Vanoli admits that Torino must be ready for ‘disappointed and angry’ Milan: “At all costs” | OneFootball

Tomorrow evening, AC Milan have a chance to get themselves back on the right track against Torino, but facing Toro will certainly not be an easy game.

It is as much about the present battle as it is a mental battle for Milan tomorrow. If they are at their best, there should be no questions, but there is a level of mental recovery that has needed to have happened since midweek, and we will not know if it has taken place until tomorrow.

Everyone knows the strength within the Rossoneri, but on too many occasions they have been their own worst enemy – in Europe this has been seen in the past three games, where individual errors have cost the team massively.

Nevertheless, the team must move forward as one, rather than allowing mistakes to break their already disappointing season.

Despite their recent poor fortunes, Paolo Vanoli, the head coach of Toro, spoke to the media about the game, and he was very complimentary of Milan despite their problems, Milan News have his words.

How is the team?

“It was a good week but with some absences: I don’t think I’ll recover Sosa, he had a fever that persists. He’s better, I don’t think he’ll be able to recover. Adams had a strain on his adductor, nothing major but he’ll try today in the finishing touches. Walukiewicz is back with Gineitis, for the rest everything is fine.”

How much quality can Elmas add?

“A lot. I said that we had made good choices on the market, and he is important technically and tactically: it’s not me who says it, but his numbers. When the opportunity arose, it was a privilege.

“Among those who arrived, he needs to recover physically. We need to be smart to make him recover by playing: in terms of leadership, too, we have added a player who knows how to lead his teammates.”

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What kind of match will it be with Milan?

“They had an important winter transfer window, it will be a disappointed and angry Milan: they must achieve qualification for the Champions League at all costs, they have players who can resolve the match and they have two teams, so they can rotate.

“We look at ourselves, as we are doing in this period, and we need a focused and ambitious match. Enough of throwing away points, we have to earn them.”

Can Adams recover?

“It’s just fatigue, I hope to have him available. Sometimes you also evaluate the boy’s feelings: Biraghi has the opportunity to play, if Adams isn’t there, Sanabria will be there.”

Have you seen concentration and determination this week?

“I re-watched the Bologna game: going there, playing openly against a strong team and creating four clear scoring opportunities in the first half… I got angry about that, not about what we suffered due to naivety.

“And even the own goal is a lack of determination… But I got angry about the goals not scored: you rarely see five such clear scoring opportunities, three with Adams, then Karamoh… And if we see Vlasic’s goal, it’s the same: if the defender doesn’t make a mistake, we’re throwing away an opportunity.

“We need to go there hungry, I want more determination and nastiness on the final pass. And then I’m angry about not understanding the game within the game: the goals conceded came because we didn’t understand what was happening.

“You can’t throw away three deserved points, we’re here complaining about so many points lost. But the performance was good, I want this courage.”

What kind of challenge will it be tomorrow on the wings?

“On the left, they have Theo and Leao, then they added Felix and Gimenez who is a penalty area man: individually, we will have to pay attention to everyone. We need a determined game, there will be moments in which we will have to fight as a team with humility.

Photo By AC Milan

“We cannot go and play a match against Milan and be masters of the pitch for 90 minutes.”

How did you see Ilic?

“I haven’t spoken to him yet, he’s recovering and will be back with the group next week. I’m focused on the team and not on the market, this opportunity didn’t work out and now he will be an important player. A midfielder has been added, he will have to run more to earn his place.”

Will we need to run more to cause problems?

“My players know that they have to go fast in training to do so in the match. In football today, physical condition is important, especially against the big teams: they have fresh players on the bench, and they have two teams.

“They wanted to go to the Champions League, we will have to be good at managing the match from a motivational point of view. They are disappointed and hurt, we have to play on this.

“Physically we are fine, those who will not have the 90 minutes are those who arrived in the last period.”

Did you watch the first leg again? What did it teach you?

“I didn’t watch it, everything has changed on our side and theirs: they had a different coach and a different game, and now there is a different philosophy and new players who have strengthened Milan.

“They are two different games, if I have to take something from that match it is the courage with which we played at San Siro: it is what I am seeing in these last two months, changing mentality.

“We play with our fans, the desire to do something important must not be missing. It is called ambition, it must never be missing.”

How did you see Ricci and Casadei? What do you expect from them?

“I expect a lot. Samuele knows that I want more from him every day, he has to give us more in terms of personality and from a tactical point of view: he is on everyone’s lips, but everyone has to grow because there is always room for improvement.

Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce/Getty Images

“Casadei has potential, he has shown it, because he has timing when it comes to insertion and is strong in the head: he must not make any mistakes like in Bologna, but perhaps Pobega was chosen more than the naive Cesare.

“Pobega was good at taking a step back and putting himself there, but it was a naivety that we paid for. We must not put pressure on him, he and Ricci are also prospects for the national team.”

How much can the public factor count tomorrow?

“A lot. The fans are the twelfth, especially here. The team knows that it must not betray and always give 110%, then the results are good or bad. Despite these six months with so many different situations, we have always managed to react and fight. We will do it until the end to build our future.”

How is Tameze?

“He will take a little while longer.”

Have you seen any progress in the vertical attack?

“This team needs to improve in the players who attack the space: initially there was Duvan who made us carry the team up, without him, the change of formation helped us to attack the depth.

“We work a lot on it during the week, Vlasic is tearing up well with the ball at his feet and also Lazaro has allowed us to attack the space more. Now also Casadei has the timing of insertion and attacking the space.

“We are doing it better, it will be useful, especially against the big teams.”

Casadei makes a lot of headers: is that what was missing from the game?

“When you build a team you have to do it in a precise direction. The aerial game is also part of football: even from a corner we missed a goal with an empty net.

“Casadei helped us with the aerial game in Bologna, it’s an important variation that we had lost without Zapata. Sanabria is good in the third half, he’s also a structural player.”

How much fuel has Elmas put in? Can he start?

“Whoever is called up can start. For him, a speech of attention was needed: everyone was immediately waiting for his debut at home, and I preferred to wait until I had two weeks of training.

“He is an important player and I also have to think about the next ones. I am sure that as a substitute or from the start he will give us important things, even if he does not have 90 minutes.”

Coco was a bit lost: what did he tell him?

“If he wants to be an important player, he has to react to mistakes. I have potential in my hands, a boy who is strong as a person and he is aware of it: I am sure he will come out stronger. You have to take responsibility, he knows how to take it.”