ROME - Inter Milan coach Gian Piero Gasperini's position became increasingly untenable on Tuesday as the Serie A giant's winless run continued with a shocking 3-1 defeat at promoted Novara.

Inter has not won away in five games this season, putting increasing pressure on Gasperini as the humiliation against Novara, returning to Serie A after 55 years, follows last week's home loss to outsiders Trabzonspor in the Champions Legaue.

Inter is languishing in 17th position with just one point from three games.

Gasperini's position looks even weaker after Ansa reported that Inter president Massimo Moratti gave a less than supportive reply to a question by journalists after the match as to whether the coach had control over the team.

"It doesn't seem that way to me, no, but let's see tomorrow."

Gasperini, though, was insistent he would battle through.

"We played really badly," he said.

"But I believe in what I am doing, which has given me a lot of happiness before this. It is a difficult period we are going through, but I must come out of this stronger and more resolute.

"We have to be a bit more humble, when we tried to go on the offensive we found ourselves in trouble.

"We have succeeded in playing like that in other matches. But this evening it is clear, it did not work, and that goes beyond just tactics."

Marco Rigoni's double lifted Novara to its first win of the season and provisional fifth place.

Inter danger man Giampaolo Pazzini started on the bench but was brought on by Gasperini at halftime in place of an uninspiring Diego Forlan after Riccardo Meggiorini had put the host ahead after 38 minutes.

Pazzini had Inter's best chance of the night, a shot at goal on 61 minutes, but it went wide.

Inter's defense were made to work by the pairing of Meggiorini and Andrea Mazzarini, with the latter missing a chance for a second goal after 53 minutes.

Japanese striker Takayuki Morimoto, who caused endless headaches for Inter defender Andrea Ranocchia all evening, finally obtained a penalty for his side, which Marco Rigoni transformed four minutes from time.

And in a late scramble for a goal, Esteban Cambiasso reduced the deficit for the visitors with a minute to go before Rigoni got his second one minute into added time.

Leader Napoli, which beat AC Milan thanks to an Edinson Cavani hat trick over the weekend, traveled to Chievo on Wednesday as second-place Juventus hosts Bologna, which is looking for its first points.

AC Milan hosts third-place Udinese as AS Roma looks for its first win under Luis Enrique on Thursday against promoted Siena.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 09/22/2011 page22)