Vincenzo Montella presents his 'ambitious technical project' for Milan: 'We can't look for alibis anymore, everyone must take responsibility'.
The Coach just finished his tournee in the United States, where his team showed some signs of vitality and good game, although some of the results came short of a victory.
“My evaluation is definitely positive,” Montella told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “This month was necessary for me to get to know the environment and to be close to my footballers.
Vincenzo Montella presents his 'ambitious technical project' for Milan: 'We can't look for alibis anymore, everyone must take responsibility'.
The Coach just finished his tournee in the United States, where his team showed some signs of vitality and good game, although some of the results came short of a victory.
“My evaluation is definitely positive,” Montella told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “This month was necessary for me to get to know the environment and to be close to my footballers.
“Although I'd have preferred to play the preliminaries of the Europa League over this tournee. Milan cannot remain without Europe.
“In any case, I think we've come farther than I expected in one month. I'm relaxed, the boys are relaxed, we're on the right path and I'm optimistic. The team is doing well in carrying out what I ask of them, and they're progressing quickly.
“My job is to push forward an enterprise and I want to do that with a positive mindset. We're in a construction phase, and I've been chosen for an ambitious technical project, because playing football this way is much more difficult. But I have some clear ideas on where and how to intervene.”
When Montella was asked about the nature of his project, he used very similar terms to those that president Silvio Berlusconi has been using for more than a decade.
“We want to play a pleasing football and win with a beautiful game. Yes, Berlusconi called me a few days ago, while we were in Chicago. He sounded happy, he told me that we were developing a good football philosophy.”
The Aeroplanino was then asked whether expectations were too high, considering the poor results of the past three years.
“Not so, because I'm not asking too much of the team. I've changed over the last few years. I used to go too fast, and some players ended up getting lost.
“Now I don't ask for much, but what little I do ask for, I demand it. I think people who watch me from the outside get the wrong idea about me.
“They think I'm a presumptuous snob, while I only consider myself a private man, with a great practical sense. I'm much more rational and self-critical than people may think. Having said that, I like a saying by Oscar Wilde: at times it's best to be silent and appear foolish than to open your mouth and remove all doubts.
“The group's potential? Everyone can do more, compared to what they've shown so far. What matters most is having no alibis. When things go wrong, people tend to look for them, and I don't want that. This holds true for myself as well.
“We must start again from positive concepts, rather than looking for the weaker parts of the team. Here at Milan, for example, many coaches have been sacked and when something like this happens, everyone must take responsibility. Including the footballers.
“You can't always act like it's someone else's fault, be it the referees or the coaches. Those who play can always do more.”