De Boer relieved but not out of the woods yet



Inter Milan coach Frank de Boer said he felt a little more comfortable after his struggling side beat Torino 2-1 on Wednesday, although the Dutchman may not be out of the woods yet.
The Gazzetta dello Sport said that the De Boer's future was still uncertain after a poor start to the season, which has left his side stuck in 10th place in Serie A.
Inter have lost six of their 13 competitive matches since De Boer took over in August and had been beaten in their previous three Serie A games before Wednesday.
"I'm very happy. It's never easy when you've suffered three losses on the bounce, but I've always stayed positive," De Boer said after the match. Asked if he felt more secure, he replied: "A little."
De Boer, Inter's eighth coach since Jose Mourinho left in 2010, said the performance had pleased him as much as the result.
"I'm really proud of what the lads showed, this is the kind of display I want to see. Torino's only chances came from our mistakes. Other than that, we dominated the game," he said.
"We need to work hard every day and always play like this. It's important that the players go into games with confidence and discipline. We saw a crucial step forward but I want to see the same attitude against Sampdoria."
Indonesian club president Erick Thohir and Steven Zhang, a director of the club's owners, Chinese electronic retailers Suning, were both at the match.
"We have to climb back up the table," Thohir said before the game. "The season has only just started and we have many matches in front of us."
He reiterated that Inter's priority was to end their five-season absence from the Champions League, which would require a top-three finish.
"Suning and I are here to support the team and the coach," he said. "We want to focus on our sporting objectives ... our aim is to get back into the Champions League and we all have to concentrate on that.
"There are obviously obligations in my position. As president, I carry responsibilities for my decisions, be they good or bad.
"Every year people expect new players during the transfer window and also a new coach, if things aren't going well. However, our task is to stick by who is in the role now and work for the good of Inter.""I'm really proud of what the lads showed, this is the kind of display I want to seeInter Milan boss Frank de Boer is facing a crucial encounter at home to Torino on Wednesday, with Italian media tipping it to be his last in the dugout after a poor start to the season.
The Dutchman joined Inter from Ajax Amsterdam two weeks before the start of the Serie A campaign, but has won only three out of nine league games to leave the club 14th in the table on 11 points.
Italian media reported that Inter have already begun the search for De Boer's successor, and the manager was tight-lipped when asked whether he had received assurances about his future from the club.
"I don't want to talk about losing my job," the 46-year-old told a news conference on Tuesday.
"I just want to focus on preparing for tomorrow evening's match."
De Boer said it was only a matter of time before the team turned a corner, and added that he still enjoyed a good relationship with the club's owners.
Chinese electronics retailer Suning bought nearly 70 percent of Inter for 270 million euros (240.83 million pound) in June, less than three years after the club had been sold to a consortium led by Indonesian business tycoon Erick Thohir.
"The club are behind me every day. We speak all the time and there's a positive atmosphere. I feel everyone is behind me, including Suning," De Boer said after Inter lost against Atalanta on Sunday, their third league defeat in a row.
"The club was aware of these difficulties and I think changing the coach won't solve any of them.
"Even if I had arrived earlier, I would have build Inter in the same way, understanding what our strengths and weaknesses are. Step by step we're constructing the team."
Inter, who have not been champions of Italy since Jose Mourinho led them to a treble in the 2009-2010 season and have not qualified for the Champions League for the last five years, will be without defensive midfielder Gary Medel against Torino. The midfielder was given a three-match ban for elbowing an opponent on Sunday.

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