Krunic honest in assessment of Milan’s collapse: “Something is not like before” | OneFootball

AC Milan midfielder Rade Krunic believed that the team can take encouragement from a ‘positive’ second half against Inter despite the defeat.

Milan’s top four hopes were given another big blow on Sunday night at San Siro as they lost the Derby della Madonnina 1-0 against Inter, with Lautaro Martinez getting the only goal of the game in the first half for Simone Inzaghi’s men as he headed in a corner unmarked.

The Rossoneri were poor for the vast majority of the game and it was yet another worrying performance and result, one which moves Inter five points ahead in the standings and keeps Milan in sixth place, with a Champions League spot now looking more and more in danger.

Krunic spoke to DAZN after the game to try and pick apart what was another disappointing result and performance from the Diavolo, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.

Zero shots on target, but were there positives?

“Obviously if you lose a match like this it’s not good. We have to see how we reacted in the second half where we did better than in the first. This second half can be a positive thing. We remain more united than before and try to work harder in view of the next match.”

Your thoughts on the three-man midfield?

“We had to try something different after the last few games. I didn’t feel bad but we didn’t do many things that we prepared better in training. In the second half with two midfielders and a playmaker we covered their midfielders better and we did better in defence and something more in the attacking phase.”

What did Pioli ask of you?

“The most different thing compared to before is that we played one-on-one across the pitch: today we were lower and we waited. I think we didn’t concede much. Unfortunately we conceded goals from set pieces, one of our weaknesses that we need to improve. The coach wanted to defend better in the first half after the last few games.”

What broke?

“I don’t know how to answer this question. I would like to know too. We are still a united and strong group that works hard but something is not like before. We have to rediscover our previous enthusiasm as soon as possible.”

Krunic also spoke to Sky.

Five defeats in the last seven games, did you turn off the light?

“Certainly since I’ve been here and since the coach has been here I think it’s the most negative period we’ve experienced. We do our best, we try to do our best. Even today it didn’t go as we hoped, we work hard every day, we believe in it. In the dressing room we are a bit mentally down after all these defeats. I think that with a win everything would change.”

Is it a tactical problem or something else?

“I wouldn’t say it can be tactical. We won the Scudetto with the same tactic as this year. Something has changed mentally. It’s not like I can figure out what it is but I can’t find the right explanation.”

On Pioli’s choice of 3-5-2…

“We’ve been preparing for it all week, from day one we changed everything and tried to do something different. We have done very badly in the last few games, conceding many goals and suffering in the defensive phase.

“We certainly prepared for a more defensive match, we wanted to try to defend better in the first half and try counter-attacks. It didn’t go as we trained and as we hoped. In the second half we created a little more and we were a little more careful in the defensive phase. If there’s one positive thing, it might be that.”

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