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Marco Landucci, who filled in for Max Allegri in the dugout, spoke to the media after AC Milan’s 3-2 comeback win against Torino this evening.
Milan managed to work their way back from two goals down, scoring one goal in the first half and two in the second, and thus clinched all three points. They are top of the table once again as a result, and it’s a second-half performance that Allegri should be happy with.
Speaking to Sky Italia after the game, as transcribed by MilanNews, Allegri’s assistant Landucci shared his thoughts on the performance. He also commented on the fact that with him as the manager, Milan have won four out of four games this season.
Four wins out of four, should Allegri be worried?
“I put that record at risk today (laughs). It’s good that the coach will return, I’m a bit fed up of this…
“I think Torino were expecting us to really prove ourselves in the first half and instead, we were a bit lazy. Instead of pushing wide, we went central. Then, a penalty and a counter-attack… but you have to praise this team for never giving up.
“We also have to thanks the medical staff, Dr. Mazzoni and his staff, because they made Pulisic available to us, even though he was really ill the other day. He came and gave us a big hand. That said, I want to highlight the team spirit; we showed once again that we will fight until the end.”
Did Rabiot’s goal or the conversation in the locker room change things?
“Rabiot’s goal gave us strength. Going 2-1 up gave us strength and belief. We calmed down at the end of the first half. Then we moved forward with Nkunku as centre-forward and Loftus and Rabiot behind him. We were much better, more organised, more attacking-minded. We moved the ball around better and scored three goals: an important victory for us.”
Is Pulisic a champion? How’s Leao?
“Leao will have tests tomorrow morning, he’s got a problem with his adductor. We hope it’s nothing serious. We won’t know anything until tomorrow. Pulisic is a strong player. He’s very calm in the locker room, but on the pitch, he has a healthy determination, he wants to score. He’s a sniper; today he had two shots and scored two goals. He’s a strong player.”
On Loftus-Cheek…
“He played a great game; he has everything it takes to be a great player. He’s been held back a bit by injuries, but he has technique, strength, and physicality.”
The work of the midfielders…
“I’d also like to mention Samuele [Ricci]. He’s a player who has grown a lot and we trust him, he’s intelligent. He’s one of those players you tell something and they’ll do it right away. He’s a serious professional. He struggled at the beginning, playing very little, but he never gave up. He trained hard with a smile.
“This is a team that works hard and never complains about anything. It’s a group that’s fun to be around. We deserve credit for being in this situation. We need to continue building on this team, with humility, game after game.”
What is the dialogue like between a person from Lucca and a person from Livorno (Landucci from Lucca, Allegri from Livorno)?
“We’re Tuscans, we understand each other. We know each other very well. We’re also really nice, we make a great team.”
Who was Allegri speaking to on the phone?
“He didn’t call me, someone must have called him, he’s always on the phone (laughs)”.
Sassuolo are up next for Milan and that game is scheduled for Sunday. The players will have a little bit more time to prepare for that one, which should be good, although some crucial injury updates await the Rossoneri.
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