Three points with bandages. Milan had arrived in Udine with seven absences (most of them significant) and, above all, the aftermath of a heavy defeat in Bournemouth, almost humiliating for the Devil’s European history. Ninety minutes later, Ruben Amorim’s team leaves the Bluenergy Stadium, in front of Gerry Cardinale, with renewed confidence, drawing level with Roma in third place in the standings, behind the leading pair of Inter and Lazio, and discovering new strengths, such as Sankhoun Diawara, courageously promoted to the starting lineup by the Portuguese coach for the first time this season, with Bartesaghi moved forward into a pure attacking winger role. A move that caught just about everyone off guard, including Udinese, writes La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
"I am very proud of my boys. Davide has great pace and has the foot to deliver crosses. The common opinion at Milanello is that he is a more defensive than offensive player. I don’t think so; in fact, he needs to improve in the defensive phase. I am also very happy with Diawara, who did well. Looking at the calendar, everyone must be ready for the next match, even the youngest players. This is my job. If you look at Europe, there is one injury per match because of how much football is being played. Therefore, it is good to also think about Milan’s future.”
Amorim's work
Amorim repeats the word "improve" several times. From the young players who need to grow to his Milan, not yet as perfect as the Portuguese coach would like.
“There are things to correct, but we don’t have much time to do so, playing so much. Now I have to immediately think about Bologna.”
If nothing else, the version of the 'Diavolo' seen in Udine pleased the coach greatly.
"It was better than the one shown against Atalanta," Amorim says with conviction. "I repeat, we haven’t had too much time to train, but we have changed the way we play, the combination of the different departments. Therefore, I am very proud, even though I am already thinking about Bologna. We will see who survives to play."
Infirmary
A joke, but not entirely. Loftus-Cheek’s condition also needs to be assessed, as he came off in poor shape towards the end of the match. Meanwhile, there is hope for the recovery of at least one of Gila (the most likely) and Moreira, who were sidelined yesterday along with Rabiot, Gabbia, Saelemaekers, Chukwueze and Pietro Terracciano, who, on the other hand, will need more time before returning.
Paraphrasing a phrase uttered by Amorim himself before the match, "perhaps if I had had everyone available, I would have played differently." Well, given the 2-0 victory against Udinese, the easiest and most logical path does not always turn out to be the winning one.
Milan owner...
At the stadium, as mentioned, Gerry Cardinale was also present. He will extend his stay in Italy for the shareholders’ meeting and the presentation of the new stadium on Thursday, before enjoying the match against Bologna and the derby against Inter at San Siro.
"I am very happy with the victory," was the immediate comment from RedBird’s number one. "The team continues to grow and gel together. We had the right intensity for most of the match, keeping possession of the ball and showing the right aggression in winning it back. Ruben has done a great job managing the players and the rotations, and this gives me good feelings ahead of the next challenge on Wednesday against Bologna."
