The AC Milan head coach, Massimiliano Allegri, has spoken to the media in a press conference ahead of Serie A fixture against Parma.
Question: until now, Milan has done very well in direct clashes. Tomorrow, though, there’s a different kind of opponent...
Allegri: "Tomorrow we know we’ll face a team that always fights on the pitch. Even in the last match, they fought hard despite being down to ten men. They play with many long balls. Pellegrino is very strong in aerial duels. Playing in Parma is never easy, last year Milan lost there. This season, between Pisa and Cremonese, we’ve earned only one point. We must prepare mentally for a game that won’t be pretty. They play long balls and make you play badly. We haven’t won away since Udine. We’ve recovered Pulisic, who will be available. Estupinan and Jashari have improved their condition. Rabiot will stay out and return after the break, same for Gimenez."
But how is Christian Pulisic? And will Rafael Leao still be deployed as a striker?
"Pulisic trained twice with the team. He’s fine physically, he doesn’t need much work to regain his condition for the kind of body he has. I don’t know how many minutes he has in his legs. Leao and Nkunku did very well as strikers against Roma. Nkunku doesn’t have great physicality, but he held his ground against Roma’s defenders. Leao must improve his condition, he stopped for many days. For him, these games should be the norm, not exceptions. That applies to everyone. Tomorrow we have another match where we need three more points. We must play well technically and make few mistakes. Against Roma, in the first half hour, we made too many errors."
What about that win against Parma with Andrea Pirlo’s goal…
"Andrea scored a wonderful goal, but that was also a hard-fought game, as every match in Parma is, like every league match. When we have the ball, we must move it quickly. When we don’t, we must defend well, and I mean the whole team, not just the defenders."
Do you miss a center forward?
"We have Gimenez, who will give us a lot. Maybe we’ll also play without a center forward. Some seasons you can play without a target man. That said, Leao and Nkunku can both play that role."
Allegri, what’s the problem against smaller teams?
"We’ve conceded goals, football is strange. We need to reflect on what happened, because it’s not by coincidence. Against Cremonese, we conceded two goals from crosses. Against Pisa, we failed to finish the match. When the opponent is struggling, we must press and close the game. Matches today can change fast. Parma played in Rome and seemed finished, then scored in the 85th minute and it became another game. We must stay focused until the final whistle. Parma will look for a big result because they’ve had poor results and are playing Milan. We must match their mentality and run as much as they do. If we do that, our technical quality, which is higher, will come out."
And about the defensive line...
"I don’t know about last year’s defense. I only asked the players to reduce the number of goals conceded, because in the long run that’s what counts most to finish high in the table. If you concede 50 goals, to reach the top four you must score 150. Goal difference matters as much as it did 70 years ago. If goals scored and conceded are close, it’s hard to finish in the top six. If the gap is large, you reach the top four. For that, the whole team must work in a certain way without the ball. We must also improve our finishing rate. We can’t score only once from six chances, like with Pavlovic, who made a great striker’s movement and Leao gave him a perfect ball. That’s an area to improve."
You’re at 99 wins with Milan. The next one...
"Let’s hope. But not for 100 wins, for the three points. That’s what matters."
After Parma, there is a derby...
"We’re not thinking about it. We’re focused on tomorrow’s game, which is worth three points like the derby or any other match. The goal isn’t to arrive calm at the derby but to go into the break in peace. When the derby comes, it will be a wonderful match, a great night. But the most important game is always the next one."
Do you talk with Mike Maignan about the future?
"I always tell the players that when we’re at Milan, all of us, not just the players, must work every day with passion to create conditions for results, because you must earn the right to wear the Milan shirt. When you leave Milan, you don’t come back easily. Maignan is a great goalkeeper. The club is planning Milan’s future, Tare and Furlani will make the best decisions for the club. We must stay focused on the main goal: finishing in the top four to return to the Champions League."
When will Santiago Gimenez be back?
"I think he’ll be available for the derby. We’ll see. If he’s not, then he’s not. Simple as that."
How’s the team dealing with the standings?
"We’re only at matchday ten. Over the years, I’ve learned that the first six months are preparation for the final sprint, so they must be done well. In March, we must be in top condition to fight for the top four. The road is long. We also need short-term goals, which are the matches we play. Tomorrow is a short-term goal to improve our position and stay close to the top."
Does Luka Modric make a difference defensively?
"Modric anticipates where the ball will go, but it’s the whole team that defends well when out of possession to avoid conceding. We must improve our finishing. Compared to the chances we create, our scoring rate is still too low."
Can you play 4-3-3 with Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao, and Christian Nkunku or Santiago Gimenez plus two?
"We’ll see during the season. There are moments when you can play with three forwards. That’s something the team might grow into during the season if necessary and if it can handle it. Playing with four forwards doesn’t guarantee victory. It depends on the players’ work without the ball. Today, you can’t defend with seven or eight players only. When you win the ball, those who defended are tired and lose sharpness in attack."
About the group, Allegri commented:
"There’s good harmony inside Milanello. Everyone there contributes to the team’s success. The players must focus on performing well and bringing us victories. We must stay grounded. There will always be setbacks, and we need strong shoulders to handle them. Everyone must have a clear goal: finishing in the top four."
Is Milan the hunter or the hunted for the Scudetto?
"Here we go again... (laughs). Better not make jokes, people misunderstand them because I’m from Livorno. I prefer to listen. I don’t like hunting... (smiles). Lazio is coming back. Inter and Napoli are the favorites. Juve will be one of the contenders. Roma is doing great work. Atalanta will return. It will be a tough league, which is why consistency matters. That’s why by March we must be in the best condition. It would be better if people talked less, I already talk too much. Stay silent and stay focused," as relayed via Milan News.
Buffon says your teams are organized and recognizable:
"It’s not about giving the team Allegri’s identity, Milan isn’t mine. The club has provided me with very good players, and we all need to reach the goal together. I was lucky to coach Buffon, and I agree with him... You need balance in both phases of play. Once we won a match 4-3, and Gigi came back to the locker room furious. I was truly fortunate to work with him and see him make saves, it was something extraordinary."
With the absences, new players have stepped up:
"The injuries we’ve had have become opportunities for those who played less. Everything that happens should be seen as a chance to take advantage of. The injuries to Rabiot and Pulisic have given others the chance to play, gain minutes, and so far, and hopefully tomorrow too, bring results."
Milan tends to wait and press little. Is that a positive trait, or does it need improvement? Allegri responded:
“I’m quite simple. These PPP stats are hard for me to understand. We can improve our possession phase in the opponent’s half because sometimes we rush too much, but that also depends on the players’ characteristics. We have instinctive players who like to finish actions quickly. Modric can help us control or raise the tempo. In pressing, we need to stay a bit higher, but you must respect the players’ natural traits.”
If finishing in the top four is the ‘macro’ goal, what word would you use for the Scudetto?
"I don’t know what word fits the Scudetto. I only know one thing, it’s connected. If by March we’re in the top four, it means we’re right there. Then we’ll see where we are and what chances we have to either stay in the top four or aim higher. The clear goal is to finish in the top four, but it shouldn’t be a limit. When you’re at Milan, you must aim for the best results, with the top four as the target. Bringing Milan back to the Champions League is already a big achievement, both economically for the club, you can see the revenues of other European teams, and technically because playing in the Champions League is a wonderful thing. That’s why we must not lose sight of finishing in the top four, and we need to reach March in the best condition possible."
