‘Far from having found a team identity’ – Capello warns Milan despite influx of signings | OneFootball

Fabio Capello has warned that AC Milan’s winter mercato signings are not enough on their own to guarantee a surge into the Champions League places.

There has been a notable upturn in optimism after Milan completed five signings in the window that has just closed. Kyle Walker joined to reinforce the defence, Warren Bondo shores up the midfield while Santiago Gimenez, Joao Felix and Riccardo Sottil reinvent the attack.

Although Walker has had two good starts and Gimenez and Felix linked up for the third goal against Roma on Wednesday night, there is still a lot of work to be done in order to advance in the Champions League (with a play-off against Feyenoord to come) and even qualify for the next one.

Capello gave an interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via MilanPress) in which he gave his take on the battle for the Champions League places, after Fiorentina demolished Inter last night.

“Now Fiorentina are a very serious candidate for a place in the next Champions League and, if I were in the place of a Serie A coach, I would hope not to meet them given how well they are doing at the moment,” he said.

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“If La Viola maintain their form, it will be very complicated for Juve and even more so for Milan to chase a place in the next Champions League. I know that yesterday many Juventus and Rossoneri fans will have smiled at Inter’s defeat, but if I were them I would be a little worried about the fate of my team.

“Milan – seven points behind, even if with a game less – beyond the enthusiasm for a positive transfer market, still seem far from having found a team identity.

“And the enormous quality of Joao Felix or the good runs of Santiago Gimenez in attack will not be enough to bridge the gap with those ahead, if Conceicao does not quickly find the key to turning the tables from a tactical point of view.”