Milan, Amorim: "Criticism of Loftus-Cheek? It is essential to be honest with the players. We need quality"
Milan: manager Amorim explains his team selection to DAZN before the match against Lazio
Ruben Amorim explained his team selection before kick-off at the Olimpico while speaking to Federica Zille and Massimo Ambrosini on Dazn,: ""I think we need quality in every area, quality on the ball. I think we did well against Juventus in keeping the ball, but we lacked being dangerous. In the final third we were not aggressive and we need players between the lines: I think we lacked that. So it is not only about the quality of the players, it is the quality of the positioning at the right moments, in the right space, to be dangerous. We worked on it during the week"
On Musah and Rabiot
What do you want to see from Loftus-Cheek?
It is crucial always to be honest with the players: when I say something to the media, it is because I have already repeated it ten times to the person directly concerned. I know it is not something you commonly see, but I consider it important and I think the players trust me, knowing I come out with certain statements precisely because I believe enormously in their qualities. Take a profile like Loftus-Cheek: he has everything. He has immense physical power, uses both feet, is strong in the air, but he has to learn to stay in the game for the full 90 minutes. The concept is very simple: he has to make his quality count in every single moment of the match. He cannot always be on the ball, but he has to be much more involved in the play. Only by taking part consistently will he be able to help the team be more creative and truly dangerous in the final 30 metres.
What did you ask of Rabiot?
It is a little different compared to Musah, also because of the foot: one is left-footed, the other is right-footed. I believe Rabiot is not only a player capable of making frequent runs into the penalty area, but he is also able to dictate the tempo of the play. He has a lot of experience, knows how to time the right runs and is good around the edge of the area too. Today, however, I thought the characteristics of Modrić and Rabiot would be crucial in supporting Cissé and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. It was difficult for me to leave Musah out, but every match is different: sometimes we have to forget the performance in the last game and understand that this is a different match, with different characteristics. That is why I thought today was the ideal game for Rabiot.
