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Massimiliano Allegri’s assistant Marco Landucci has insisted the AC Milan squad will not celebrate their win over Udinese for too long.
Landucci was the man barking orders from the sidelines once again as Allegri served a touchline ban following his red card in the Bologna game. Just like in the Bari Coppa Italia match – which the head coach was also suspended for – the assistant oversaw a win and a clean sheet.
Christian Pulisic was the man of the match as he scored twice and got an assist for the other goal. His first came just before the break as he profited from a ricochet inside the box, and his second was a powerful first-time shot from Adrien Rabiot’s feed.
Assessments from the assistant
Landucci spoke to Sky Italia after the game with Allegri instead taking the post-match press conference. The words from his assistant are via MilanNews.
Are you getting Allegri’s temper?
“I don’t know if he’s getting the coach’s sting, but today the boys played an extraordinary game, helping each other and fighting for every ball. They also played well technically. We were a little worried about their approach, but they had a very good one.”
Have you all made progress together?
“We’re a serious group, we have to play at our best, game after game: I heard that the next match is Napoli, but we have Lecce. Tonight we’ll party until 12:30, then on Tuesday we have another important match because we have to advance to the next round, which is very important for us.”
Is it all your doing? Did the new players help?
“When we arrived, we found a healthy group, eager to work. These are the fruits of hard work. I’ve never seen a group that doesn’t complain about anything, everyone works hard. That’s the secret.
“Clearly, the arrival of Rabiot and other key players helps us. But I want to emphasise the spirit. They noticed the mistakes made against Cremonese, but the details make the difference. That’s football. When you have it, you have to score. When you don’t, you have to try to defend.”
Has there been specific work on the team’s defensive unit, or on the individuals in the department?
“We’ve worked on everything. We’ve looked at the data, and it is significant: In two years, Milan have conceded 49 and 43 goals, which are too many if you want to reach the top. We’ve worked on the department and on the individuals.
“These guys are making themselves available, and we try to do as little damage as possible. I’d also like to mention Leao, who hasn’t been with us for a while, whom we found to be an exemplary professional. He’ll be back soon, and we’ll be happy.”
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