Roberto Mancini branded his players "fools" after they allowed Gonzalo Higuain to dump them out of the Coppa Italia in midweek, but judging by the brashness of his side's approach on Sunday, there is a genius to their folly.
Inter approached Sunday's game with Palermo off the back of three consecutive defeats, something Mancini claims he cannot recall previously happening in his coaching career. They dominated the ball against both Torino and Sassuolo before gifting their opponents three points with calamitous defending.
Against Napoli, they were rigid, disciplined, controlled and ultimately outgunned. "I can't believe how little reward we're getting for all the work we're putting in but I still think we can do something this season," Hernanes said after the match at the San Paolo.
Mancini would have been forgiven for favouring a more cautious approach against Palermo, a side who had scored 12 times in five games prior to Sunday and held Roma to a draw last month. Instead, Inter were unleashed, playing with a free-flowing, reckless style which could pay dividends come the end of the season.
Mancini was bold in his selection, starting Rodrigo Palacio alongside Mauro Icardi and handing Xherdan Shaqiri free reign behind the strikers - the position in which he revelled at the World Cup. It paid off. Shaqiri's speed in the turn and direct running gave Inter a threat down the middle from the first minute, as the Switzerland star exposed a sluggish Palermo centre in a way Hernanes could not.
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