile at Chelsea, the he Belgian striker, quickly invaded by a feeling of nostalgia during his stay in London, has been revived since his return to Lombardy.
A league
Inter serene against La Spezia
08/20/2022 At 8:35 PM
Coldly welcomed by the Curva Nord, which had even published a long press release to announce its position on this return, the one who decided to wear the number 90 quickly found his marks on the ground. To the point of finding the net after just 1″21 on the first day in Lecce (1-2). And on the second, this time against Spezia, he turned into a decisive passer for his friend and friend Lautaro Martinez.
Between the two, the link has never been cut. When one was in Milan and the other in London, the messages flowed on Whatsapp. The Argentinian even pushed to bring his partner back, reminding him how much their duo called “Lu-La” wreaked havoc during the two seasons under Antonio Conte, between 2019 and 2021. On the meadow, it’s like if they had never parted.
The “Lu-La” is back, but…
35th minute of Inter-Spezia, Saturday. Long ball from Barella on Lukaku, who deflects the ball with a header towards Lautaro who, with a clear shot, opens the scoring and releases San Siro. A classic action from the Conte era. However, the latter is no longer there. But Simone Inzaghi, who kept the same system (3-5-2) while giving it a new identity last season, seems aware of having a new arrow to his bow. And not just any.
In two years at Inter, Lukaku had scored 64 goals in 95 matches. Suffice to say that the Nerazzurro coach did not oppose his comeback, far from it… However, distrust, since his team has learned to play in a completely different way since his arrival on the bench. If Inter must learn to play with Lukaku again, Lukaku must above all learn to play with the new Inter. With a higher block, smoother play and greater freedom.
“Conte’s 3-5-2 is like a Mondrian frame, very symmetrical. While Inzaghi’s is more fanciful, like Van Gogh“, summarized the Dutch defender Stefan De Vrij a few months ago. The Nerazzurri are therefore no longer really used to playing as in the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons. But the youngest of the Inzaghi brothers, who does not really intend to give up his ideas and the excellent work done during the last, hopes to find a happy medium to integrate the Belgian international in its mechanisms.Today, according to the staff of the club, he is at 70% of the top of his form.
“Inzaghi wants to start all matches with Lukaku, that’s the idea, with physical management during the gamespecified The Gazzetta dello Sport in its Thursday edition. Inter are finding their balance with him. She brought Lautaro and Lukaku even closer together. The Argentinian plays even more in the surface (…) She learns to alternate short game and long game. The objective is to play the Belgian in front of the goal, even against the defenses placedIn addition, the Lombard daily explained that Simone Inzaghi’s objective is to make “Big Rom” the Golden Boot of the season. He had achieved this with Ciro Immobile during his time at Lazio.
The tifosi are still cold
If some have almost forgotten Lukaku’s little London getaway, the Curva Nord is always there to remind him. Against Spezia last Saturday, the ultras of the second green ring of San Siro thus voluntarily omitted to send him a personalized song of encouragement, unlike most of his teammates. To regain the confidence and esteem of his ex-new supporters, the one who wears a 48.5 still has his work cut out for him. His successful start to the season is a first step in this direction. The drop in his salary too.
“For now, we’re just indifferentas announced in our press release, warns a historic member of the “CN69”. He had become a real idol during his first visit. Today, we just consider him a player like any other. What matters is the good of Inter.” To score points, Romelu Lukaku can mark the date of September 3 in his calendar. On that day, his team will face AC Milan in a boiling derby after the epilogue of last season. In the last with him up front, Inter won 3-0, with the Belgian striker scoring a goal and providing an assist.
A league
Roma and Lazio start their season well
08/14/2022 At 9:08 PM
A league
Dumfries delivers Inter at the last second
08/13/2022 At 8:49 PM