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AC Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri has stressed the importance of being consistent, but is very happy with what he has seen from his side already.
After winning on Sunday night at San Siro against Bari in the Coppa Italia, the Serie A season gets underway on Saturday at the same venue as Milan take on Cremonese. They were promoted from Serie B via the play-offs last season, and are hoping to spend longer in the top flight this time.
The major news ahead of the game is that there will be no Rafael Leao for Allegri to call upon. He suffered a calf injury shortly after scoring in the game a few days ago, and he will not be risked as a precaution.
Allegri’s pre-Cremonese presser
Allegri spoke to the reporters who gathered at Milanello for his press conference on the eve of the game, and his comments were transcribed by MilanNews.
Are the team and the fans the starting point?
“Tomorrow we start the season with an important match. I’m very excited, especially since I’m returning to the bench after a year. It was great to see so many people in the Coppa Italia, and tomorrow there will be a lot of people too.
“We’ll have to try to work hard and get at least until March in the best possible condition. I’m very happy with the guys; they’re becoming a real team.”
How important is hard work?
“I always say that in the league you have to travel like a cruise. You can’t go too fast, but stay consistent. Next year, we all know we have to get back to playing in the Champions League, and we can only do that by focusing on desire, hard work, and the details in training.”
What is your philosophy?
“We will have to be a team with great respect for everyone, because matches must be won on the pitch, tomorrow we don’t start from 2-0… so to get results you have to be humble and intelligent. All the matches will be difficult, it will require great respect for everyone.”
Are Milan among the favourites for the Scudetto?
“As I said, there are at least eight teams, but as always, the favourite is the previous championship winner. We’ll have to be very good at maintaining a balanced line-up.”
Will it be a Milan that plays with a three or a four-man defence?
“It’s not a question of how we play, but of the characteristics we have. The important thing is to maintain balance and order, then I’ll evaluate based on the qualities and characteristics of my players.”
What can you tell us about the mercato?
“The club has done a good job both in terms of incoming and outgoing players. We talk to the management every day to understand our objectives and see what can happen. Now, however, the important thing is the match we have tomorrow night.”
With Modric, Milan have a champion at Milanello…
“There’s no need to talk about Modric’s technical abilities… His career shows it. He plays the ball more on the outside than on the inside, and very few do that. He’s a very humble boy.
“He may not have the energy of a 10-year-old, but together we’ll manage him as best we can. He’s in great shape physically.”
You said farewell to Juventus, do you have renewed enthusiasm after returning to Milan?
“It wasn’t bad, we won the Coppa Italia in the last match and everyone knows what Juve meant to me. I’m very excited and happy to return to the bench after a year and do it with Milan, let’s hope we don’t cause too much damage (laughs).”
Do you hope for that push from San Siro, like in 2010-11?
“We’ll have to be good at motivating them [the fans] with victories and good games, and if we do that the stadium will definitely give us a hand.”
Do you feel a responsibility to do something big?
“It’s not like if Allegri is there then Milan automatically win. At big teams, the coach or the player doesn’t matter – the club’s history does, and when you’re here, you have to feel the responsibility to work in a certain way and not make mistakes.
“We’ll all have to work together to ensure that Milan, which is above everything and everyone, returns to playing in the Champions League next year.”
Could another central defender arrive?
“I’m happy with the players I have available. We have Tomori and De Winter who can play in the middle, but also others like Pavlovic and Athekame who have different characteristics. Nine times out of ten, titles are decided by those who come off the bench.”
Still talking about formation, we will see a Milan playing with a front three?
“If I’m not mistaken, Rafa played as a centre-forward and we had Saelemaekers and Pulisic, so we’ve already done this. Santi [Gimenez] also played and we also have Chukwueze, what’s important is the spirit.”
What will the midfield look like?
“I’ll make a decision today on whether to start Modric or not. Loftus-Cheek and Fofana have physicality and quality. They will have to score at least 15 goals between them; that’s a target I’ve set and one I’m committed to.”
An update on Rafa Leao?
“No updates. He’s fine and we hope to have him in Lecce, otherwise we’ll see him after the international break.”
You took over a Milan team coming off a less than positive season. What are your thoughts on coaching these players?
“We need to prove it on the pitch, with facts. The team has excellent qualities. I always say that the good ones can get better, but the bad ones will remain bad. Maybe they can improve a little, but that’s it.
“We have strong players here, but we’ll have to show everyone on the pitch. It will be crucial to find team chemistry. I don’t want to judge last year’s dynamics, I wasn’t here, only those who were on the team could have known.”
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