CM: Four players Amorim plans to put more faith in as daunting run begins
With a run of nine games in less than one month about to begin, Ruben Amorim has some plans to keep AC Milan fresh.
As Calciomercato.com write, the long wait is over, and now the real action resumes. After a three-week break, Milan return to the field tonight and they do so with a difficult trip to face Sassuolo, where Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus have already lost this season.
The Rossoneri arrive at this match knowing they must take a step forward, both in terms of performance and results. Amorim is never satisfied: he wants to win titles straight away, without hiding behind excuses.
There’s a world of difference between saying and doing, but the Portuguese coach gave some insight in his press conference regarding what was worked on during the long break.
Tomori a la Gila
“We need to step on the gas because the next few games will be important,” Amorim said yesterday. Milan must shift gears because the next seven games in 21 days will be very tough and will already be a sort of thermometer for measuring their Serie A and Europa League ambitions.
Moving forward with the back four, Mario Gila will be crucial in implementing two ideas: a more direct and vertical play style and a sort of ‘protection’ for Luka Modric who, covered by an extra defender, will be able to manage the opposition’s pressing more clearly.
The first ‘new addition’ – already glimpsed in the joint training session with Padova – is Fikayo Tomori’s reinvention as right-back. The former Chelsea man could make his season debut soon and become the true deputy to the Spaniard.
Work on Hutchinson
Omari Hutchinson had an encouraging 15 minutes against Lazio, before a flop in his first start against Benfica. However, Amorim is determined to turn him into a very useful asset and worked extensively with him over the past 20 days.
Hutchinson arrived at Milan precisely because of the Portuguese coach’s wishes, and now he’ll have other opportunities to make himself useful. After carrying out specific and detailed work, Amorim now has more faith in the former Nottingham Forrest player. He hopes he can become a winning addition.
The Italian jewels
Amorim already has a plan in place to consistently develop Alphadjo Cisse and Francesco Camarda, who were away on Italy U21 duty over the break. For the former Verona talent, there could be a path forward: playing him as a false nine or close to the striker, making use of his technique.
From the press conference, the Portuguese coach didn’t back down on the Camarda issue: “Regarding the new players, you can ask Cardinale, who’s right behind you (laughs). My only focus is on the games we have to play, which are so many, so December doesn’t exist for me right now.
“Camarda will play more. We’re coming off a situation where we had fewer games to play and more time to rest. Camarda is learning a lot, but he’s ready. He’ll play more minutes than he has up until now.
“I don’t know what will happen between now and December. I just want to win as many games as possible. That’s my focus. We can also see from the national team’s experience that they rotate a lot, so it’s impossible to continue with the same 11 for every match. I’ve said it since day one: I expect a lot from him, and he’ll prove his worth.”
