Massimiliano Allegri spoke to DAZN after Fiorentina–Milan. Here are the Tuscan coach’s comments following the 1–1 draw at the Franchi.
Nkunku as a positive note…
“He wasn’t the only positive. Let’s say we played a good first half, we created chances to score and didn’t take them. In the second half Fiorentina pushed a bit more. After going 1–0 down, we were patient in moving the ball close to their box. After the 1–1, we made the same mistake we made against Genoa. Seven minutes is a long time. The ball has to be managed better near the area. The players know this and we have to improve, without question.”
On the many missed chances:
“In football you don’t get 100 chances. You have to be more precise. We were for a period, now a bit less so. The players are an extraordinary group. We are working, we are currently second in the table and that is a good result. There are many matches ahead and we have to keep going on our path.”
Why such a clear drop in the second half? Allegri said:
"I think after that we actually did a little better. We conceded from a set piece and we have to pay attention to those situations because they decide matches. Substitutions matter. The team spent a lot of energy. Loftus-Cheek and Jashari worked well, Ricci had a good game, Estupiñán did well on his return too. We needed minutes in the legs and to rest those who have played a lot so far."
The impact of Fullkrug and his play, and how he saw Jashari:
"He played a good match. Let’s not forget he’s coming back from an injury, he had played little, it was a difficult game and far from simple. He did some good things. In the first half he played a great ball to Estupiñán. He’s a player with quality, he just needs to grow and above all understand Italian football. From the outside Italian football looks simple, but there are tactical details for players arriving from abroad. They need time to settle in and they struggle to grasp it at first. I was joking with Modrić after the Genoa match. He told me it had never happened to him that someone followed him all game, wherever he went. At one point he said to him, ‘Excuse me, could you leave me alone for a moment?’ and the reply was, ‘No, they told me to follow you everywhere.’ That’s why Italian football is very difficult. It takes a bit of patience, but the quality is there. Fullkrug provided two key passes in the first half. When you get him into the box, he becomes an important player."
On Nkunku:
"We need a lot of calm and patience. We have to reach May 25 in the best possible condition to finish in the top four, and that isn’t easy. Nkunku scored a proper centre-forward’s goal, that’s where he expresses himself best. Leão is not at his best yet. In the final minutes he could have been more decisive by taking up a slightly wider position to go one-on-one. We are getting all the players back and I’m happy."
On tonight’s Inter–Napoli:
"I’m not thinking about it at all. We have to think about ourselves. We have to get back to winning, there are still many points available. We still need 34–36 points to qualify for the Champions League. We’re taking it step by step and not losing sight of reality. We started by changing 55 percent of the squad. We started well, but we have to be demanding with ourselves and keep trying to improve."
