AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli believes that there is currently a ‘strange situation’ going on with Rafael Leao as he picked apart the problems from the draw against Salernitana.
It was a frustrating night for Milan in front of over 70,000 fans as they needed to take advantage of the poor results for Inter, Lazio and Roma and looked like they would after Olivier Giroud’s header from a corner, but Boulaye Dia’s first time finish at the near post equalised for the away side who earned a draw.
None of the Rossoneri’s key performers really showed up aside from the goal scorer with Leao struggling to make the right decisions, Brahim Diaz neutralised mostly and even the three-man defence looking shaky.
After the draw, Pioli spoke to the reporters who gathered at his post-match press conference and his comments were transcribed by MilanNews.
Was it a mentality problem or tiredness?
“No, no tiredness, but quality: we weren’t as fast as we could be and careful. When will I have the team review the goal we conceded… It was too easy to score. We had to manage better, we tried, but we had to be more lucid and precise.”
At the beginning of the second half the team looked off..
“Not giving up, but not as dangerous as we wanted: we move the ball vertically too little maybe because we didn’t move much.”
What will you bring to the next match?
“Definitely disappointment, this wasn’t the game we wanted to play, to transform into energy.”
Did you lack some courage?
“I don’t think so, there was a lack of quality and players in the box. It’s a question of position and of accompanying the action better. We had to manage the second half better.”
Should Leao be criticised or is supporting him important?
“Being close to my players is my priority, when things are going well or badly. Leao’s strange situation is this: in training he does very well, he moves a lot and very well, everything, and then in the game he does something less. He has to find a middle ground.”
