Italian giants Inter Milan are regarded as one of the biggest clubs in Europe but the last few seasons have been tough ones for the Nerazzurri.
Inter boss Claudio Ranieri has came under fire in recent months as the team have slumped to seventh place in the Serie A table.
Struggling
Inter are currently six points behind third placed Udinese, who occupy the last Champions League spot in the league. Ranieri’s men have lost four out of their last five league games, the latest defeat a 3-0 home defeat against Bologna.
Inter also suffered a 1-0 defeat at French side Marseille in the Champions League. Inter face a tough trip to Naples to face Napoli this weekend.
Backing
Inter boss Claudio Ranieri has received the backing of club president Massimo Moratti. The Inter supremo told the clubs official website: “ Yes we will continue with Ranieri. We will continue to move forward (with him).”
I always saw Ranieri as a temporary appointment at the San Siro. I never saw him as a man to take the club forward. Since replacing Gian Piero Gasperini he hasn’t enjoyed the best of times. Ranieri hasn’t  got a history of winning major trophies and he seemed like a cheap appointment.
Mourinho
Jose Mourinho achieved a unique treble with Inter and is regarded as a hero to Inter fans. Mourinho left the club on a high and joined Spanish giants Real Madrid. He was simply irreplaceable.
The Nerazzurri have had the likes of Rafael Benitez, Leonardo and Gasperini in charge since the Portuguese boss but none of them have managed to achieve anywhere near the success of ‘The Special One’.  Ranieri isn’t as good a head coach as Mourinho, very few are but Inter need to find a manager of a similar class.
If Inter fail to finish in the Champions League spots then Ranieri will inevitably leave his position at Inter. Then Inter will start the search for yet another boss. There hasn’t been any consistency at the club since Mourinho left and that’s hampered Inter’s progress.
Manchester City’s Roberto Mancini and Chelsea’s Andre Villas-Boas have both been linked with the Inter hotseat in the last few months and Ranieri’s position at the club is looking less safe by the game.
Aging
Inter’s situation reminds me very much of Chelsea’s. Inter have a squad that is slightly aging and the team have gone stale. The new players that have been brought into the squad in recent months haven’t really worked out.
Ranieri or the next manager will have a major rebuilding job on their hands this summer. It seems that Inter currently don’t have the financial muscle to sign the quality of players needed to move the club forward.
Difficult
Inter’s form needs to start improving and fast or they will struggle to get into those Champions League spots. It will be very difficult for Inter to finish in the top three in Serie A. The likes of AC Milan, Juventus and Udinese have looked far better than the Nerazzurri this season.
All three teams have proved themselves to be better teams than Inter. Even the likes of Napoli and Lazio could claim to be better teams than Inter this term. Inter look like they are in big trouble.
Vital
It’s crucial for the progression of the club that Inter finish in the top three of Serie A, both in terms of football and in terms of finances. I just can’t see that happening and Inter’s situation could get worse before it gets better.