ANALYSIS-Soccer-Inter take slow starter tag to extremes

By Mark Meadows

MILAN, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Although Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho believes a tough draw in February's Champions League last 16 will shock his side out of their European malaise the damage may already have been done.

The Serie A champions have remained true to Italian form by limping through the group stages, losing twice, drawing twice and winning convincingly only once.

They had already qualified for the knockout stages ahead of Tuesday's game at Werder Bremen but Mourinho still wanted a win even if he queried the value of finishing top of Group B.

As it was his side put in another lacklustre display to lose 2-1 with wingers Mancini and Ricardo Quaresma, big money arrivals from AS Roma and Porto in the transfer window, beginning to look major flops.

Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, easily their best player this season thanks to his goals and creative spark, was meant to be rested for the Werder game but Inter were so poor that the Swede was thrown on at halftime and scored a superb consolation.

Former Chelsea coach Mourinho, picked to replace Roberto Mancini in June mainly because of his Champions League pedigree, did not mince his words when laying into his players after last month's lifeless 1-0 home defeat to Panathinaikos.

He has tried a different tactic following the Werder defeat, hinting that the group had looked too easy on paper and that his side will only rise to the occasion against big teams.

"The real bad luck will be for the top side in another group who will draw a tough team like Inter," Mourinho told reporters.