AC Milan may have recovered from conceding two early goals in Serie A last weekend but they must concentrate from the start to improve results, manager Sergio Conceicao said.
Milan’s hopes of making the top four continue to fade despite a fightback against Fiorentina after shipping two goals in the first 10 minutes to earn a 2-2 draw at the San Siro.
Conceicao’s side have conceded first in each of their last six league games and, while they have come back to win two of those, three defeats in that period have left Milan ninth in the standings and nine points off fourth-placed Bologna.
You need to have the attitude of the second half from the start because games are won from the first minute to the last,” Conceicao told reporters ahead of today’s clash at Udinese.”It’s important to be focused from the first minute, we have spoken about this a lot amongst ourselves, because it is nothing new this season. We have often reacted really well but you can’t always come back and win games.”
Conceicao has often resorted to making changes at halftime if not sooner but this is not something pre-planned.
It seems like a contradiction but I don’t line up the players to take them off at halftime,” the manager added.
I think about how the games go, then try to manage or change to help the guys. Based on the feelings I have during the week I choose the game plan, which then maybe changes, especially if we go behind.”
Since taking charge in December, Conceicao has stuck with the 4-2-3-1 formation used by previous manager Paulo Fonseca.
Despite Luka Jovic coming off the bench to score in the last two league games, Conceicao has no intention of partnering him with Tammy Abraham and playing two up front.
The 4-4-2 is one of the formations I like the most, I played there for many years,” Conceicao said.
“But we are not yet balanced and solid enough to play with two strikers, plus (Rafael) Leao and Theo (Hernandez) who attack a lot. You can be offensive even with a single striker.”
Against Udinese, Conceicao will be missing defender Kyle Walker, who fractured his elbow this week, forward Santiago Gimenez, having gone off injured against Fiorentina, and midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek as he recovers from appendicitis.
