On the eve of the second match of this Asia and Oceania tour, Ruben Amorim spoke at a press conference to preview the clash against the new Chelsea FC side coached by Xabi Alonso. Below are his comments, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
On the Scudetto objective
"The important thing is that we have to think about every single match. We have a squad that can win every game, in every competition. So, if we take things step by step, we can achieve something important."
"In the Europa League, we have to believe in ourselves and we have to want to win the competition. Then there is Serie A: we know we will face many teams that have been working with their coaches for a long time, so it will be difficult. But I cannot come here and say that we cannot or do not want to win the league."
"There is a lot of work to do because there is a new coach and there have been changes to the squad, but when you are at a club of Milan’s level, you have to aim for the title. So we will try to do that, knowing that qualifying for the Champions League is fundamental for everything concerning our club — financially and in terms of the prestige of the competition."
"Until the season is over, however, our objective will be to win every match we play, in every competition."
Amorim expects improvements against Chelsea...
"I expect us to do well on set pieces, which is an area we need to work on. It is important to face an English team because they are very strong in this regard."
"Then there is the physical aspect: English football is a little different from Italian football, but we want to improve physically as well. I think we will suffer a little more from an athletic point of view, and at this moment I believe that is a positive thing."
"We will also try some situations and assess different players, including Comotto and Diawara. Next week, I will have to make decisions. As you can see, the group is very large and we have reached the point where I need to gather as much information as possible in order to make the right choices."
"I also believe we need to improve with the ball and especially develop in one-on-one situations because, if we want to press high, we have to be very strong in individual duels."
"We also want to put some players in positions where they can continue to play well with the ball even when they are tired. That is the objective of pre-season: to prepare the players physically to play in the way we want, combining the tactical, technical and other elements needed to face every match, because every opponent is different."
"We do not have much time and we do not have many games. That is why we have to do everything faster than would normally be necessary."
"But it is also a very positive and exciting feeling to see Camarda still on the pitch, to see Comotto and to give minutes to De Winter, who I have great expectations for because I think he is an excellent player."
"More than focusing on the opponent, in this match I want to see new things from my team and prepare them in the best possible way for the game against Torino."
Ruben Amorim continued...
"Today, in the world of football, everyone wants... everything immediately. But things done properly require time. In football, there is no time, but you still have to make choices. My choice is to do the right things at the right moment," as relayed via Milannews.it.
"Against Inter, I saw improvements compared to the match against Celtic, and we must not forget that we faced a team that has been together for years and has won the league many times."
"I think we are suffering physically because we are playing in a different way. We continue to train intensely to reach the physical condition needed to express the football we want."
"By the first league match, we will be a different team and we will play with a clear style. However, we will certainly still be far from perfection."
"What we have to do is win matches, gain time and bring the team closer and closer to playing the football we want."
On the comparison with Xabi Alonso
"When you are the coach of a big club, you have to expect criticism of your work, and we know we will be judged after every match. That is the price we have to pay for managing such an iconic club, and I will pay it because I am extremely happy to be here."
"I understand that everyone would like to have my job, so I have to fight to keep it. I have spoken with many Milan legends and they believe in our work. Now I have to help my players and my club achieve success. I am truly focused on that."
"Xabi Alonso? He is a very, very good coach and I think he has many ideas. I watched many Bayer Leverkusen matches and we played many games with the same system, if we can put it that way."
"Both of us had difficulties in our previous jobs, me at Manchester United and Xabi at Real Madrid, so we have many things in common."
"I wish him the best, especially because we are not competing in any competition against each other. He can win everything he wants; he deserves it. I think he is a really excellent coach."
On the team he will field tomorrow, Amorim commented:
"Leão, Modrić and Ramos will play more than they did in the first match. I do not know whether I will use them all together, but we do not have many games before the start of the season and at the same time we have to manage the workload. So I will try to field two balanced teams. Some players, as in the previous match, will play around 60 minutes. Leão, Modrić, De Winter and others will play 45 minutes because they have completed two training sessions, one match, and now they will immediately return to action."
