Stefano Pioli spoke to the media after AC Milan’s win on penalties against Monza and among other things, he shared his thoughts on the midfield. It’s been a hot topic and the manager believes the department is complete.
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The Trofeo Silvio Berlusconi clash between Milan and Monza ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and thus went straight to penalties. The Rossoneri converted all six of their penalties and the home side missed their final one, with the shoot-out ending 5-6.
Speaking to Mediaset after the game, as cited by SempreMilan.it, Pioli shared his thoughts on the game, the upcoming season, the formation choice and the midfield department which has been a hot topic.
On the goals…
“We won’t hide it, we certainly want to win the first game of the season. The lads are right to be ambitious, we have to do it from the first round to get off to a good start.
On the game…
“We played well on the pitch against a team that can play very well. There are positive things but we need more concrete outcomes of what we create. The next friendly matches will give us the opportunity to catch up both physically and mentally and above all tactically, because there are so many new players who need to get into the mechanisms.”
On the ambitions…
“We have been a competitive team for three years. There are 6-7 teams that have the ambition of being able to finish in the top 4, we are among them. The players who have arrived are young but already experienced, though they will need time to integrate. I have the right players to play the football we like, especially the first few games will be fundamental.”
On the midfield and Krunic rumours…
“I think that with the arrival of Musah, we are complete in midfield. I hope to continue with these players. Reijnders is intelligent, Loftus-Cheek is a player of quality and physicality. Musah is an aggressive player, then we also have Pobega and Krunic. They all have different characteristics that complement each other.
“We can play in several ways, Chukwueze has arrived who can give us 1v1 strength on the flank, Pulisic can be an attacking midfielder, Okafor can also be a centre-forward and second striker. I have flexible players.”
Milan will face Trento tomorrow at Milanello and will then have a few days of training before taking on ES Sahel and Novara at the weekend. Today’s game was a step in the right direction from a physical point of view, with the season opener approaching.
