Amorim outlines ‘key factor’ as ‘dangerous’ Milan play with ‘freedom’ in Lecce win
Ruben Amorim was happy that his AC Milan side begun to show what they can be during their convincing win over Lecce.
Milan needed to return to winning ways before the first extended international break of the season, and they did so with a comfortable 3-0 win over Lecce. Christian Pulisic scored his first of the campaign in the first half, then Adrien Rabiot and Diego Moreira netted in the second.
With Inter and Roma drawing on Saturday, it has compacted things again towards the top end of the table with only two points separating the Rossoneri from top spot. Given that pressure had begun to start mounting after three games without a win, it feels like an important three points.
Amorim spoke to DAZN after the final whistle to give his thoughts on what was probably the best performance under his early tenure so far, and the coach’s words are via MilanNews.
Are you satisfied with the match?
“We’ve improved a lot. I think the players’ freedom, their movement, and especially their runs from the back made the difference. We weren’t just a team that controlled the ball, but also a dangerous team when we had space to run, and that was a key factor tonight.
“We controlled the game, knowing the opponent was waiting for us to make a mistake, and we managed it very well. We defended solidly, and overall, it was a great win.”
A step forward in terms of results, but also in performance level. And, before you, only Liedholm among the foreign coaches had achieved a better points tally after five games…
“It’s interesting, but it’s a different time, a new era. We still have a lot to do, but we’re playing better and improving. The most important thing, though, is that we’re learning.
“In recent games, we’ve had some difficulties because our positional structure was too rigid, whereas today the players had a little more freedom, and with a little more freedom, they’re playing better.”
How far are you from Inter and Roma?
“I think they’re far apart: if you look at our style of play and our opponents, and if you talk about Roma and Inter, I think they’ve had more time as a team. You can see that the mechanisms are there and are clearer than our group, but we haven’t dropped that many points.
“We dropped two points against Lazio and in Turin against Juventus, so it’s not all to waste. Sometimes it seems that way, especially after the recent results, but we have to balance things out.
“Today we won, knowing that we faced a good team that is doing well. Every opponent is different and sometimes we’ll have some difficulties in certain games. It’s part of the process.
“I think we should have more points, because if you look at how the games went, against Juventus, despite not playing very well, we were thirty seconds away from taking home another two points, and against Lazio, considering the two halves, we deserved something more.”
How will you manage Modric?
“He’s a player who needs to touch the ball a lot to give us the best of himself, but he’s ready to play any game we need him to: physical size doesn’t really matter.
“In some games, like the first half against Lazio, if we turn the game into a constant back-and-forth of transitions, it’s not a good environment for Luka, just as it isn’t for Jashari. We simply have to play the game that allows our qualities to shine.
“When we face these types of games, against low blocks, we can use Modric a lot. For the others, we’ll see, but I think he’s ready to play any type of game. He’s ready to play every game.”
How will you manage selections moving forward?
“I think it’s a matter of observing matches and the individual characteristics. I certainly listen to the players, but for a coach, especially at a big club, it’s impossible to make decisions just by listening to them.
“You see them, you try to understand them, but each player tends to push the game towards their own characteristics, and in that way, building an identity becomes difficult. So the final decision is always mine.
“What I’ve noticed in recent games – and what I’d already experienced at Manchester United, which is why I can’t make the same mistake again – is that sometimes we don’t have the ideal characteristics to play a certain way.
“If we don’t have them, we have to adapt a little: I think it worked today, while in another game we could go back to a three-man formation. The key is having different ways of playing, especially in Italy, because the coaches here are really intelligent.
“They mark man-to-man very well, and when they lose a little focus on what we want to do, it becomes more difficult for them. Likewise, it’s sometimes difficult for me to decipher the mobility of other teams.”
