AC Milan's head coach Massimiliano Allegri spoke to the media in a press conference ahead of tomorrow's match against Bologna at San Siro.
Here are his statements:
“It’s not a matter of sacrificing. We need to work game by game, then there are unforeseen events. Not everyone can play 95 minutes every match. There are games and periods where you play in one way, and other periods where you play in another way. The important thing is that everyone makes themselves available, as they are doing.”
On Athekame and Odogu, Allegri said:
“Odogu has shown himself to be very sharp and receptive. Athekame is absolutely reliable. If I decided to play him tomorrow, I’m sure he would have an excellent game.”
What is the tactical identity of this team?
“I don’t know. Tomorrow we’ll see about choosing 11 good players who can play a good match. It’s a matter of characteristics, not formations. I try to simplify things a bit, I also understand that when I say I simplify, some people…”
On Ricci:
“I’m very happy with Samuele because he has grown since he arrived. He’s changing his physical structure, his legs are becoming stronger, more powerful, like an important player. He’s intelligent, very good tactically. He’s improving tactically, physically, and technically. That has to be the path for everyone. We have players with international experience like Rabiot, Pulisic, Modric, Tomori, Loftus, Fofana. Then players with less experience but with great qualities. We must work every day to give them certainty. And Ricci is doing very well, I’m pleased.”
Milan concede little and create a lot. Now these numbers must be turned into concrete results:
“What’s missing? A lot, because there is still a lot of work to do. Against Lecce we conceded situations we could have avoided. We need to raise the percentage of goals compared to what we create, yes. The more you increase the ratio of goals scored to chances created, the easier it is to defend. In the defensive phase we are improving as a team. Paradoxically, we risked more in 2–3 situations in Lecce than we did at home against Cremonese. We need to work and improve a lot. We also need the good fortune not to concede tomorrow, because the fewer goals you concede, the better. Balance is fundamental in everything, especially in football.”
Is there too much pressure on you, Allegri commented:
“It’s normal to have pressure, I’m the coach of Milan. We need to win games, the rest is talk. The most important thing is that the players and I work for the club, not for ourselves. The players are responsible for the victories, I’m responsible for the defeats. We all need to work in the same direction with calmness and balance, for the Milan organization. That must be clear to everyone, and on this we all agree.”
