Milan will host Lecce for Matchday 5 of Serie A on September 21 at 02:45 (CEST). Manager Amorim attended the pre-match press conference, and here is the third part.

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Emanuele Frigerio (Milan Vibes): Good morning, Coach. In matches, we often see our attackers pressing high and applying intense pressure in the attacking third. However, sometimes the impression is that the back-line defenders don't seem to follow and cooperate effectively with this overall defensive structure. Even the center-backs sometimes appear to struggle, having difficulty pushing the defensive line up smoothly. Is this a specific defensive setup you're asking them to use for tactical reasons, or is it actually a situation that frustrates you and leaves you unsatisfied, and you hope to see the players improve and strengthen this quickly?

No, that's not the case. We're completely revamping how we apply high pressure and the specific zones where we want to win the ball back. And sometimes this doesn't just change at one moment in the match; the players' tactical behavior and mentality on the pitch shift — they move away from a more patient, observant, and passive approach to the game's rhythm, toward frequently launching high-intensity pressure in the opponent's half, often even implementing man-to-man marking.

In some matches, we execute this better; however, when we make significant team rotations, the difficulty of executing our tactical approach sometimes increases. When players are in good physical condition and energetic, executing this high press is relatively easier; but when their fitness decreases and fatigue sets in, maintaining man-to-man marking becomes extremely difficult. So it sometimes depends on the specific moment and phase of the match, but I believe the players have adapted remarkably well to the fundamental tactical concept of "winning the ball back quickly after losing it" and have assimilated it very rapidly.

However, I want to emphasize that we must continue to improve and refine this, and it concerns not just the back-line defenders but also the attacking players in advanced positions. We need to optimize the timing of our pressing, choose the right moment to apply it, and perfect all the related tactical details. But I think this is a very normal process during the phase of rebuilding our tactical system.

Francesco Letizia (Sportitalia): Good morning, Coach. We're not trying to make comparisons with previous managers, but one of the main difficulties several managers have faced in recent years has been managing the dressing room atmosphere and maintaining relationships with experienced players. It's clear that if in Milan's match against Benfica, Modric plays zero minutes, Gabbia doesn't take the field at all, Rabiot is on the bench, and Pulisic is also on the bench, questions about the dressing room environment and your relationship with these experienced veterans will naturally arise. So I'd like to ask whether there's a risk of deterioration or conflict in your relationship with these senior players, or whether this dressing room is completely under your control right now, and whether you've already had extremely clear, transparent, and frank communication with each player?

No, my approach with everyone, with every player, is extremely frank, clear, and unambiguous, and I believe they are well aware of this themselves. Of course, it's perfectly normal to feel frustrated and unhappy when you can't play and you're on the bench. But I manage everything with complete honesty and transparency, because what players value most and desire most is honesty.

That's the essential point that matters most to players — sometimes you might not fully agree with the manager's decision, or you may have tactical disagreements with the coach, but as long as you're sincere, extremely direct, and transparent with the players, they'll be able to understand and accept these decisions. Moreover, everyone should look at our congested schedule after the international break; we're playing a high-intensity match almost every other day, so we all, the entire team, need to be fully prepared for this.

Additionally, during training and daily preparation sessions, I also observe many detailed situations. We sometimes face practical issues, such as players' physical condition or fatigue and injury problems. I'm very aware of the match load they're carrying, and I also know each player's injury history and medical records, and I've done my best to manage and coordinate all of this. But I believe that right now, everything in the team's dressing room is very normal, and the players understand and accept the tactical reality that they sometimes need to be rotated.

Traduit par IA.

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