“I believe in my ideas, but this Milan team looked like it turned up without ever having a training session together,” said Marco Giampaolo after a 3-1 defeat to Fiorentina.
He became the first Milan Coach to lose four of his first six games in charge for 30 years, as the Rossoneri crumbled at San Siro.
“I believe in my ideas, but this Milan team looked like it turned up without ever having a training session together,” said Marco Giampaolo after a 3-1 defeat to Fiorentina.
He became the first Milan Coach to lose four of his first six games in charge for 30 years, as the Rossoneri crumbled at San Siro.
“The team played with great character just three days ago and I saw moments of the football I like. Tonight, it was played badly on an individual level, with no organisation or sense of collective responsibility,” Giampaolo told Sky Sport Italia.
“There are some players who are young and can try individual moves, but they can only get you so far. When things aren’t going well, you must have the strength to cling to your identity as a team. If we try to resolve things individually, we risk drowning in difficulties and that is what happened this evening.
“The fans are accustomed to very different spectacles and they have every right to protest.”
Giampaolo was asked if he was considering his position or had news from the club.
“I take responsibility, of course, but I go forward because I believe in my ideas. The thing that annoyed me was the team looked like it turned up to San Siro without ever having a training session together. You can lose, but not like that.
“Up until three days ago, I liked the performance and saw good responses against Torino. Tonight, the pressure got to them, they felt the absolute need to win and I told them to play with all the right ingredients to win, not waiting for events to happen. We had to create the events ourselves.
“Instead, the pressure weighed on us, we were tense, not reacting quickly enough and evidently feeling the pressure.
“I have to get the best out of every player and make this team as much of a unit as possible. If you can’t play the Milan quality and style, then I have to try to make them more of a solid team and build on that.
“Doing things together helps you overcome difficulties. You share the load, you work together, you don’t drown individually. That’s what I told the team at half-time.”