5 Inter Milan Weaknesses Others Teams Can Expose in 2014/15 Season

The atmosphere around Inter Milan this season could generally be described as positive, as the side looks to have made significant improvements over the summer and will be aiming for a much-improved campaign.

The team is probably not ready to challenge for the Scudetto just yet but a Champions League place seems a realistic target to aim at for now.

While there are numerous reasons for Nerazzurri fans to be optimistic, Inter are still displaying a number of weaknesses which opponents can look to exploit, if they are good enough.

Here are five Inter weaknesses other teams can expose in 2014-15.

The Back Three Can Be Shaky

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While Inter's first-choice back three have quite a pedigree, that doesn't mean they are not capable of occasionally looking shaky.

Juan Jesus has proven himself to be a classy defender who is normally at the top of his game, but he does have matches, like the one he played last weekend against Palermo, where he appears uninterested and lethargic.

Star signing Nemanja Vidic, meanwhile, has long been regarded as one of the best centre-backs on the planet. His Serie A career is off to a shaky start, however, after he conceded a penalty in the season opener then was sent off for dissent.

After serving a one-match suspension, Vidic returned against Palermo where his amateurish mistake gifted the southern club their only goal of the game.

The veteran Serb will surely settle into life in Italian football and prove a great investment for Inter. 

Coach Walter Mazzarri will be hoping that happens sooner rather than later.

The third of the starting central defenders is club captain Andrea Ranocchia, who appears to be improving with each passing season but still continues to have moments where he gives the ball away needlessly or is caught completely out of position.

Overall, if the defence clicks it can be an extremely solid one, but opponents for now will feel that it is one of the team's weak links.

There Is Not Yet a Standout Playmaker Running the Side

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There are a number of talented attacking midfielders on Inter's roster but none of them have shown enough consistency to lock in the role of chief playmaker.

Most of the genuinely good sides throughout football history have had one creative player in the centre of the park who they can direct the majority of their attacking play through. That player becomes the hub of the side and the man everyone turns to when a tight game needs to be unlocked with a moment of inspiration.

Mazzarri has Hernanes, Zdravko Kuzmanovic, Fredy Guarin, Rene Krhin and Mateo Kovacic at his disposal, all of whom have shown glimpses of brilliance in the early part of 2014-15. The coach is apparently yet to settle on one conductor who he is content to put in charge of the orchestra, however.

Though there is often space for two attack-minded players in the centre of the coach's 3-5-2, he has seen fit to rotate through his options in the matches played so far.

Croatian youngster Kovacic has probably been the most impressive of the bunch so far, so if he continues his strong form he may be the one to lead Inter forward over the next few years.

Lack of Depth in the Forward Ranks

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Inter's Italian-Argentine forward line contains plenty of bite, though a lack of depth could cause massive problems for the club throughout the course of the campaign.

Argentine strikers Mauro Icardi and Rodrigo Palacio, and Argentina-born Italian international Dani Osvaldo are the only forwards on the roster with substantial Serie A experience, with teenager Federico Bonazzoli offering a fourth option in case of emergencies.

Icardi has been given plenty of game time early in the season and looks to be developing into a genuine star, while Palacio has proven himself to be a dangerous goalscorer over a number of years. Osvaldo is still trying to rediscover the kind of form that he showed in his Roma days, however, and at 17, not too much can be expected of Bonazzoli.

If Icardi or Palacio were to be injured or suffer a substantial dip in form, the Nerazzurri would all of a sudden look extremely thin up top. 

Several Volatile Players in the Ranks

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One of Mazzarri's tasks in 2014-15 will be to manage the somewhat fiery personalities in his squad.

Chilean Gary Medel should prove a wonderful addition to the Nerazzurri ranks but his uncompromising style of play sometimes sees him run afoul of the match officials.

Osvaldo, meanwhile, has clashed with both teammates and management on several occasions at previous clubs.

Icardi, too, has had his controversies in the past, both on the field and off it. With so much depending on the young striker, Mazzarri must ensure his concentration is fully focused on the task at hand.

The Squad Will Be Stretched Due to the Distraction of Europa League

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Events of the last week have shown just how stretched Inter's squad will be competing in Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Europa League this season.

The 7-0 demolition of Sassuolo showed just what the side is capable of. It was followed by a tepid performance in midweek against Dnipro in Kiev and a far-from-convincing 1-1 draw with Palermo in the third round of Serie A.

Mazzarri was forced to shuffle his personnel and, although he has depth in positions such as wing-back, in other areas of the park it is harder to make changes without affecting the balance of the side.

A team like Inter will consider themselves a chance of going all the way in the Europa League so it will be difficult to neglect that competition. At the same time, the Nerazzurri don't have the strength in depth of the likes of Juventus and Roma to dedicate themselves fully to Europe without hurting their domestic performances.

It will be interesting to see how Mazzarri handles that particular juggling act.