Inter: Jones have not yet shown he is readier than Sucic

Inter are a well-oiled machine, built on years of success and a formula that, with Chivu in the dugout just a year ago, led them to the league title and the Coppa Italia.

The Romanian coach is trying to tweak things with a few changes to the build-up play and an attempt to be more vertical, but what the Englishman has shown so far confirms his integration is still far from complete.

Often caught out of position, especially without the ball, Jones still comes off second best to Sucic in a few key areas, despite the pair having played more or less the same number of minutes.

In the attacking phase, Sucic attempts more dribbles, creating the one-on-one situations and overloads Chivu is also asking Diouf to provide on the right flank. He has created more big chances and posts a slightly higher percentage of attacking passes in the final third. The biggest gap, though, comes in long passes, where the Croatian leads 13 to 2 with 92% accuracy, and in progressive passes, 120 to 102.

Inter have created plenty as a team in attack in every match they have played, so the factor that could push Chivu towards Jones over Sucic is the defensive side. Even there, though, the Englishman has worse statistics than the former Dinamo Zagreb player.

Jones has made more clearances, though that could also point to poor positioning, but it is the only statistic in which he comes out on top. Sucic has made more tackles, more blocks on the opposition's shots, more tackles and duels won (77% compared to 52%) and, above all, just one lost ball compared to the four lost by the former Liverpool player.

Cristian Chivu pushed hard in the summer, insisting the club sign Curtis Jones at all costs because he sees him as a player with unique qualities, someone who can give the team different options from the midfielders already in the squad.

Yet watching him on the pitch and looking at the statistics, the difference between him and Sucic in terms of style and positioning simply does not show up. If anything, it seems to favour the Croatian himself, Madrid aside, where the Croatian came off the bench without convincing and in any case stayed on the pitch alongside the Englishman and not in his place.

For Jones, and for Chivu who wanted him, today's long break is a huge advantage and a huge opportunity compared with Sucic. Croatia have in fact called up their talented player, while England have not selected the former Reds man.

Jones can now use the break of more than two weeks to sharpen his condition, settle into the manager's ideas and be ready, when they return from the break, to turn around these statistics.