Sergio Conceicao spoke to the media after AC Milan’s impressive 4-0 win against Udinese, sharing his thoughts on the formation change, the situation in the standings and Theo Hernandez’s response.
The Rossoneri ran riot in Udine on Friday evening, for once outperforming their xG while also doing most things right in defence. As also highlighted by Christian Pulisic after the game, it was without a doubt the best performance under Conceicao’s guidance.
Speaking to Sky Italia after the game, as transcribed by MilanNews, Conceicao shared his thoughts on the formation change, the injury of Mike Maignan and some of the individual performances. He made it clear, however, that they still have to take things game by game.
How is Maignan?
“Two or three things I saw impressed me. The concern for two men who are in difficulty, and I heard the crowd applauding. I have to compliment the Udinese fans. They booed the player, but then, when there was something about the man, they applauded him; it’s an incredible gesture, which I’ve never seen in 40 years of football. Kudos to them. Mike is in hospital and will have his tests. It was a very nice gesture.”
Was it enough to field the three-man backline?
“During the international break, we worked on this system. But then I couldn’t change because many had returned two days before the match. The players embraced this idea with and without the ball, with the full-backs more protected.
“I had good feelings: we don’t always show them on the pitch, but today we did. Then okay: today it’s three points and we’re already thinking about the next match. I saw a solid and compact team, as we want. The team is available. It’s very important to have the weeks off.”
Is this the most important victory since you’ve been here?
“The most important victory is yet to come.”
What did you think about Theo?
“Offensively, he is among the best in the world in his role. Then, defensively, we wanted a little more aggression. This way, he is much more protected. Our central defenders interpreted the game very well. Everyone made us a good team. This way, Theo feels more protected.”
Was Jovic important?
“On an attacking level, we wanted support for the depth with the width of Theo and Jimenez. Udinese are strong physically, while they lack a little speed. In that sense, Jovic did very very well.”
Do you believe in Europe?
“Let’s think about working first. We don’t have to talk too much, up until now we’ve talked a lot and what matters are the results.”
The next clash for Milan will be against Atalanta and it’s scheduled for Sunday next week. In other words, Conceicao will have more time to work with his players on the training ground, which can only be a good thing.
