Massimiliano Allegri, the AC Milan head coach, spoke to the media in a press conference ahead of the match against Hellas Verona.
In Riyadh, Milan lost the match, but the stadium was very Rossoneri… Tomorrow 73,000 spectators are expected for Milan–Verona. Is this enthusiasm something to be preserved?
“I believe that since the start of the year the fans have always been very present, and for us this is a wonderful thing. The important thing tomorrow is to try to get the three points against a tough Verona side, who have fast players. They are a team that attacks the box very well. We need to play an organized match and try to improve the defensive phase, which as a team has been lacking in recent games.”
On Christopher Nkunku:
“I smile because I believe he has the qualities to do well even tomorrow, especially since Leao will not be playing and will not be called up. He has this discomfort that does not allow him to sprint at his usual speed. I preferred to leave him at home because part-time players are not suitable. Fullkrug arrived smiling, very happy to have joined Milan and very eager. He has a week of training, and then on the 2nd he will be available against Cagliari. Gabbia is still out, he is doing well, but we will see if he is available against Cagliari, otherwise against Genoa. Fofana is fine, the others are fine too, except Gimenez, who is undergoing rehabilitation on his ankle.”
On the difficulties against smaller teams:
“Beating the smaller teams is not easy at this stage of the season. To win you need to do well in both phases, especially against smaller teams when you have much more possession, and that aspect is currently working against us. We hope to get the three points tomorrow. Football cannot be explained, it is played. We have 32 points, and we need to get back to performing the defensive phase as a team, doing everything possible to create problems for the opponent. We have conceded goals too easily. We need to return to being tougher in the defensive phase.”
On Niclas Fullkrug:
“He has characteristics that we do not have in the squad. My first impression was that he was very smiling and very happy to have arrived at Milan. He is behind in terms of fitness and needs to work. This week he will be given minutes in his legs, and he could feature against Cagliari.”
Allegri added:
“Sometimes there are players who arrive and need more time to settle in, also for character-related reasons. Watching him in training, he has very high-level technique. I am confident in him, and he needs to be confident too because he is in an environment that wants him and is waiting for him to score goals.”
Does the approach to matches need to be corrected?
“Everything can be corrected. There was a period when we were taking the lead, now we are going behind. We hope to reverse this trend tomorrow. It is not a matter of approach, but of attention in the defensive phase overall. We need to return to being more aggressive, because when we do not have the ball we must think about defending in the right way.”
Considering the transfer market activity of other teams, it will not be easy for Milan to finish in the top four…
“I do not know what Juventus and Roma will do in the market. I agree with Capello that finishing in the top four is very difficult. It is important to reach March close to or inside the top four. From tomorrow until February 18 we will have nine matches, three at home and six away. These are two very important months that must allow us to stay attached to the leading group. Tomorrow we have the first one against Verona. We hope to put in a team performance, organized and patient. They split games in two. Like all matches, everything goes through a good defensive phase. If we go back to not conceding goals, it becomes easier to win matches.”
Is Nkunku weighed down by his transfer fee?
“I think it is a matter of integration. The Italian league is very formative, and it is the second-best league in the world after the English one. It is much more difficult. There is less space, opponents play tight to you, there is much more cunning, and matches are more scrappy. Perhaps he needs a little more time to adapt.”
Did Fofana’s absence weigh heavily?
“He is a very important player for the team. He can and must do more, he has to want it. Changes? At the moment there is no need to change things tactically. I have to try to put the players’ characteristics on the pitch and make the best possible use of those at my disposal.”
Are Jashari and Ricci two players who can stay at Milan for a long time?
“Absolutely, yes. Jashari is coming back from an injury. He was out for three and a half months. I am very happy with him, he can only improve. As for Ricci, he is absolutely not going anywhere: a reliable player, an intelligent lad, and above all he really wants to stay at Milan. I am very pleased with him. Whenever he has played, he has always done well. I do not see any possibility of him leaving Milan.”
De Winter as the right-sided centre-back and Tomori in the middle without Gabbia? Allegri commented:
“I have thought about it, I have tried it, but right now I believe Tomori can do very well as the right-sided centre-back and De Winter can do very well in the middle. He has arrived, he has played well, and he has made mistakes like everyone else. He can improve.”
What recommendations did you give?
"We said that Verona are a team who have always put in strong performances. They have so many players with pace and technical quality up front that, if you are not defensively solid at the back, you risk collapsing."
Between Saelemaekers and Rabiot, who provides more balance?
"They are both important players, like all the others. When we do not have the ball, everyone has to think about defending, including the forwards. Saele has significant potential to grow. Rabiot is an experienced, international player. Since his injury he has been improving, and that is a very important thing."
On Ruben Loftus-Cheek:
"Ruben is an important player for us. I said it at the beginning and I said it even when he was playing less. In these nine matches we will need everyone. We all have to be clear about the objective, which is to return to the Champions League. Finishing in the top four is not easy, it is not straightforward. You have to stay on your feet whatever happens and take one small step at a time. It will not be simple, but only with desire, belief and determination can we achieve our goal."
