To Mancini's relief, Ricardo came on to change the situation.

In the 56th minute, Ricardo played an inverted triangle pass down the left flank, and Ronaldo ghostly ran to the penalty spot and smashed the ball into the goal of Lupatelli with a left-footed push.

In the 69th minute, this time it was Ricardo who took the ball on the side and cut in, and made a wonderful arc with his right foot, and the football hung into the corner.

Inter Milan were on the verge of their first home win in the league and the game was once again porous in their modest defence, this time by left-back Favali. His reckless tackle gave Parma a well-placed free-kick, which was deflected by Mofeo. Cannavaro head hammer into the gate.

Inter then went on the attack, but Parma came together to hold on to the point, and Inter had to swallow the bitter pill.

4 league games, 2 wins and 2 draws, the record is not bad, but the opponent is not too strong, which is by no means the result that a team aiming to win the championship should have.

After the game, various media expressed ridicule and dissatisfaction with Mancini.

'The young Ricardo deserves a consistent start at Inter and his performances have impressed me, but for some reason not Mancini. Milan sports newspaper said.

"Both Ronaldo and Ricardo are angry at Ricardo's consecutive failures to start, and it is reported that Ricardo has given Mancini an ultimatum to seek a transfer during the winter break if he does not get a start, and the next stop is likely to be Juventus." This is the statement of the newspaper Torino Sport.

The newspaper Roma Sport published an even less reliable article: "Ricardo: Mancini deceived me. Ricardo said in an interview that Manich had promised him a regular position when he invited him to join, but it was not delivered. He has started just one of Inter's five competitive matches so far. Ricardo was unhappy with this and tried to resolve the issue through dialogue with the club's hierarchy. In fact, Ricardo hadn't really been interviewed by the newspaper.

In the second round of the Champions League group stage on the evening of September 30, I don't know whether he felt the pressure of the media or was moved by Ricardo's performance, Mancini finally let Ricardo start again. Inter Milan travelled to Ligue 1 champions Anderlecht and the difference between the two leagues was starkly visible.

Ricardo, who was back in the starting line-up again, was quite active, scoring twice in the first half and setting up Ronaldo to score in the second half.

Although Anderlecht pulled a point back from a corner, Ronaldo's 70th-minute run through three men killed their last hope. But after that goal, Ronaldo was substituted with a calf muscle strain.

Inter Milan won both games and finished top of the group. Anderlecht fought both battles. Werder Bremen beat Valencia at home and are level on three points.

The results of Ronaldo's examination are not optimistic, not only the calf muscle strain, but also the cruciate ligament of his knee has a contusion, and he will have to be out of action for 6-8 weeks.

When Ricardo went to visit Ronaldo, the current football king did not take the injury to heart, and said with a smile: "The next period depends on you, brother, don't drop the chain, I still want to hit the treble this season!" ”

"It's hard to say about the treble, at least the league title won't be lost." Ricardo swore by it.

Back in the league, on 4 October, Inter Milan took on Roma away.

In this game, Materazzi was unable to play due to injury, and Mancini made major changes to the formation and starting line-up, with Zemaria playing at right-back, the two central defenders partnering Córdoba and Burdisso, and the left-back captain Zanetti.

Veron, Cambiasso and Stankovic were fielded in midfield, with Recoba making his first start as a midfielder. Up front, Ronaldo is yet to recover from injury, starting with Ricardo and Adriano.

This is also the first time that Mancini has lined up a 4312 formation. In the end, the effect still needs to be tested in actual combat.

Last season, Roma beat Inter Milan to finish second in the league. In terms of squad, they are a notch below Inter Milan, but Totti's side have always played a passionate game, and their backline, although small, is a bit more solid than Inter's, with Perrotta and De Rossi providing good support at the back in midfield.

Today they also lined up in a 4312 formation, with Totti up front, Cassano and Montella up front, De Rossi, Perrotta and Roberto Mancini in midfield, and Panucci, Mex, Ferrari and Kufrey in the back four. Goalkeeper Pellizzoli.

At the Stadio Olimpic, Roma played quite aggressively, with Roberto Mancini and Panucci on the right constantly providing assists and attacking Zanetti's side to create several kills in a row.

In just two minutes, Totti's through ball broke through the Inter defence, and Mancini Jr. had the advantage in the scramble with Zanetti, scrambling to shoot from a tight angle and bounce off Burdisso's leg. Cassano, who had just turned 20, followed up with an instep shot from 10 yards out in front of goal to break through the goal guarded by Toldo.

Zanetti is still unfamiliar with the left-back position and was out of position just now, and was seized by Roberto Mancini.

The commentator said: "This is Inter's fifth league game, and it is also their fourth consecutive game in which they have conceded the first goal. Roberto Mancini's team still needs to settle in......"

"Ronaldo's injury has allowed Roma to play more unrestrained, and they can focus more on attacking."

Mancini sat in the dugout, frowning. He didn't understand why his team kept conceding first. The backline is world-class, but it always makes mistakes.

Mancini, who came as a striker, is not good at playing defensively, and he knows that. It seems that the team needs to find a better defensive coach......

Ricardo couldn't figure it out either. Materazzi is a defender at the peak of the continental level, and Cordoba was world-class at its peak, and now it is at the continental level. Burdisso is also a strong defender at the continental level. Zanetti is world-class.

Such a backline, although it is not as good as AC Milan, but it stands to reason that it will not be blown up every game, right?

Just a few years ago, Inter Milan was known for their defensive solidity. In the 97-98 season, Inter Milan conceded the fewest goals in Serie A and won the title. At that time, Moratti laughed and said that it was Ronaldo's existence that made the opponent use three or four people to mark Ronaldo in every game, so Inter Milan conceded so few goals.

As a result, now, in the first four league games, seven goals have been conceded.

Where did the strongest "shield" in Serie A go a few years ago?

Ricardo, who was playing on the field, probably saw it better. The individual defensive ability of the Inter midfielders is not weak, it can even be said to be strong, but the defense is not systematic. That's Inter's biggest defensive problem. The players are all fighting on their own, not protecting each other enough, and the sense of defensive hierarchy is very poor.

A truly solid defence is not something that can be made up by a pile of big names, and even Cannavaro was unable to lead this backline to good results last season.

If Inter Milan wants to make a breakthrough in results, they will have to build their own defensive system.

Or...... Rely on an invincible line of attack composed of yourself and others, and rely on offensive football to score.