Amorim’s press conference before Milan-Venezia: “[Camarda] needs to feel important”

Milan’s coach spoke to the press before tomorrow’s clash with Venezia

Ruben Amorim spoke in from of the media right ahead of his San Siro debut as a coach against Venezia. He spoke about several players, the transfer market, and his ideas on how the team should ideally play. Milan will hope to build from the win against Torino on Sunday and secure another three points.

On the most consistent choices since the friendly against Manchester United

“We need to bring stability to the team and establish systems. We have to prepare the team so that everyone is involved. It will be very important to always be competitive, and that will be impossible if we always field the same lineup. We want to win titles, and that will be possible by rotating players. We need different qualities depending on the opponent.”

On the transfer window 

“I’m very happy for the team; I don’t know what will happen until the transfer window closes. If a player were to join us, it would be because that player can help us now and in the future. Leao has only trained once; he’s not in good enough shape to play, so he won’t be in the lineup.”

On players excluded from the squad

“They’re excellent players, but it’s impossible to train with 27 players available. As a club, we can provide them with the facilities they need to perform at their best. Right now, we’re focused on the match against Venezia.”

On a possible defensive signing during the transfer window

“We need to focus on the match; there are many defenders who need playing time, and we can’t solve all our problems in a single transfer window. Then again, there might be some surprises, someone could turn out to be a hidden gem. Everything we do will have an impact on the future; sometimes there can be surprises.”

On the Transfer Market and Leao

“It’s hard to talk about individual situations. At the next press conference, you can ask me anything about the transfer market. Leao is an excellent player; he could play for any team, but for now, let’s focus on Venezia, our first match at San Siro. I’ll discuss the transfer market with you at the next press conference.”

On Venezia and his debut at San Siro

“I think it’ll be a special day; I’m focused on the match, and I’ll try to enjoy my first game at San Siro. I expect a tough match, they’re very good with the ball. There will be some tension at San Siro because they’ll want to control possession; we have to press and run a lot. They’ll try to play man-to-man marking across the entire field. I expect a great game. There are smart coaches and smart ideas in Serie A. We need to market Italian soccer better . Venezia won’t be under pressure to get a result, but if we don’t think clearly when we have the ball, we could struggle.”

On his habit of kneeling on the bench and how he wants to change perceptions about Milan

“I’ve never really thought about it, I just want to watch the game, so I kneel down without even thinking about it; it’s just my preference. It would be better if the press didn’t view us as a contender for the Scudetto. We need to build consistency by playing well week after week. We’re training very well and putting in a lot of effort; we have to maintain this commitment and improve as a team, every player needs to be involved. To market the team more effectively, we need to play attractive soccer.”

On Rabiot

“Rabiot is a crucial player for our project. We want to keep Rabiot; he’s very professional, eager to learn despite his age, and plays for one of the strongest national teams in the world. He’s not yet playing up to his full potential, and in training he helps Diawara. Now it’s up to us to manage his workload. We’re working on his contract renewal.”

On Maignan

“Mike is a leader; you can see it in every training session, in every detail. He’s very committed to this project and is very strong on set pieces. We want to keep Mike; he’s a very important player for us. He has a good relationship with the goalkeeper coach. There’s a lot of talk about him, but I’m not worried. He’s very happy here.”

On if anything has changed or been adjusted compared to last year

“For me, it’s all about focus, you can’t be focused against the top teams and then lack that same focus against other teams. There are always three points at stake; if we were to give our all in every game, we’d be able to win them all, otherwise we could lose to a Serie B team. Right now, Venezia is the strongest team in the world.”

On Rabiot’s position and Pulisic

“Pulisic has been dealing with an injury; he won’t start but will get some playing time. Rabiot can play both as a central midfielder and an attacking midfielder, it will depend on the match. Against Marseille under De Zerbi, he played very well as an attacking midfielder. He’s very intelligent—you saw that in the last game—and he can play anywhere.”

On Chukwueze and Moreira

“Moreira can play alongside Chukwueze or in Chukwueze’s position. If Chukwueze is out, we’d like to maintain consistency in the team’s identity; there will be games where we use two attacking wingbacks in matches where we’re going for the win.”

On the team’s principles and what he doesn’t want repeated

“As far as fitness goes, we didn’t perform well for 15 minutes. Our center backs aren’t used to marking their direct opponents and pressing high up the field. We could have managed possession better. Abate deserves credit; he brought in Njie and Adams fresh off the bench. We don’t know what will happen against Venezia; we can’t solve all our problems from one game to the next. We need to try to maintain this level of play. We don’t know what rotations Venezia will make, so we have to be careful.”

On whether he’s taken liking to any other players

“I love all my players equally; I could name many of them. They’re working hard, and the coaching staff deserves applause, everyone knows why they’re working so hard. I’m very satisfied with my players.”

On the defense

“You need fast players; it also depends on the league. If you play for a top-tier team, you have to be fast, skilled with the ball, and good in one-on-one situations. The three key qualities are speed, on-ball ability, and skill in one-on-one situations.”

On Camarda and the possible arrival of a third striker

“I don’t like to talk about it before the transfer window closes. Camarda needs time; we could also play with a false nine. I really believe in Camarda, if he gets to play, it will help him develop. Camarda is getting used to the pace of our game; he needs to feel important, he needs to feel like Milan’s second striker. He’ll get his chance and his playing time. I have a lot of faith in Camarda. If Ramos is out, we’ll have no choice but to start Camarda. Francesco will be there; he needs to know that he plays for Milan and he needs to be ready.”