Ahead of travelling to face Hellas Verona, AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca spoke to the media about Theo Hernandez’s situation and his dream at the club.
It is another difficult moment for Milan at present, and as they often do, it has come with reports about the security in his job. There have been a number of reports about potential replacements being considered, even if there is no rush to replace the head coach.
Fonseca’s task has been made more difficult due to the number of injuries he currently has to deal with, but this cannot be an excuse on Friday if things do not go the way they must. If the Rossoneri were in a better place, perhaps there would be more leeway, but Fonseca and his squad have not been provided that luxury at this moment.
The Portuguese covered several topics when speaking in his pre-Verona press conference, and his words have been relayed by Milan News.
We know that games are important. But is tomorrow particularly important?
“I think that every day that I’ve been here I’ve said the same things: all the games are important. Until the end of the season, they will all be important games. Tomorrow is a difficult game, but as always we worked to get there in condition to win.”
How did he see Theo in training? Did he talk to him?
“As I always do, we talked before the game. For me, Theo’s situation is easy to explain. He’s played a lot, he’s been in the national team. He hasn’t found his best physical condition yet, maybe he needs to find the conditions to be well. Theo is very important to us.
“It’s never a punishment for him, it’s simply to get him back in the best condition. I keep saying that, for me, he’s the best full-back in the world.”
What’s the atmosphere like at Milanello?
“I know how things are, you don’t have the chance to watch the training sessions. Maybe one of these days you come and watch them to see the team’s atmosphere: it’s beautiful. It’s always good to have a good atmosphere. It was a week like any other, with a good climate for working.
“When it’s like that it’s easier to work. I’ve never felt the team without confidence after the match, without the desire to work, with sadness… I’ve never felt this.”
But the climate outside Milanello is not the best. How are the players living these days?
“We all understand the frustration of the fans, I have to say that there is no one who wants to win more than us. We work to win, we understand the fans. The boys are strong, they understand the fans.
“What we can do is work to change the results, the fans deserve it. This is what we can do, understanding and respecting the protest of the fans.”
From 0 to 10, how would you rate this team today? What room for improvement is there?
“I don’t like doing this exercise, I see things one way and others another way. Maybe my yardstick is misunderstood, it’s better not to do it. Room for improvement? We can improve a lot in the results. We will improve a lot, I’m sure of that.”
Are you referring to criticism from former coaches?
“I didn’t watch anything, but we have to respect other people’s opinions. Maybe now they are more correct because if we look at the results it is easier to do it. But we must always respect everyone.”
Have you spoken to the company about the market?
“Now I know that it is starting to be the main topic of the conferences, but it is early. What I can say is that we always talk, the management is always attentive to the market and if we need them they are always ready to intervene.”
Are the gaps filled by work or by the market?
“We can evaluate the games. We work by evaluating what happens in the game. And it happens, in the little time we work, for example, we had a problem with defence in the area in Cagliari. We are working on this problem. Never since Cagliari has he had the same problem with crosses.
“If we look at the goals conceded it hasn’t happened again. Afterwards, the next game is different and we work on different things. We use the little time we have to work to improve by watching the games. And the team has improved in many things, even if I know that the results don’t show it.
“What are the games in which we had tactical problems, or games in which the other team was much better than us? One time against Liverpool, there we didn’t have any chances. Then I don’t remember any others. It’s a question of mind, of attitude: this is the main problem of the team.
“We work on many things to improve and to create a strong team spirit. Are we there? No, we still have a lot to work on.”
What is Paulo Fonseca’s dream?
“Winning with Milan”.
He never closes his eyes and thinks, dreams…?
“Many times. But it’s not just believing, it’s coming here every day to work and improve the team.”
Now there are some games to try to make a series of victories, also with the Super Cup…
“Victory brings confidence to us and to the fans. If we win these games you mentioned and have a good Super Cup, it brings confidence and a different image of the team.”
Milan eighth, fans protesting… Do you feel at risk?
“Honestly, no. I don’t feel at risk. It’s true if we talk about results. But many times we talk about things we don’t know. But I can’t come here and talk about what I don’t think. If we look at the results we have a lot to do, and that’s what I said. But we know what we have to change in this team.”
What is the team missing to justify the difference in points with the top positions?
“My opinion is that it doesn’t seem like a tactical or technical problem. When we didn’t win, not all the games but almost all of them, what was talked about? Always the same thing. For me, it’s here [points to his head].
“Everyone talks about the real problem of this team. This week I looked at all the goals we’ve conceded this season: I have no doubts. And I don’t only talk about when I don’t win games. They said this after Genoa. But I analyse everything, not just the result.
“It’s not that if we win then we’ve done everything well. We didn’t win against Genoa but we did much better than against Red Star. But if we look at the result it’s obviously different.”
Does Jimenez also consider him on the right?
“They gave me this news, it’s incredible. Torriani, Bartesaghi, Jimenez, Liberali, Zeroli, and Camarda have already played in this team. When I read that they are lost between Milan Futuro, Primavera, Prima Squadra… It’s incredible.
“I say that we are having trouble with the players. I said that we had no injuries, and then after that, we started [he laughs]. Pulisic had arrived from the national team with a problem, now Musah and Loftus. We also have Okafor, we also have Morata with tonsillitis. But that’s how it is, it’s an opportunity for the young players.
“Can Camarda play? Camarda can play, and some of the young players can play… Tomorrow the young players will be with us and some will play.”
Why is there such a difference in attitude between training and matches?
“Sometimes it’s hard to find the answer. The week is good, the atmosphere is good in the dressing room before the game… I think that when something happens at the beginning of the game it affects the team for the rest of the game.
“It’s hard to explain, it’s a character problem of the team that doesn’t exist now. We’re doing everything we can to change, the players know it and they also talk about these things. But we have to show it on the pitch.”
The fans protested against the players and the managers but not him…
“I feel the same as the players and the managers. I feel the criticism and the whistles like the players. It’s not just for them, on the contrary. Maybe it’s for me first. But here we are all together. I don’t think the fans love me more than the players. I’m not stepping away at this moment.”
Tomorrow Camarda and Abraham together from the beginning?
“At the beginning of the week, I thought about the possibility of having two strikers. But with Morata’s situation, I think we can’t start with two strikers.”
What do you see differently compared to the seasons in which Roma, with you, ended up out of the Champions League?
“We can’t make comparisons, they are different clubs with different players. How can we improve? With results, having the ambition to win every match.”
Fans appreciate his sincerity…
“It’s my way of being in life, doing things with the utmost seriousness and honesty. But not just here at this moment, but always with all the people who work with me. I am aware that the most important thing is the results. People may like the way I speak and communicate, but everyone wants results.
“And I am the first to want good results. Although it is easier for me to communicate when I have good results, so you don’t ask me difficult questions. I have to have results.”
We’ve never had problems with crosses after Cagliari? What about the Atalanta game? I realize he is 100% sure the first goal was a foul, but being prepared to deal with crosses does not mean relying on a 50-50 VAR decision. Not to mention the second goal also came from a cross.
“I know how things are, you don’t have the chance to watch the training sessions. Maybe one of these days you come and watch them to see the team’s atmosphere: it’s beautiful. It’s always good to have a good atmosphere. It was a week like any other, with a good climate for working.
“When it’s like that it’s easier to work. I’ve never felt the team without confidence after the match, without the desire to work, with sadness… I’ve never felt this.”
I’m sick and tired of hearing how great the players are in training and how happy they are.
They should be “with sadness” after another shambolic game and the fans protesting against them.
Wake up ffs!!
Someone tell him we are in 8th place
Off topic, but it wouldn’t be bad to edit the text after its translation in google translate. Some parts don’t make sense to the point you need to read the sentence more than twice to understand what they meant.
On the topic, I hope that’s really the approach and attitude with Theo, because at his best he is invaluable and him being overworked is visible and was widely discussed 2 months ago. In the meantime he continues to play almost every game and has contract issues, media speculations, ‘loyal’ fans trying to sell him immediately after drop in form.
I would say Theo needed a break even earlier (probably from day 1), but with the Theo-Leao-Fonseca sideline ‘conflict’ the coach had to choose which is the bigger fire.
Yes this
Theo could use another two games on the bench to reset. Dude was run ragged. I wouldn’t be surprised if Fofana’s and Reijnders’ forms also start dropping. They have played every game.
Yeah I’ve been very critical of Theo over the last year but there’s no denying that he’s playing at least once a week for over a year straight. A little more rotation might be good but Milan are in a spot where they literally need every point they can get
Not sure if my comment got cut but basically I agree. I don’t mind Jiminez and the other youths play especially against a team like hellas. These are the perfect games to field the youth. And Theo is super tired so I really don’t mind him resting if that’s what it takes to get him back to his best levels
Today it will be draw and he go… yes first most important is to win, I will be the first who is happy if we win, but after last 3 matches I don’t think he change something