Christian Eriksen Is a Great Signing - But Inter Need a Huge Upturn in Form to Dethrone Juventus

Before we get started, let's get things straight: Inter have enjoyed a fantastic campaign in Serie A up to this point. There's no disputing that.

While an improvement upon Luciano Spalletti's dysfunctional final season at the club was certainly expected, only few would've predicted the Nerazzurri to be in the position they're in at this point in the season. 

Many questioned whether Romelu Lukaku would discover his first touch in Italy, most didn't believe that Lautaro Martinez could fill the shoes of Mauro Icardi, while some asked what a 'Stefano Sensi' actually was.

But under one of the finest coaches of the modern era, Inter sit just three points adrift of Serie A monopolizer Juventus in the race for the Scudetto - losing just one of their 21 games in the competition thus far (a 2-1 defeat to Juve back in October).

They are, however, enduring somewhat of a slump at the moment and it's fair to say that if they aren't able to quickly re-establish the form they displayed for much of the opening half of the campaign, the Bianconeri should stroll to their ninth Scudetto on the bounce - providing Ciro Immobile forgets how to score goals, of course. 

This slump, by the way, was expected to come much earlier in the season, but the functional midfield trio of Borja Valero, Roberto Gagliardini and Matias Vecino filled in ably for the dynamic duo of Sensi and Barella - both of whom sustained injuries in October and November respectively.

And before Sensi's return to the starting XI against Atalanta, the Nerazzurri were level with Juve at the top.

So, with Lukaku and Lautaro (24 Serie A goals combined) forming the deadliest strike partnership in Europe and the dynamic duo in midfield returning for the second half of the campaign, Inter were all set to dethrone the Bianconeri, right?

Well...not quite. 

The Nerazzurri have drawn five of their last seven in the league, including three 1-1 draws on the spin, and if it wasn't for Napoli remembering how to function at the weekend, they could've been six points adrift of Juve at the top of the table.

And in their recent displays, Inter have been a mere shadow of the side we saw for much of the first half of the campaign.

In possession, they've often looked devoid of ideas - with Conte's patterns starting to become a little too predictable, especially when they come up against sides that are happy enough just defending their 18-yard box. 

When they've reached the final third, Inter have lacked penetration and creativity in central areas - with Sensi and Barella failing to reach their pre-injury heights since their returns - generally relying on individual brilliance from one of the strike duo or a pinpoint delivery from a wing-back to create chances. The latter is rare, but is nonetheless, it's a key component of Conte's build-up play, with the high positioning of two Inter midfielders forcing the opposition's full back's narrow, therefore opening up space on the flanks.

For Inter's three goals in their games against Atalanta, Lecce and Cagliari, two came from superb deliveries from wing-backs while the other came after some excellent link-up play between Lukaku and Lautaro.

All three strikes gave Inter the lead - leads they ultimately squandered.

Conte's Inter are a side that press their opponents into submission, attempting to suffocate them in their own half.  It makes them such a dangerous outfit in the opening stages of a game and has ultimately been a major factor in their success this season. But recently, their work out of possession has been almost unrecognisable to what we saw in September/October time. 

Atalanta turned up and flat-out dominated Inter on their own turf, while the lowly Lecce and out of sorts Cagliari found it easier than most to play out from the back - with Lecce, in particular, exploiting a less coherent Inter press via the vast gap between defence and midfield while Cagliari enjoyed over 59% of the possession against the Nerazzurri.

Overall, their inability to create high-quality chances and kill games off along with a significant drop in intensity levels out of possession has created a tetchiness and nervousness around San Siro in recent weeks. And despite holding the best defensive record in the league - with Stefan de Vrij and Samir Handanovic enjoying stellar campaigns - there's almost been a feel of inevitability about the opposition getting back into contests, and that's exactly what's happened in their last three.

Nevertheless, with Christian Eriksen's arrival, you can expect the Nerazzurri to enjoy a resurgence in the coming weeks. Not only does the Dane provide Inter with playmaking abilities that very few in Europe behold, but Eriksen also possesses the ability to strike a ball clean off both feet from distance - an attribute that'll be key against sides that deploy a low block.

A willing runner, the former Spurs man should have no issues adapting to the Conte's off the ball demands and he also gives the Italian boss the option of being a little more tactically flexible, instead of deploying the 3-5-2 week in, week out.

Overall, the fact that the club are willing to spend over £16m on a player who'd be available on a free transfer in the summer highlights just how desperate Inter are at the moment.

Meanwhile, the signings of Ashley Young  and Victor Moses are a couple that may get bantered off by those on social media but once again, they're more examples of astute pieces of business by the Nerazzurri - addressing a position of need with players blessed with skill-sets that will see them excel under the Conte.

Yes, they may be out of form but this is no impossible task. The gap between themselves and the not so imperious Juve is just three points.

This is an Inter side that have lost their way over the past few weeks, losing what made them such a relentless force in the opening half of the season. They're in need of a swift resurgence, but with a world class footballer arriving this month and an elite manager at their disposal, you can't write them off just yet.