MILAN - Roberto Mancini analysed the season after a 2-1 success over Empoli ensured Inter end the campaign in fourth place with qualification to the Europa League group stage.
"If we'd done everything well we wouldn't have finished fourth – we'd probably be higher," the coach admitted. "We've done some good things over the course of the season, though. In the end we're where we deserve to be because we threw away all the good work we did in the first half of the season. There are lots of things we still need to work on.
"I haven't asked for any players. It's hard to say now who might join. It's very easy to criticise but you need to look at the positive things this team has done too. It takes time and you need the right players to rebuild.
On the future and transfers: "When I sit down for a chat with the president we'll see. It's up to the players to change this situation – the fact we're not in the Champions League. Inter are working well but you need time and patience.
"There was a big crowd at the stadium today and we thank our fans for sticking by us during the tough times. Hopefully we'll be able to give them something more to cheer about next season.
Have Inter come short of pre-season expectations? "At the start of the season the pundits said there were three or four teams ahead of us. I always want the best so I'm not happy. I want more and we were top of the league on 20 December. We need to improve in certain areas. We need to read games like today better and make sure we come under less pressure when things aren't going well. We need to work on all those aspects; there's not one in particular. There's a big gap between Juventus and the other teams and we need to improve if we want to reduce that gap."
Inter created lots of chances in the first period against Empoli but only took a slender lead in at the break. "The first half should have ended 3-0 to us. That's what great teams do and then perhaps they look to sit on the result.
"In the second half we replaced Jovetic and a minute later Mauro got injured so we lost a bit of physical presence up front. At the end of the game there was some fatigue and perhaps the fear of not being able to win it and that's normal.
"Overall we can say that all the players have improved since the start of the season, from Icardi to Brozovic and Kondogbia."
Versión Española 日本語版 Versi Bahasa Indonesia Versione Italiana
