Speaking after the important 3-1 win against Frosinone, AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli shared his thoughts on the performance and what will be needed moving forward. He also praised Theo Hernandez, who did very well at centre-back.
As has become a regular occurrence these days, Milan headed into the clash with many key absences and thus had to field Hernandez at centre-back. The Frenchman did really well along with the criticised Luka Jovic, who bagged a goal and an assist (read the player ratings here).
Speaking to Sky Italia, as cited by MilanNews, Pioli shared his thoughts on the important win. He praised his players while admitting that Milan will need continuity to keep their confidence at a good level.
On the victory…
“It was our goal. It’s important to have won the second game in a row (in the league, editor’s note). We must add continuity to our season if we want to fight for the top places.”
On Theo at centre-back…
“It was his idea, he spoke to me and told me that he could play in that role. He did very well in the defensive phase and also in the build-up. He played a great game, he demonstrated a great desire to help the team in a delicate moment.”
On Cardinale’s visit to Milanello…
“I often speak to him, every time he comes to Milan we see each other. Like all owners, he asks for clarification on things that didn’t go well. It was a positive and constructive meeting for me.”
On training choices…
“I trust many of the young players, the youth sector is doing a great job. But I think it’s right to have the clarity to understand the moments, understand when you need to put them on the pitch and when to put more experienced players. Today there was no room for emotion. I’m not afraid to put them on the field, but I know when I have to put them on.”
On Milan’s moment…
“There is a lack of continuity and we need to find it in our performances. The sooner we recover the injured players, the more we will increase our quality. This situation is having an impact. We need to find continuity in the league to fight for the top.”
On the match…
“We played a very good match against an opponent who is doing well. We conceded little, apart from the opportunity that came after Tomori’s mistake.”
On Di Francesco…
“I complimented him. He’s an excellent coach and an intelligent person. Frosinone plays well, we were good at being a team. We deserved to win against a good team.”
Milan will face Atalanta next and Olivier Giroud will be back from his suspension then. Given Jovic’s performance tonight, however, there is less urgency surrounding the No.9 role for now. It remains to be seen if the Serbian can keep things up.
