Hernanes could be the saviour for Internazionale

TheHardTackle analyzes the hefty outlay on the Brazilian and argues why the move makes sense from Inter’s point of view.

After a rather upbeat start to the season, Inter find themselves in familiar territory. An uneeringly familiar sense of deja vu presently grips the blue half of the Giuseppe Meazza as the Nerazzurri find themselves in the hunt for their first domestic win of 2014. Walter Mazzarri has a lot to sort out before his team pose a serious threat to the likes of Fiorentina and Napoli in pursuit of Ai??European qualification for next season. The loss at Turin over the weekend pegs Inter 11 points behind Napoli and has dampened spirits around the club to a all new low.

The Nerazzurri engine room is in dire need of a creative force – Ai??a player who can keep the ball and move it forward. With Ricardo Alvarez occupying a deeper position this season, Walter Mazzarri lacks at his disposal, an out and out attacking midfielder capable of unlocking compact defensive units – the latest example being the 0-0 draw against Catania who lie at the basement of the Serie A table. Mateo Kovacic’s inconsistency has not helped the cause either – so how could Hernanes solve the conundrum for Mazzarri?

The Brazilian is a arch-typical Mazzarri midfielder – good at both ends of the pitch. An eye for picking the right pass, quick feet and a disciplined work ethic, Hernanes in many ways represents the stereotype of a modern midfielder. Under Vladimir Petkovic, the 28 year old was mostly deployed as the most advanced man in a three man midfield, with Ledesma and Gonzales sitting in front of the back four.Ai??There has been little difference in the Brazilian’s role in the team under new management with the Brazilian mostly occupying a spot in central midfield and being allowed to bomb forward to support Klose.

Hernanes' heat-map against Sassuolo on the left, Starting formation on the right. — Hernanes’ heat-map against Sassuolo on the right, Starting formation on the left.

In the above graphic, one can notice the all action nature of the Brazilian – the concentration of green and red patches sprinkled all over the pitch testify Hernanes’ ability on both sides of the pitch. The Brazilian boasts of a pass accuracy of 84% this campaign and an average of 3 defensive interventions per game, though it is to be taken into consideration that the midfielder has managed to complete 90 minutes on only eight occasions this season so far.

So how will the Brazilian fit into the Nerazzurri midfield?

Among the options available in midfield to Mazzarri, both Cambiasso and Taider are at their best in protecting the back four. Freddy Guarin is a typical box to box midfielder but the Colombian does not offer much in terms of acting as a creative outlet. The capture of Hernanes would go a long way in not only relieving Ricardo Alvarez from his creative responsibilities but also add a different dimension to the midfield, which currently is devoid of its share of dynamism and flair. `Given his versatility to play different roles across the middle of the park, Hernanes can slot in alongside Cambiasso and Alvarez in a largely preferred three man midfield system adopted since the start of the season.

Against Juventus at the weekend, neither of Taider, Kovacic and Kuzmanovic could keep possession for a sustained period of time owing to considerable pressing from the likes of Pogba and Vidal. The home side hence neutralized the threat of Ricardo Alvarez as he had to drop deeper and deeper to see more of the ball, which naturally meant that the Nerazzurri would have little joy in the final third.

Alvarez's heat-map against Juventus. — Alvarez’s heat-map against Juventus.

The Argentine was restricted to work in his own penalty box for majority of the periods as the Juventus midfield pushed forward relentlessly, thereby isolating Rodrigo Palacio to fight a lone battle up front. A detailed examination of passing statistics from the game reveals that the Argentine did not create a single chance in the entire game besides successfully completing only 2 of his 9 attempted crosses. A rather poor showing from arguably the best player for Mazzarri this season. Ai??The presence of Hernanes in the center of the park could help Alvarez fulfill his attacking role as the Brazilian can ably keep the ball as well as move it forward quickly enough thereby maintaining flow of possession.

Ricardo Alvarez' passing chart. Notice the concentration of dots in his own half. — Ricardo Alvarez’ passing chart. Notice the concentration of dots in his own half.

The 28 year old has himself not had the most stellar of seasons so far and has largely been underwhelming, just like his former as well as current employees but his quality remains in little doubt. The Nerazzurri are in desperate search of Ai??some inspiration from somewhere, having failed to win a single match in 2014 thus far. After seeing a promising season disintegrate into fragments of disappointment, the Interisiti could well do with some Brazilian flair to inject new life into the faltering campaign. The question remains – Can Hernanes do it? Will he usher in a new season at the San Siro, just like Ozil did at the Emirates last year, or will the move go down as just another ordinary transfer?

We shall see.