MILAN – “I’m pleased with the result and the first half, not the second. But we had a lot of attacking players on the pitch and we struggled because a number of players aren’t fully fit.” Roberto Mancini spoke following Inter’s 3-1 win over Genoa in Sunday’s lunchtime kick-off. The coach explained his team selection: “Podolski has always played in that position. It was a new role for Hernanes but he has everything it takes to play behind a lone striker. Palacio can play really well there too. Our aim was to press Genoa high but in the second half, once we started to fade, we no longer managed to cause them problems and get high up the pitch. “Fredy has the physique to play central midfield. He has very specific attributes and it’s not easy but he can do it. You need to use your brain in that role not just your physique. Pirlo and Verratti have shown that. So Hernanes could definitely play there too.” On the immediate future: “The lads are working well but a win changes nothing. We need time and that’s only natural. It was important to get a victory today and perform well with this system. If we reach the right fitness levels and improve, we can play this formation.”
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