Live TMW
Paulo Fonsecathe Rossoneri coach, is present at the press conference to present the match between Milan and Empoli, valid for the fourteenth matchday of Serie A and scheduled for tomorrow at 6.00pm at San Siro.
Follow Paulo Fonseca’s statements with the live text on TMW.
2.15pm | The press conference begins now.
We always talk about balance…
“With Juve we were more organised, with Slovan better in transition. It seems to me that we improve in some ways, then other problems arise. But it’s not because you win that you have to think that everything is fine while turning your eyes to the problems. I can’t close your eyes, we talked about the problems.”
What’s the biggest problem?
“Sometimes the problems come with the matches. Against Juve we worked a lot on the defensive organization and the team did well. Now we have had a transition team and we had problems. But the players understand. But in any case we are the fifth defense in the championship, we conceded as many goals as Inter and Lazio. We work to improve, sometimes they are things that are not tactical, but of interpretation and individual momentum. on reading and technique individual. The players understand it. It’s important to work on the problem. Did we win everything well?
Is the two-striker AC Milan viable?
“An idea that stays in my head. It’s an option when I think it could be an advantage.”
Why is Milan unable to make the most of the technical gap compared to their opponents? There is never a clear victory…
“It’s not easy in Italy to be dominant, it’s not easy against Empoli, it’s not easy against Atalanta. What we want is balance, to feel that the team creates opportunities by having defensive security. In Bratislava, after scoring 0-1, there was the possibility of dominating the match, but we conceded the equalizer and the team felt it.”
Is it better to have Leao on the pitch than on the bench?
“Now yes. I used two strategies with Leao: one had no results, the others did. I’m very happy that Rafa had this reaction, but I want continuity. The team needs this Rafa.”
What must Milan do compared to the other matches to avoid having problems tomorrow?
“In Italy you need to have two offensive faces: against Juve and Slovan there is one face, another is needed to face Empoli and Atalanta.”
Who plays defense?
“I have a more stable pair than the others, but we also have to understand that there are many games and we can’t always play with the same ones. Gabbia was injured, it was difficult to make him play two in a row. I know that it would be important to have the same players play in defence, but there are many games and there are also injuries. You don’t talk much about this, but we don’t have injuries eh… And the reason is also because we do this type of management.”
Are you worried about the 9 points gap?
“Yes, but I’m positive.”
Slovan goal similar to Reijnders’ red against Udinese: same mistake?
“They seem like similar situations, but they are totally different things. There is no comparison. With Slovan it was a corner and there were three players prepared in the defensive phase, but the mistake was an individual choice. I can say things in field, but then there are individual choices.”
Can we dominate a little more compactly in midfield, leaving room for our faster players?
“You’re asking me if we can’t stay further back to have more space for the attackers? In the last match we had two moments. We were forward in several moments, because Bratislava defended with 10 players in front of the area. However, we had scored two goals with space. The ideal would be to have the two moments. When we recover the ball we must understand that we have players to come out quickly. But when this cannot be done we must make an organized attack ‘positional attack or organized. The goals we normally score are many more with ball recovery and space.”
The images of Guardiola being scratched have caused a stir: is the pressure that coaches are forced to endure a slightly underestimated problem?
“We can’t escape this pressure when we are at clubs like Milan or Manchester City. I don’t know what happened with Guardiola (and the scratches on his face, ed.). But being here means having pressure at all times, at all times. days. Not only with the press and the fans, but also here and with the players. We are a team that must always win. If we don’t want to have this pressure we can’t stay here, at this level a great, very great pressure. And you feel it every minute, every day. I say that football is for strong people. If we are not strong we cannot be in football at this level.”
Will Fofana rest?
“In the hotel, at Milanello. I can’t take the risk of resting him, because tomorrow is the most important match. I expect Fofana to play an intelligent match. If Fofana makes a mistake, he makes a mistake, but I expect the others not to make mistakes.”
Many teams ahead of Milan have changed coaches like Milan…
“I’m sure that in the end we will be ahead of some of these teams. But let’s talk about it: we did the pre-season with many kids. The most influential players of the team arrived only eight days before the start of the championship and we never had We’re slowly growing. We work more with images than with training now. When you change a lot, it’s more difficult, but I don’t think the other teams in front of us have had it a pre-season like ours. Then many don’t play the Champions League, they can have more turnover during the week. There’s no need to talk about Napoli, because they have a new coach and every week to work. Then there are Inter and Atalanta with many years of training with him same coach. Then if we only want to see the result I’m the first to say that we have to do more.”
Are you calm about Bennacer and his physical state?
“We are waiting for Bennacer in the coming times and recovering him for the second part of the season could be important for us. We are confident in Bennacer’s recovery.”
Now all matches are inside or outside…
“I can say that I’m now an expert in pressure. Since I’ve been here, it’s always from inside or outside. Tomorrow the same pressure as other times. For the players too: everyone who’s here knows that tomorrow we just have to win. I’m not good to myself, because I put pressure on myself. I’ve never been first, it’s harder for those behind me. The pressure to win is better, but I always sleep very well a one year old… But it’s a nice shape for don’t sleep well.”
What team tomorrow?
“I can’t say anything, but in an hour you know the lineup. It’s not me talking. Maybe tomorrow there will be something different.”
The conference ends here.