Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic believes his team-mates mentality must improve to compensate for a lack of ability.
The San Siro outfit endured a disastrous 2012-13, slumping to ninth in Serie A, with manager Andrea Stramaccioni paying the price for the side s failings with his job.
Walter Mazzarri has since taken over, having guided Napoli to second place in the league last season.
Inter won five consecutive titles between 2005-10, also claiming a historic treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and UEFA Champions League in 2010 under Jose Mourinho.
And while matching those achievements looks a long way off currently, Handanovic insists his side can improve, if they apply themselves correctly.
There are differences from last year, the Slovenian told Gazzetta dello Sport.
What does not change is the mentality required, the one that last year maybe we didn t have or cared enough about.
Inter must be a team ready to sacrifice more, every moment, every game; we must think like a team that no longer has the power it once had.
We must not kid ourselves. Inter no longer has 11, or even more, top player as in the days of (Roberto) Mancini or Mourinho.
Inter have also struggled in pre-season, losing to Chelsea in their International Champions Cup opener, before being thrashed 4-0 by Valencia.
They recovered somewhat to beat Juventus on penalties, avoiding last place in the tournament, and Handanovic believes the struggles could in fact work in Inter s favour, making them more determined when competitive action resumes.
It helps you keep your feet on the ground, recalling that we must all be a team, he added.
The law of football is this: either you work as 11, or you will not succeed.
