AC Milan must snap out of the latest crisis that they have found themselves in, and Sergio Conceicao will not longer make any exceptions for star players.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport report this morning, Conceiçao rallied around the team as training resumed yesterday at Milanello. He knows that ‘shock therapy’ – for example a training retreat – at this moment perhaps be counter-productive.
The team are struggling with a lack of confidence, not helped by the strong protests at San Siro during the Lazio game. The Portuguese coach from Saturday in Lecce expects everyone to give more than 100% and with this in mind he will only send out those who will give guarantees in both phases.
In the last three defeats in the league, Milan have conceded twice in each game. At the Stadio Via del Mare there will be at least four changes to the starting XI, both due to suspensions and the coach’s choices as he searches for balance.
The presence of the management
According to the management and the coach, the problem is that the team have lost their composure due to the negative results and the climate around the club. Many players are also performing below their potential for this reason.
Yesterday, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Geoffrey Moncada showed up at Milanello to be close to the squad. The RedBird advisor and the Rossoneri technical director encouraged some players with whom they exchanged a few words before and after the end of the session.
Naturally, they also took stock of the situation with the coach. Stimulating a reaction in the dressing room was instead up to Conceiçao who expects to see a group that has the pleasure of playing football again and that is not weighed down by the pressure of the result.
On Tuesday it was a session with the squad divided into two groups so today more concrete signs will come about the team that will face Lecce, but beyond the line-up and the tactics it is the mindset and the predisposition to help the team that must change.
Run or out
Translated: whoever doesn’t run, will not be in the team. Conceiçao expects individuals to sacrifice themselves to recover the ball, but also to do more after winning it back.
The data from the match against Lazio have been carefully analysed and the choices on Saturday will be a consequence. Against Lecce, Milan must turn things around.
This is why Theo Hernandez will almost certainly be out to make room for Alex Jimenez and why Rafael Leao could start on the bench with Riccardo Sottil in his place, or with Samuel Chuwkueze on the right and Christian Pulisic on the opposite flank.
The rest of the evaluations will come based on the week’s training and the physical conditions of those who have not been at their best lately, from Pulisic to Santiago Gimenez, as well as Youssouf Fofana.
Six points are a must in the games against Lecce and then at home against Como, to arrive at the break with a little more tranquility. Then, they must turn it into a positive run.
But don’t be surprised if he doesn’t change anything…
Why do I feel like we’ll still see Felix in the 11 this weekend…
LEAO IS NOT THE PROBLEM, WHAT OF FOFANA, WHAT OF JIMENEZ AND S. JIMENEZ WHO CANNOT HOLD PLAY. WHAT ABOUT PAV WHO IS SHAKING IN POSSESSION, STOP ALL THESE. THIS GUY LITERALLY CARRIED THE TEAM FOR 4 YEARS
what about lower-case letters?
😂😂😂 nicely done!!
Kiddo, he has approximately 90 effective seconds per match, and ghosts while jogging every other minute. Have you seen the state of his first touch recently??? Stop making excuses for laziness just because you like their highlight reel.
It’s just who’s hungry who’s not hungry though is it – the whole team’s mentally fk’ed… We’re back to that 5 losses in a row meltdown we had under Pioli…
Hope sergie is aware Joao Felix is not Hungry
Just admitted. This season is over.
Let’s just hope inter win UCL and Italy get 5 teams next UCL. Milan if there is some hunger inside can fight for 5th place
England and Spain will get a 5th CL spot. They both have 6 teams left in all competitions against Italys 4 and are already ahead in the rankings…
If Roma knocks out Athletic club there is a small chance Italy might catch Spain, but its very small.
what about Pulisic? without Leao we d*omed
Jimenez has the desire but no defensive skills. 0. He will cost us more goals
He is also greedy on offense. He doesn’t connect well with other players. Everything is direct and with strutured team he beats a player then has no where to go. Last game he held on to the ball twice when there was a player in a dangerous space to pass to.
Leao and Theo will produce exactly 2 minutes of quality max per game, and do nothing the rest of the match, and ppl here will still defend them because they did well 3 years ago. We live in now kiddos. Theo has arguably been the worst player if the season, alongside Emerson but he’s thankfully out, and leao can barely control his 1st touch nowadays. We need hungry players who are gonna fight to get 3 points and drag us back up the table. Not lazy luxury big names who refuse to fight. Unless Leao and Theo are putting up world beating numbers, this behavior isn’t tolerated