Amorim discusses Milan’s consistency, identity and disappointments so far: “We can beat anyone”
Ahead of Thursday’s Europa League game against Ferencvaros, AC Milan head coach Ruben Amorim spoke to the media.
Tomorrow, Milan will be forced to bounce back in Europe with three points. It’s been an up-and-down campaign for them so far, losing to Benfica and Bournemouth, but they grabbed a win against RB Salzburg.
A top-eight place is not out of the question, but they will have to be perfect for all of their remaining games in the Europa League league phase. In short, it will not be easy, but it’s not impossible.
Tomorrow, the Portuguese is expected to rotate heavily, offering some of his senior players a chance to rest after a very busy October. For example, Strahinja Pavlovic didn’t train today and isn’t expected to start, either.
Amorim speaks to the media
Speaking alongside Koni De Winter, Amorim addressed the quality of his opponents, rotations and his assessments of the season so far, as MilanNews relays.
The Derby was a good one, but now it’s behind them. Milan needs consistency…
“This is the objective. The Inter game is over and we need to focus on the Europa League. We were very consistent during the derby, but there were games where we weren’t. This is the big step forward we need to take.
“Rotation doesn’t matter, nor the players we field: we need to be a great team. We need to win tomorrow, because it’s crucial to our goal of going all the way in this competition.”
Will there be turnover tomorrow?
“First of all, the most important match is the next one. We have to be very careful with some players. We have this busy schedule behind us and we can’t afford to lose many players for the next matches, because sometimes, when you don’t want to rotate your squad, you end up with an injury that keeps you out for a month or a month and a half.
“This is the most important match; we’re only thinking about it, but we’ll have to rotate a bit, and all the players are ready to handle the impact of the demands of the game. We have the desire to win the match.
“We’ll be facing a great opponent who has nine points in this competition, a team that hasn’t lost a single game in the league, but our players are ready, and we have a duty to win.”
Why this difference between Serie A and the Europa League?
“But if you look at the games against Benfica, I think we didn’t play our best, despite having more possession. We had some problems with the few chances we gave the opponent, and we conceded goals.
“Then we won a great game in Salzburg and then in Bournemouth. We had a red card, two penalties, and it was our fault. Maignan’s situation didn’t help us fight for the game, and sometimes these dynamics happen at certain times.
“I think we’re not doing very well in Serie A; obviously, we won the last one, but looking at the team and the games, I think we should have more points. So I’m not satisfied in the Europa League, I’m not satisfied in Serie A.
“I think we can do better, but that’s how it goes sometimes. Every game has its own story. But I think we can do better tomorrow and win.”
What kind of team is Ferencvaros?
“They’re a team that’s used to winning, no matter the context. It gives you full confidence in every game. They’re comfortable. They’re doing very well in the league. They play a 4-2-3-1 formation and have a strong identity.
“In midfield, Nagy is very good at building play. They’re comfortable; they come to San Siro with nothing to lose. The responsibility at San Siro is ours: we have to play well and stay focused.
“I told the players that against Inter we did well because we remained humble and attentive to detail: against Ferencvaros, we’ll have to do the same because they’re a very strong team.”
After the Europa League draw, Antonio Cassano said that Milan and Juventus cannot take victory against Ferencvaros for granted…
“Without a doubt. We’re capable of winning every match and losing every match. It depends on our approach, regardless of the opponent. Everyone knows everyone; every player has the tools to understand, and the coaches have the tools to prepare everything as best as possible.
“We can win and lose against anyone; it’s all up to us. And sometimes you also need a little bit of luck.”
Does your AC Milan already have a clear identity? Are we far off?
You often ask me when we’ll reach the top. We’ll never reach the top, even if we win every game. We always have to improve. We already have an identity: we want to dominate games, sometimes we manage to do it, sometimes we don’t.
“Sometimes we change the formation and the defensive phase and nobody even notices. Our identity is to be proactive: we still lack the ability to put opponents in the box to create more chances.
“But we’re playing better, we even manage certain moments better. But there’s still a lot of work to do, especially in the final 30 meters: I have to help my players do that.
On the excellent defensive phase against Inter:
“Inter are a thing of the past. We can show tomorrow that we can defend better. We defended, but with the ball. It allowed us to think better. Details are important: a meter is a meter. We were better than Bologna.
“We were very aggressive on the wings. Koni was exceptional, but if a cross comes in for Thuram, it’s very difficult to defend, so we were more aggressive without the ball to avoid crosses. We have to do the same tomorrow; they are used to winning games.
About Diawara…
“We have to give him credit; he’s working really well. He went through a period without playing and was a bit frustrated, but he’s always worked very well. I think he can play this role on the wing. We played with Moreira there once, but against Inter it was Diawara. Same role, different interpretation.
“During the break, against Padova, we tried him at left back: he showed important signs. He’s quick, he’s strong. He’s doing well, he has the potential to improve a lot. Against Inter, we knew how dangerous crosses could be, especially from Inter’s left flank.
“Dimarco didn’t play, but the tactical idea remained the same, and defending crosses with Koni and Pavlovic proved to be a good idea. They almost scored from a cross with Calhanoglu, but I think he’s doing really well.
“He has plenty of room for improvement, and who knows, maybe he’ll start tomorrow.”
What is your strong point?
“What I was saying about winning games, this is the team’s strength, our identity. I always put the team first, not the individual, even though we have excellent individual players. The Ferencvaros striker is very strong in space: he can play both as a winger and as a forward, and I think he’ll play as a striker against us.
“Nagy is an important player because he understands the game. He knows exactly when to drop back and when to stay high, and I really like that kind of player.
“Add to this the quality of the left-back with his right foot who can cut inside: all these little details define an identity that I really appreciate in this team, and we’ll have to be ready to process all this information to prepare and win the match.
“I repeat: we have three points in this competition and we absolutely must win tomorrow.”
It was the best second half of the entire championship, the one against Inter. I saw the attitude of a great team: authoritative, confident, without taking risks. Should we start again from the second half?
“I think it’s a good point. But you can’t separate the second half from the first; they’re connected. We took the lead in the first half, then we controlled the game that way in the second half. We improved our understanding of the game; we were complete in all areas.
“Maybe we were lacking in putting a few players behind Inter’s midfield: we had good possession, but we can do even better. It’s just one game, anyway. But thinking only about the derby is a small-team mentality: every game is important to us.
“Tomorrow I’ll understand my team better than the derby. I don’t care about the Inter game anymore. Was it nice to win? Yes. But I’m still angry about the Bologna game. Tomorrow we’ll have to be strong to win.”
The Derby showed a side of Cardinale emotional… When will we see her like this too?
“When we win the Scudetto or a major title, maybe I’ll be excited. Until then, it’s just another day. But I didn’t expect to feel this way during the match, and neither did Cardinale. He gave an important interview, saying he supports the coach.
“There was a wonderful feeling in the stadium; he enjoyed this moment and was emotional. He’s American, but when you spend time here, you become a little Italian. However, I won’t be excited until I win something. And when I do win something, I’ll already be thinking about the next Scudetto. I doubt you’ll see me emotional.”
