With the exception of Stefano Pioli, the only other AC Milan figure who presented himself to the microphones after the match in Riyadh was Simon Kjaer.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (via MilanNews) report, is not the first time that the Danish centre-back has appeared in front of the cameras after a negative performance by the team, showing his leadership qualities to front up when the media demand answers.
Kjaer spoke with honest and transparency, well aware of the negative performance that the team offered against their city rivals in what was a game that provided a big opportunity to light a spark for the rest of the season.
“We got off to a bad start, then it became really difficult. They are good at what they do, but tonight we didn’t put in the performance to deserve the win. We have to apologise to the fans,” he said.
Of course Kjaer was representing the whole dressing room but also the defensive department which, at present, seems truly unrecognisable compared to the rearguard that allowed Milan to win the league last season.
Ciprian Tatarusanu is yet to keep a clean sheet in 2023 and has let in nine goals so far in the calendar year, which becomes 18 in eight for the team if we consider the friendlies in December (in which Mirante also played).
It is a worrying record, but the signs should have already worried the team before the World Cup when some cracks had already appeared.
Kjaer also spoke about another important theme after the game: “The discourse of young players is over. We have to grow up and take on our responsibilities, we haven’t left our mark. We just have to learn.”
These are clear words that are also addressed to his team-mates, who have often leaned on the experience of Kjaer, Ibra, Giroud and many others, but that will not last forever and younger players are needed who can definitively make the leap in quality and become leaders.
Milan do have a very talented young core as seen in Sandro Tonali, Theo Hernandez, Davide Calabria, Ismael Bennacer, Fikayo Tomori and beyond, but virtually all of those let down the team in a final last night, so a change in attitude is needed.
Your report about Tatarusanu is most unfair. In the first half the players had no idea what to do but you do not blame the coach. Key players made blunders but you put the goalkeeper in a bad light. Is it also his fault that we did not score ?
All the other teams have GKs that can make good saves. Tatarusanu’s previous “game saver” was against Inter last season (Lautaro’s penalty).
Even though many goals aren’t entirely Tatarusanu’s fault, he is simply incapable of making spectacular saves that get us points. He can only save the shots that are coming straight at him. If even those.
Let’s be honest. He isn’t good enough for Milan to challenge the top teams.
time to bench tomori imao
It is time to think about next season. Who will stay and who must be sold. We have players like Dest, Origi, Rebic, Florenzi, we hope Bakayoko is in departing flight, then Ibrahimovic without any contribution. But on a big payroll. Why would they put primavera youngsters against them?
Then we have players without big impact like Saelemakers, Messias, Diaz, Adli, Krunic, Vranckx, Balloch Toure, and Gabbia. Why not to sell them and again put less expensive players ac would have the same result but bigger money…
You can’t lead the club without knowing European soccer. That’s apply for USA owners.
Zlatan on a big payroll? 1M€ big payroll? Once he gets back on the field, he’ll easily EARN his million in a few matches by actually doing something positive on the pitch. Same cannot be said for half of the squad though.
Yes Cardinale is a fake Italian and a fraud. Investcorp was going to give us money in the transfer market to use