Conceicao explains the areas Milan must improve in order to become ‘a team’ | OneFootball

AC Milan head coach Sergio Conceicao believes that his side still have a lot to work on, particularly when it comes to defensive organisation.

Milan’s mission tonight in Conceicao’s first Champions League game since taking over was simple: win to continue the push towards a top eight spot, which they managed to do by beating Girona 1-0 at San Siro.

To say that the air around the club was uneasy before the game would probably be fair, and the coach called for the fans to get behind the team because of the importance of unity during an ‘emergency’.

While it was far from a vintage performance, it means that the Rossoneri are now up to sixth in the table and a win against Dinamo Zagreb next week would absolutely guarantee a spot in the top eight and thus direct access to the last 16.

Conceicao spoke to Sky Italia after the full-time whistle to give his thoughts on a narrow but important win, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.

Leao said that playing on the wing next to you, jokingly, is hell. Do you have the voice for it?

“I have the voice, but it’s not easy. I think the result was positive, we had interesting moments but there’s a lot of work to do. We prepared for this match knowing that Girona with the ball is a team that wants to play out from the back and they are good.

“We weren’t very good at pressing, when we put a bit of speed and verticality into the game we created situations that could have made us finish the first half with a few more goals. In the second half we were more afraid of conceding a goal than wanting to score the second. But we are here to improve.”

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It’s a first clean sheet for your Milan, did you expect the team to be in the top eight?

“We didn’t concede a goal but we need to be more solid as a team, more compact. There are moments when we don’t have the ball and everyone has to think the same way: this is a team for me.

“It’s the first time we haven’t conceded a goal but it has to be a habit. We’re working, it’s a process of evolution, we want the players to accept something different and it’s not easy. I try to feel the pulse of the team and I felt they were suffering a bit, but in this type of match the result is very important.”

Leao is becoming more complete, have you noticed?

“If I hadn’t realised, what was I doing here? I spoke to him and we worked on this too, it’s important that he understands that he’s a striker with the ball, but a defender when we don’t have it.

“He doesn’t have to recover the ball like defenders, but he has to be available for our organisation defensively because we count on everyone. He’s making an effort to become a more complete player, if this becomes a habit he’ll become a stronger player in the future in my opinion.”

The opponents are too dangerous after recovering the ball, a big flaw of this Milan…

“It’s true, it’s exactly like that. When we lose the ball, our reaction must be collective, as well as our way of pressing: we must do it at the right time and in the right space. I completely agree with what you say.”