AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli has said that everyone at the club must be ‘united’ in order to end the poor run of recent form which has damaged the Rossoneri’s Scudetto hopes.
Speaking during his press conference ahead of the match against Sassuolo on Sunday lunchtime, Pioli was asked about the tough times that the team are going through.
He stressed the importance of togetherness in the group as well as being back in front of their own fans at San Siro, with comments transcribed by Milan News.
“We have an opportunity tomorrow. I believe that in order to get through this moment, we need to be very united and turn the page,” Pioli explained.
“Thinking too much about what we had to do and could do does not help us. We know we can do much better and we’re happy to be back playing in front of our fans, who were an inspiration in Rome: they showed they were compact and supported us. It’s our turn now.”
He was also asked whether there is a desire from the players to redeem themselves after such a poor run of form that included a 4-0 defeat away at Lazio.
“Absolutely yes. Nobody should think that the players don’t want to overcome this moment or that they don’t put 100 per cent into it to do better. There has always been great focus and will. We overcome this moment by working, as we have always done. We have always believed in our work,” Pioli said.
Focusing again on the importance of the collective, Pioli refused to lay the blame for the bad form at the feet of the attacking players, also referencing the poor defending that has been on show.
“The last three games have been negative overall. We can do many things better both in attack and defence. Right now it is the collective that has to help the individuals and not vice versa,” he said.
Asked about whether he expects anything from the final days of the transfer market, Pioli suggested that he is happy with the players that he has.
“We have the necessary resources and qualities to get out of this moment. The club has been talking about the market for some time. We are recovering from injuries and we are fine,” he said.
Tactical changes planned for Sassuolo?
“All the players must feel ready to overcome this moment. Everyone must be ready to help the team at any time. Today we still have an important training session and I will decide.”
How do you find the spirit of last year?
“For those who play team sports it’s normal that energy, positivity and spirit increase with performance and positive results and can drop with negative performances. You recover by working and winning games. We can come out of this through positive results.”
What message do you send to the fans?
“The fans don’t need a message from me but they need to see our qualities and the way we play. We will guarantee our maximum commitment. Nice words but only the result tomorrow counts.”
How has the group changed?
“Nothing has changed within the group. There is great cohesion and availability. Clearly there are a few less smiles and silence: therefore more attention to work. The group works because it is aware and feels a great sense of duty towards the club and the fans.”
What do you expect from Sassuolo?
“Sassuolo can be aggressive but also less so. A technical team, we will have to play precisely from a technical point of view and be careful on the counter-attacks.”
Have you worked on the approach?
“Yes, we have worked on it. In the defensive phase we have to be more lucid as a department and individually.”
Does the key lie in simplicity?
Clearly, the things I’ve been saying to the players over the last few days go in the direction of simplicity: you have to do simple things well.”
Two retreats: what answers did you get?
“I think I have the necessary sensitivity to know my players well and to know what they need to stimulate them. It’s clear that if my players have made so many mistakes, it means that the first person responsible is me. In these days I’ve tried to be more clear, simple and direct to try to work better.”
How is Theo Hernandez?
“He was in the group yesterday and he was fine at the end of training. If he continues like this today he’ll be available for tomorrow.”
How are Calabria and Tomori?
“[Davide] Calabria got a bad knock but he trained with the team and he’s fine. Fikayo [Tomori] won’t be there.”
Amid Ciprian Tatarusanu’s form, do you have Devis Vasquez in mind?
“Our opponents are shooting a lot but we are conceding important chances and it becomes difficult also for the goalkeeper. The collective must defend better. Vasquez, I don’t see him as ready to play yet.”
Is it possible to change the form?
“It may be, I still think it’s not a problem of positions on the pitch, also because we change them often.”
Is De Ketelaere growing?
“He’s definitely better physically, he’s stronger and runs more. He is an offensive trequartista and if he plays he will be used there. Many times we have played with him together with Giroud.”
Do you have to think match by match?
“Yes, that’s the goal. From these moments you want to win even with dirty matches, maybe by winning tomorrow we will return to self-confidence and results and look as good as we have always been.”
What is the Messias-Diaz-Leao trident giving today?
“Until the game with Lecce we were scoring an average of two goals per game. After the last few games we’ve done much less: we’ve built up too slowly and we’ve struggled to overcome the first opposing pressure.”
Is Bakayoko out of your project?
“Baka is available, he trains well and then I make the best choices for the team.”
What is the lightning bolt that can fix the team?
“The lightning bolt must be the awareness of the tough moment we are experiencing, which must be approached as a great possibility and challenge. Now it is us who must believe in what we are doing and we must do everything to get out of this delicate moment. This lightning bolt can happen in any game: let’s hope it happens to our advantage.”
How is Krunic?
“He’s only just returned. He’s an intelligent player.”
Do we need a tactical shake-up?
“We have to keep it simple and we have to work well over 90 minutes in both phases of the game. Every ball can be decisive.”