Vieira, Figo, Stankovic, Dacourt, Materazzi. These are just some of the world-class players Roberto Mancini and his Inter team had to do without over the last three months. Yet results are still impressive. Inter lead Serie A with ease and went through the CL topping their group.

Vieira's missing? Christian Chivu, the Romanian-born defender who signed last summer from Roma deputise in midfield, playing fantastically well. Inter lacks the flair of Luis Figo? Another Luis turns up, the Chilean Jimenez banging in goals and making things happen. It seems that whoever plays, irrespective of their position can deliver.
In mid-week Inter won at Eindhoven with an 18-year old midfielder, Bolzoni. Mancini also gave the highly-rated Portuguese International Pelé his debut both in the League and in the Cl and he stunned critics and supporters.

Inter win games with impressive ease. Their passing game, technique and physical superiority is far too much for their opponents. One pundit last Sunday said "Inter are embarassingly superior". Roma's Daniele De Rossi echoed his views: "It's frustrating. They are a team of 11 world-class players. They never slip up". De Rossi knows his onions. In September Inter played at Roma both teams topping the league. It ended 4-1 to Inter. News Agency Ansa's sports headline went: SERIE A - walk in the Olimpico (Roma stadium) park for Inter.

Mancini is the man behind Inter revolution. Since his arrival in 2004 he brought trophies back to Inter, starting with the Coppa Italia in 2005. Inter hadn't won a trophy for 7 years back then. Then he had vision. Mancini, a world-class player himself and a fan of the beautiful game, wanted to build a stylish team. He also bought well. Julio Cesar, Maicon (possibly the best RB around), Maxwell, Dacourt, Stankovic and Figo were all on a Bosman fee. Then Moratti did his bit by signing Zlatan ibrahimovic, Inter's best player.

Inter's strengths are numerous. They can boast 4 CBs like Cordoba, Materazzi, Burdisso and Samuel - in great shape this season, possibly five with Chivu. In midfield Javier Zanetti and Cambiasso has the right combination of grit, class and experience. Up-front Ibrahimovic can play alongside either Crespo or Cruz, and then there's David Suazo the Hondurian, who took a little to get accustomed to life at a top team but he is now showing his skills.

Another Scudetto looks on the cards for Inter but many think this can be the season in which Inter can aim at an amazing Double.

My favourite team in Italy since the late 90s :D

Good to see you on Daniele.

thanks mate

Hey, Daniele, how is Inter ready to rule for the next decade? They've got quite a few oldsters they rely on.

I guess the next stage is the CL.

Can they finally win that?

They won Europe twice in their 1960 glory days.

Yes, i knew that.

Im talking about recently.

They've not done too well in the CL

Great team, also my favourite team in Italy since the Mathaus, Brehme days. The big question is are they tactically good enough to win the CL, Milan aren't a great team but won it....it's not always about talent.

Kaka, Seedorf, Nesta, Maldini, and back when they beat Juve Shevchenko. No talent there.

There is talent of course, but not as much as other teams....Maldini is well past his best at 39 and Seedorf is hardly at the peak of his game either.

The point is tactically they are very good, let's be honest they're a very old team and wouldn't survive without being tactically astute. Teams like Inter, Barca, Real all have more talent in their sides than Milan after all.

I agree with AW when he says that a team's greatness has to be judged by his league results.

The CL isn't a yardstick. No-one can say that AC Milan are currently better than Inter. Some AC fans - the non-biased ones - fear a whoitewash in Sunday's derby and no Inter fan would change his starting 11 with AC's.

Berlusconi can spout propaganda all day long -last Sunday he was on his telly saying that they look down on Inter from the top of the world - but the truth is that Inter are superior in all departments and the table does not lie.