Amorim explains selection choices vs. Lazio including renewed faith in Loftus-Cheek

AC Milan head coach Ruben Amorim wants to see more aggression from his side compared to last week, and hopes his changes bring that.

Milan could go top for the time being with a win in the capital, having made a good start to the season with seven points taken from nine. However, they are facing a Lazio side that have won all three of their games, and are therefore at the summit currently along with Roma and Inter.

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Amorim chose to make some changes to the starting line-up from the team that drew with Juventus last week. Samuel Chukwueze came on at right wing-back, Adrien Rabiot dropped back into the double pivot, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Alphadjo Cisse were named the attacking midfielders.

The coach spoke to DAZN just before kick-off at the Stadio Olimpico to explain his selection choices, in particular in the middle of the park. His words were relayed by MilanNews.

Want to see more quality in midfield?

“I think we need quality in every area, quality on the ball. I think we did well against Juventus at keeping the ball, but we lacked danger. We weren’t aggressive in the final third, and we need players between the lines: I think we lacked that.

“So it’s not just about the quality of the players, it’s about the quality of the positioning at the right times, in the right space to be dangerous. We worked on that during the week.”

What do you want to see from Loftus-Cheek?

“It’s crucial to always be honest with players: when I say something to the media, it’s because I’ve already repeated it ten times to the person concerned.

“I know it’s not a common sight, but I think it’s important, and I think the players trust me knowing I’m making certain statements precisely because I believe in their ability.

“Take a player like Loftus-Cheek: he’s got it all. He’s physically powerful, he uses both feet, he’s strong in the air, but he has to learn to stay involved in the game for the entire ninety minutes. The concept is very simple: he has to make an impact with his quality in every single moment of the game.

“He can’t always be in contact with the ball, but he has to be much more involved in the game. Only by participating consistently can he help the team be more creative and truly dangerous in the final thirty metres.”

What did you ask of Rabiot?

“Compared to Musah, he’s a little different, also because of his foot: one is left-footed, the other right-footed. I think Rabiot is not only a player who can often get into the penalty area, but he’s also capable of dictating the tempo of the game.

“He’s very experienced, knows how to make the right runs, and is also good around the box. Today, however, I believed that the characteristics of Modrić and Rabiot would be crucial to supporting Cissé and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

“It was difficult for me to leave Musah out, but every game is different: sometimes we have to forget the performance of the last match and understand that this is a different game, with different characteristics. That’s why I thought today was the ideal match for Rabiot.”