HAVING scored to help his side beat Frosinone last weekend, Matias Vecino was pulled aside by Inter’s media team for a brief interview to be used on their in-house TV channel.

Clearly exhausted from his contribution – which included the final goal of the 3-1 triumph – the Uruguayan was understandably upbeat. “In these past two years, the team has made some big steps forward and we’ve improved a lot” he said, going on to add that the Nerazzurri “need to keep closing the gap on those ahead of us.”

A quick glance at the Serie A table shows that might be something of an understatement. While third-placed Inter might be five points and one place above their city cousins AC Milan, they join Napoli and AS Roma in the small group of sides who began the 2018/19 campaign with legitimate hopes of contending for the title.

| GOOD MORNING

Looking forward to #InterRoma, Nerazzurri fans? pic.twitter.com/9VNT52zjAi

— Inter (@Inter_en) April 17, 2019

Juventus have made a mockery of that ambition, sitting 18 points clear of Napoli, 24 above the Nerazzurri and thirty clear of Roma, the latter sacking coach Eusebio Di Francesco last month when missing out on a top four berth became a distinct possibility. Claudio Ranieri returned to once again take charge of his hometown club, but he has recorded just three wins in his six games at the helm, losses to SPAL and Napoli leaving the Giallorossi outside the Champions League berths with just six rounds left to play.

Their problems are deep-rooted, feted sporting director Monchi also departing as his signings summarily failed to help the situation. Alisson Becker might be thriving at Liverpool, but his replacement Robin Olsen is floundering so badly in the Italian capital that Ranieri has been forced to drop him in favour of 35-year-old backup Antonio Mirante.

Acquired after a strong showing at the World Cup with Sweden, Olsen has been an unmitigated disaster, managing just four clean sheets in 27 Serie A appearances. That Mirante has three in just five games does little to help the case of the supposed no.1, but in truth the team ahead of them is arguably as disorganised and incoherent as the Malmo native looks between the posts.

Roma have some good players sprinkled throughout their squad, but perhaps the most damning indictment of Monchi’s tenure is the fact that their most influential performers have been a 35-year-old midfielder and a 19-year-old who was acquired as a makeweight in a summer sale.

Whenever skipper Daniele De Rossi is forced to sit out, the Giallorossi look undermanned, lacking both the tenacity and tempo the 2006 World Cup winner consistently provides. At the same time, Nicolò Zaniolo – signed as part of the deal that took Radja Nainggolan to Inter – has been a revelation, playing in a variety of roles and fully deserving his call up to the Italian national team.

Bayern are interested in Roma midfielder Nicolò Zaniolo (19). The player is wanted by many top clubs in Europe but he prefers a move to FC Bayern. Roma wouldn't let the player leave for less than €50m [BamS] pic.twitter.com/3JDYwMbzP1

— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) April 13, 2019

He is also exactly the kind of player his former club lack, Nainggolan’s rapid decline evident almost every time he steps on the field. Just like Roma, Inter appear to be weaker than the sum of their parts, a fine collection of players who somehow do not combine to form anything like the standard of team they rightfully should be.

The fault for much of that lies at the feet of Luciano Spalletti, a coach who has spent the entire season forcing deeper and deeper divisions within his own squad while his erratic behaviour on the touchline transmits panic and fear within the very players who look to him for assurance. He has used Andrea Ranocchia, a 6’5” reserve central defender as an emergency striker, sent on slow and ageing playmaker Borja Valero to protect leads, and completely alienated captain Mauro Icardi.

While the Argentina striker must accept his share of the blame for his (and his wife/agent’s) unprofessional attitude, Spalletti has undeniably waged some kind of personal vendetta against Icardi. Stripping him of the captaincy and even penalty taking duties, the 26-year-old reportedly made his peace with his team-mates and club officials, only for the coach to continue to omit him from the squad.

It is impossible to imagine both remaining at the club this summer, and Spalletti’s tenure may well hinge upon holding on to the top four berth they currently occupy. Roma visit San Siro on Saturday and the game is likely to go a long way into deciding the immediate future of both clubs, each desperately needing Champions League football to ease their financial status.

6 – Radja Nainggolan has fired six shots today, his best tally in a single Serie A match since January 2016 with AS Roma (also against Frosinone). Ninja.#FrosinoneInter #SerieA pic.twitter.com/A5SqmMIt4P

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) April 14, 2019

Roma have continually sold players to stay afloat and missing out on the revenue generated by being in UEFA’s elite competition would see yet another raft of talented stars departing, – they have only just begun to right their own balance sheet after years of mismanagement. “The club’s desire is to improve year after year,” CEO Beppe Marotta told Radio Anch’io Sport this week. “We want to improve the squad with players who have a winning mentality and the Zhang family wants to do well, despite the boundaries of Financial Fair Play.”

The impending arrival of Diego Godin will be a huge boost in that regard, but rumours about Antonio Conte being chased by both Inter and Roma also continue to gather pace. Marotta said in that aforementioned interview that links to the Nerazzurri are simply because “it’s normal for him to be linked with big clubs” while reliable newspaper La Repubblica believe Francesco Totti has called the former Chelsea boss to convince him to join him in the capital.

Inter possess an advantage in the standings and have the more complete squad, both of which may help them earn a positive result on Saturday and push Roma further away from the top four. Paradoxically however, that might in turn see them retain Spalletti and allow Conte to take charge of the Giallorossi, and his ability to instantly transform a struggling team has already been seen during his time with Juventus, Italy and at Stamford Bridge.

For now “the teams ahead” Vecino discussed remain out of reach, but those aforementioned factors could well combine to make the impending battle at San Siro something akin to the fable of the hare and the tortoise.

Whoever wins might truly end up being the loser in the long term.