The brace by Diouf in the friendly against Karlsruhe confirmed Chivu‘s intuition: the Frenchman can become the alternative to Dumfries on the right wing. A change of position that is transforming an underwhelming signing into a concrete asset for Inter, easing the pressure on the wing market.
Since being coached by Cristian Chivu, Andy Diouf has been delivering performances well beyond expectations. The player’s characteristics, as Chivu had already pointed out in the past, are better suited to the winger role: “He beats his man, creates numerical superiority, plus he has physicality, pace, and technique, and he’s a left-footer who can easily play on the right.”
According to Tuttosport, the performance against Karlsruhe showed the Frenchman’s potential. “Of course, it’s true that for now we’re still in summer football, that the opponents play in the German second division and that there were no points or trophies at stake, but just having shown the ability to make certain plays and moves essentially confirms that Diouf is a quality player, a youngster on whom to build a certain type of work, with a potentially significant career.”
The two goals scored in stoppage time certify the Frenchman’s technical qualities. The first, a powerful shot from a corner, highlighted his quality left foot. The second better illustrated his new role: “The goal for 2-1, a powerful and sweet curve that left the opposing goalkeeper with no chance, is the direct result of a right winger who, with his stronger foot on the inside, cut in and unleashed an absolutely unstoppable left-footed shot.”
The decision to move him from midfield to the wing responds to precise tactical needs. In the central area, he still does not offer adequate defensive guarantees and would hardly find space in Inter’s midfield. On the right, paradoxically, he has greater freedom of movement, even though he still needs to perfect the automatisms of the 3-5-2 and improve his defensive phase when opponents accelerate.
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