AC Milan's head coach, Stefano Pioli, has spoken to the different journalists in a press conference ahead of facing AS Roma tomorrow at the San Siro.
In the current Milan standings, what is better to focus on, looking forward or looking back?
"Trying to have a very specific goal, that of improving the first half of the season. Improving it would guarantee you third place, if you want to aim for something more, you have to improve it a lot."
Was there a meeting after the Atalanta match?
"The meeting did take place. It seemed to me an effective meeting on what we want to do from tomorrow onwards. We have very clear objectives. We suffered another disappointment after the Champions League, and we need to turn this disappointment into great energy to redeem ourselves immediately."
Is there the idea of moving Theo back to the left? Pioli said:
"I believe Theo has done very well in the center, he also provided an assist to Rafa the other night. I will see what choices to make for tomorrow, surely Theo will be on the field."
Mourinho said Milan is in the title race:
"Mourinho is top-notch. Intelligent, clever, and shrewd, he always praises opponents before certain matches."
Yesterday, AIA referees designator Gianluca Rocchi asked for more respect... Pioli responded:
"I completely agree with Rocchi. I esteem him a lot. All of us involved in the profession must lower the tone; we want a calm discussion. If someone in the profession makes a mistake, they must be punished severely. On the other hand, I ask for more uniformity and consistency in refereeing standards."
You are undefeated against Mourinho, why is that?
"Did you prepare this question? (laughs) It's never clashes between coaches but between teams trying to showcase their qualities. Playing against Roma is never easy; they are a very physical and organised team, very dangerous on set pieces. We will have to put on a high-level performance to win."
What did you talk about in the locker room? Pioli said:
"Two competitions are left; we will have 4 clean weeks of the league before the Europa League. Our biggest negative is the goals conceded; it is clear that this must be a goal for all players. The whole team must defend better, be more collaborative and organised. If it is true that we are the second-best attack, we are the sixth-best defense, we need to focus on this. If everyone gives a little more, we can achieve better results."
Pioli, have you heard from Gerry Cardinale in the last few hours?
"I haven't heard from the ownership, but I always hear from our executives, Furlani, Zlatan, Moncada, and D'Ottavio. The presence of ownership is always a positive stimulus. None of us can be satisfied with the season; we have the goal of improving it."
The numbers for Milan in direct clashes are not exactly positive:
"It's not due to chance. When you face opponents of your caliber, you either maintain a high level or risk losing the matches. Certainly, we have not been able to reach a very high level in direct clashes; it's another aspect to improve."
Will Milan sign another defender in the transfer market?
"The club is working to address this need. Gabbia has arrived, Terracciano has arrived, we have filled some of our difficulties, but certainly, a defender is still missing."
The substitution against Atalanta, Kjaer instead of Simic. Is there a particular explanation?
"Because for the positions we took against Atalanta, Kjaer seemed more suitable to occupy the central position. Now, with all due respect, it seems exaggerated to talk about Simic being off the radar. He is doing very well and is taken into consideration. At that moment, I made another choice because losing the only central defender on the field, I fielded the other central defender I had."
Can Milan return to the title race? Pioli answered:
"At this moment, we must have the goal of redeeming ourselves immediately because we have the duty to do so for ourselves and our fans who will be numerous tomorrow as well. I believe that within ourselves, we must have the ambition to approach each game knowing that we have the possibility to win. In the last 7 games, we have shown that we had a good pace; only Inter and Juve have earned one more point. But if you really want it, then you have to accelerate a lot. The direct clashes will be in four months; from now until four months, we have to try to run quickly. If the others continue to run so fast, then we will probably finish third, but there are still many things to do."
What is Filippo Terracciano's role?
"At the moment, he is working on the wing as a fullback. Tomorrow we won't have Florenzi, so that's where he could be used. He's a very cooperative player with great technical and physical abilities. Right now, I've placed him in the outermost position."
Pioli added:
"I believe I have always placed players in their natural positions, and then, based on the game, we try to find the right balance. It's regrettable, and we need to improve, to keep conceding goals when we have a numerical advantage. If you accept a one-on-one situation, losing the duel is understandable, but if it happens in a numerical superiority, it means we lacked attention and communication, and that's where we need to improve."
On the team's emotional difficulty:
"Honestly, I have never seen the team collapse. I saw the team collapse mentally last season and not be able to react, but not this year. It's clear that there are situations we need to improve, and it's evident that if we only think about the last game, it's unacceptable for a team like us to concede a goal from a kickoff after scoring. We all need to be more attentive."
How is the team physically?
"Physically, we're good; we have excellent data. We had the same data as Atalanta, which is usually among the best in physical statistics. Both in acceleration and volume, we're doing well; this is definitely not the period where we can experience physical declines."
Pioli is like Sisyphus:
"I am not bothered or worried about criticism. From day one, I have focused on work and on putting the players in a position to express themselves in the best possible way. Then, there's nothing to be done: we are a big club, and when the results don't match our capabilities, criticism follows. It's not something that bothers me. We are trying to work to improve; I see great responsibility in the players."
Is the glass half full or half empty?
"The glass is half empty because after the important start, we had that month of decline, and we can earn more than 39 points."
10 points difference between Milan and Roma... Pioli answered:
"The standings don't come onto the field; it will be an open, fought challenge against an experienced opponent. We need to prove that we are stronger."
Is a sense of danger needed?
"The whole team must realise that danger can come, and every player must be aware of it: every single ball can be the decisive one to win or not win the game."
