AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has addressed questions regarding the safety of his job, while also commenting on his side’s defensive struggles and the upcoming January window.
Milan simply need to end the calendar year with a win against Sassuolo tomorrow night after they drew 2-2 with rock-bottom side Salernitana just before Christmas, which ramped up the pressure on the head coach once again.
Moreover, with that draw in Salerno the Rossoneri have conceded 64 goals across all competitions in 2023 so far, which is the most that they have let in since the 1929-30 campaign, 93 years ago.
The defensive situation is not helped by the number of absentees: Fikayo Tomori is out for two months, Pierre Kalulu and Malick Thiaw for a while longer and Simon Kjaer is not particularly reliable. Marco Pellegrino is inexperienced, as is Jan-Carlo Simic.
Pioli spoke to the reporters who gathered for his pre-match press conference on the eve of the game at San Siro, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.
San Siro will be full tomorrow once again…
“We have an incredible fan base that stands out especially in the most delicate moments. It is a heritage that we must safeguard, because it doesn’t happen often.”
What kind of week was it for you and the squad?
“A week of work to improve our present. We worked carefully to put in a convincing and winning performance tomorrow.”
“I’m not talking because the transfer market hasn’t started yet. The club has made itself available to fill the difficulties we have at the moment.”
Is tomorrow a last resort?
“It shouldn’t be the last resort, in the sense that we must always leave the field with the awareness of having given everything. We have made mistakes that have lowered the level of our matches.”
Are you afraid of anything?
“I’m not afraid. I would like the team to express its full potential. We must have better distances on the pitch, being more compact in terms of quality and timing.”
Ibrahimovic is in Miami, will he be there tomorrow?
“I know he had already made this commitment before coming back here. I don’t think that’s the problem. He told me he was leaving because he had already made this commitment.”
Have you heard from Cardinale? What kind of week was it for you?
“I haven’t heard from Cardinale, I last saw him a month ago because I interact with the managers who are here every day. I’ve worked a lot this week. I don’t think about my future, because we have to think about Milan’s present.”
Have you spoken to Ibra?
“We spoke via messages, he asked me how the team trained and what the sensations were, as we always do.”
Could injuries affect other players?
“You should see how they train. The players have no fears, they want to overcome difficulties.”
What are some of the positive and negative things about Milan?
“We create a lot, but we have to make better use of certain opportunities. And then we concede too much.”
Can we say that leaders are missing?
“No, you can’t say that. It’s wrong to talk about individuals. We are a working group that tries to improve, that tries to grow, that is aware that it isn’t performing as well as it can. Then we can all do better.”
Theo and Leao however…
“Rafa comes from an injury. You might think that the path is normal after an injury, but he is one of sprints, of extensions… Theo is showing incredible availability. Then we can all do better.”
What is your flaw?
“Our flaw is that we haven’t had consistency. The new signings are strong players, then it’s normal that it takes time to adapt to the Italian league. It’s not the best league, but it’s certainly the most complicated in terms of tactics and pressure.
“Our difficulty is that we are inconsistent even within the same match. We are focused on solving this difficulty.”
Will Bennacer and Chukwueze be there against Cagliari?
“I know they are talking. There is hope, but there is no certainty. They are negotiating.”
Why have Milan conceded so many goals?
“Because we weren’t united. We have to do better.”
Giroud hasn’t scored at San Siro in the league since August…
“Being a striker, the lack of goals doesn’t do him any good.”
Is there a match that broke the spell?
“We have raised our expectations. Five years ago, third place in the standings would have been welcomed with happiness, but now it’s not good. Not only the fans, but also the team’s play, created the highest expectations.”
What do you expect from Sassuolo?
“It’s a team that scores a lot of goals, but also concedes a lot. We have to pay attention to Berardi and Laurentié. We have to take advantage of their defensive difficulties.”
