AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has spoken in the press conference today ahead of the game opposing the Rossoneri to Parma this Saturday in Serie A. Here are his words:
On Parma:
"Tomorrow's match only counts. I don't like the concept of '9 matches left'. What counts is tomorrow's match which will be played to the best of our ability and better than the one against Sampdoria. They will be a difficult opponent, who plays quickly and with quality."
On this week:
"One of the things I appreciate about my team is that we are so focused on our goals is that we are very disappointed when we fail to perform at the same level. We know what the mistakes are and we know which ones we don't have to repeat."
On the conditions of Calabria and Manzdukic:
"Davide has done everything he has to won on the pitch. He has shown great willingness and intelligence. Sorry he is still out, but he is better and should be back next week. Mario was unlucky but he is a great man and a great professional. He's not at his best yet but he can give us a lot in these outings."
On mistakes against Sampdoria:
"There's a little bit of everyone in what didn't work last Saturday, but we can't just think about what we didn't manage to do, but tomorrow's game counts. If we are good at maintaining the average points held so far. we can close at 80 points. Tomorrow we know how complicated it is."
On whether Milan can handle the pressure:
"Absolutely yes. We have passed many steps in this year and a half and we did it mentally. Tomorrow's game will have to see us on the pitch with a great desire to do well and [with] intensity."
On coming back after going down in the game:
"The mental aspect of the game can change. Going ahead can build confidence. We need quality and rhythm and when we don't have it we struggle. The approach matters a lot."
On whether would he like to overtake Allegri after Gattuso:
"I'm fine here with Milan, club and property. We are working well to bring Milan back to normal, to the Europe that matters. I'm fine here and I can make an impact in improving the club and the players."
On players who have not renewed yet:
"I see them calm and focused, it's normal that you have to wait for the final result when there are negotiations, but here we only think about tomorrow's match. All the players are focused on our goal."
On the form of Romagnoli, Diaz and Leao:
"If yesterday's situations are confirmed today, the only ones not called up will be Calabria, Romagnoli and Maldini. The others are all available for Parma."
On whether the Scudetto word lead to any unexpected results:
"You just said it, we are focused on the field. Then the words take the wind".
On whether Hauge could be aligned on the right-wing tomorrow:
"Hauge I think his position is on the left, where he performs best. I don't want to put players not in the ideal conditions to perform at their best. Diaz could play on the right and it could be a possibility."
On Theo's drop of form in 2021:
"He had played an excellent match in Florence. Last Saturday he ran into a bad day. I saw a focused player this week and I expect a positive game from him."
On whether would he like tomorrow's match to be his last:
"The championship ends on May 23. We are aware that there are many games missing and we are focused on this. We have no fears or anxieties. I see the desire to reach the goal and to play for Milan."
On whether he is looking more to play or to get the result:
"Each coach and each team has its own identity. We play and try to play well to get the victory, which is the main thing, then everyone gets there as they see fit. We have our way of playing, our players feel good in the way we play".
On how does he plan to get around the high pressing of Parma:
"The Italian championship is stimulating because there are so many different teams. We are ready for anything. We must not make the same mistakes as Sampdoria, that is not to go deep. We must be able to read spaces well and be fast both with the ball and without the ball."
On recovering almost all the players who were out:
"It means increasing the level of quality and rhythm in training, in the possibility of choosing. I hope it will always be like this from now to the end. We have more ideas both from the beginning and during the game. Having more solutions is always positive."
On the problems up front:
"We have to make better choices, we miss the last step, the right dribbling which then are the choices that determine the final result".
