MONTELLA TO MILAN TV: ONE RED AND BLACK HOUR
The red and black manager Vincenzo Montella was special guest at the TV studios of the red black official channel Milan TV. The boss touched on several topics, answering to the fans' and the guests' questions, starting from the team's position in the league and the match against Juve.
LEAGUE POSITION
“I wasn't thinking about this because I don't set long term goals. It's important to train well and improve, which is what the team is doing. This is even more important than the current league position”.
THE TEAM
“I am happy for the boys because we are second thanks to the great matches they've played. I am even happier because the past few seasons were not easy. The players are giving everything they've got, they train hard, both the youngsters and the more experienced ones who are helping us a lot both on the pitch and off the pitch”.
DONNARUMMA AND THE TRANSFERMARKET RUMORS
“Gigio is showing he is a great goalkeeper and how much he loves playing for AC Milan. There will always be rumors about him and he has to get used to it because it's part of our job".
AC MILAN WANTING MONTELLA IN THE PAST
“I respect the clubs I worked for and I don't talk to other teams when I have a contract, even if they are big clubs. It's how I've always been and will always be”.
NIANG
“Niang was criticised on social media for something he did in his private life, but before I judge a person I want to know him. He should have been smarter. What's he missing to become a top player? He is young and can still improve a lot, he's working on it. He must be more clinical in front of goal”.
THE BOYS CAN GIVE EVEN MORE
“There's still a lot to do and it's not easy to make the players understand they can give even more. We need time, we need victories and a bit of luck”.
PRAISE THE TEAM
“The players are the ones who go onto the pitch and I would like the press to praise them instead of the manager. Especially those players who are more experienced like Paletta, Bacca, Kucka, Abate, Poli and all those who have come on as subs and have really made the difference. This is what a top team has. We must deal with the positives as we must also handle the negatives, we must keep or feet on the ground”.
DIALOGUE WITH THE PLAYERS
“The players like to dialogue a lot. I tend to be very frank and I respect them very much”.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
“We can surely improve in terms of experience. We are only at the beginning and there's room for improvement also in our style of play. We are a young team and if the individual players improve it will benefit the group”.
THE MATCH AGAINST JUVE
“We will prepare for this match with a light spirit and we will be ready Saturday without wasting energy during the week”.
GAME PLAN
“I don't like to focus only on one game plan. It all depends on what the team needs”.
RED AND BLACK HEROES
“My hero was Van Basten, I watched him on TV and I saw him play and I loved his movements as a striker. The same as Pietro Paolo Virdis, who I considered a great centre-forward”.
AC MILAN-JUVE
“We have to play our game. Every team is different but surely we must play intensively, with the right attitude. This is how today's football works. Having better players is not enough to win a game, you need also a great temperament. Against Juve we must raise our game, because they are ahead of us from a technical point of view. We mustn't be too aggressive and play a patient game”.
THE TEAM'S ATTITUDE
“It will be important, together with the mindset of the individual players. It's essential to play well especially in midfield”.
THE GROUP
“The group is more and more united and we need victories to improve, also considering the past seasons who were really tough. The psychological aspect is essential in today's football”.
LOCATELLI
“He played a great game against Chievo also considering the pressure and the attention he had from the media over the previous weeks. The fact he wasn't overwhelmed by this shows how mature he is. He did well after he got booked not to risk a second yellow card".
BONAVENTURA PLAYMAKER
“He is not a playmaker, he needs to play on the wing to perform at his best. He's improving a lot in that role”.
DE SCIGLIO
“He needs people to believe in him. He grew up in AC Milan's youth sector and he has a sense of belonging to these colours. Technically he can still improve a lot”.
LAPADULA
“Ha did well last Sunday, with more consistency than the previous match he played. He really wants to score his first goal in Serie A TIM and I am sure that as soon as this happens he will be relieved. There's a lot of competitiveness here at AC Milan. Surely he'll have the chance to play again and to prove to himself he can do great things in Serie A TIM”.
CELEBRATIONS
“I never celebrated too much even when I was playing. I celebrate after the match, because during the game anything can happen”.
KUCKA
“He's doing great. Sunday he even scored with his left foot which is his weaker one”.
BACCA
“He is a very strong player. I was very pleased with his attitude: how he came on as a sub, how he was feeling involved during the match, and how well he trained before. It's not easy for a player to sit on the bench. I must congratulate him on this”.
THE FANS
“The fans have always shown they trusted me and I am pleased with this. It's very stimulating although it's a great responsibility”.
THE CLUB'S CURRENT SITUATION
"It would have been easy to find alibis in such a situation. But we just focus on training and we feel the management is behind us all the way. President Berlusconi is always there for us. Also Galliani is helping me on a daily basis".
EXPERIENCE
"Each and every experience teaches you something, they complete you as a person. Last year's experience has helped me a lot. There's always room for improvement, in football and in everyday life".
(Photo LaPresse)
