Antonio Conte has publicly called out under-performing striker Alexis Sanchez by insisting ‘his numbers must be better.’
Conte has drawn attention to Sanchez’s lack of goalscoring following Inter Milan’s Coppa Italian semi-final first leg defeat to bitter rivals Juventus.
The Italian boss cut a frustrated figure on the touchline as he was defeated by his former club, courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo brace.
Sanchez filled in for the absent talisman Romelu Lukaku, but failed to find the back of the net and give his side the added impetus it desperately needed.
The Chilean’s problems were compounded in the latter stages of the tie, after he failed to convert when the goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was out of his goal, instead seeing his effort blocked on the line by Demiral.
Inter are now tasked with overturning a 2-1 deficit in the second leg in order to progress through to the final.
Conte now seems to have lost patience with Sanchez, venting to reporters after the game and urging the Chilean to provide more in front of goal.
He said: ‘I don’t know if he was tired, of course he tried to give his best in the game, but he has to be more clinical when it comes to scoring goals.
‘Numbers for [judging] the strikers are merciless, and his numbers must be better.’
Now aged 32, Sanchez is enduring a lasting struggle which has continued since his ill-fated move to Manchester United from Arsenal.
Despite being a big money signing and the top earning star in the Premier League, Sanchez rapidly slipped down the pecking order and United were desperate to cut their losses.
He has scored only 11 times in just over three years, despite early hopes at Inter that his once deadly form was on its way back.
