FONSECA: "WE'RE WORKING TO FIND A BALANCE"

Serie A once again, San Siro once again. The Rossoneri are ready to dive back into Serie A after the trip to Bratislava, and matchday 14 will feature AC Milan v Empoli. On the day before the match at San Siro, Coach Fonseca introduced the match in a press conference at Milanello, live on Milan TV and the AC Milan Official App.

THE ROSSONERI FORM
"We come from two games with very different forms in defence. There was more organisation against Juventus and the game against Slovan Bratislava was more of a battle of transitions. We are looking to improve every time we play but the results shouldn't make us close our eyes to the problem. It was fundamental to win in Bratislava but there were moments where we saw that the defence has to work and grow. Problems emerge over the course of games. Against Juventus, the squad was organised in defence but in the Champions League, we suffered for the opposition's transitional play. We concede a lot but we are the fifth-best defence in the league, we have conceded as much as Inter and Lazio, less than Atalanta. We want to improve and we're working on it. Sometimes, problems and mistakes are not a question of tactics but of reading the game, isolated moments or situations. And this is what we're working on every day, I expect to see positives from the next game onwards already".

ASSETS AND TACTICS
"I always have something in mind, the chance to play with two strikers. This is an asset that could work against certain sides. In Italy, it's not easy to dominate. We want to find a balance, to feel that the squad is solid defensively as well as convincing in attack. In Bratislava, we tried to keep the faith after the goal but there were some moments when we suffered. We are trying to find a balance between attacking and defending". 

INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS
"I'm very pleased with Rafa's reaction but I want to see consistency from him, like from everyone. In defence, there's a more solid duo than others but the schedule is packed and we cannot always field the same players. Gabbia is back from injury, it has to be handled properly. This is almost obligatory and has so far meant we've had few injuries. Fofana's booking? At the moment, we can't exclude him, the next game is the most important. He will have to play smartly. Bennacer? We've got faith in his recovery, he could be big for us".

OUR JOURNEY AND OPPOSITION
"Sides take on two different offensive approaches. A different one is needed against Empoli and against Atalanta with respect to Juve and Slovan. It will be a tough game against Empoli: they give little away and are very aggressive. We have to employ the same approach as in the biggest games. I am sure that at the end of the season, we will be ahead of some of the sides that are currently above us. We began the pre-season with 15 players and the youngsters. We were in the USA and it went really well but those who were at the Euros came back quite late. Then, we didn't have much time to work all together. We are improving but when things change a lot, it's hard. Juventus, Fiorentina and Lazio didn't have a pre-season with this many players unavailable, the latter two don't play in the Champions League which is extremely testing. Napoli have a new coach but have all week to train. Then, there are two strong sides who have been consistent for many years, Inter and Napoli".

WHAT'S AT STAKE
"When you're at a Club like this one, you cannot escape the pressure. It's there every day, here and around you. If you aren't ready to face that, you can't be at this level. And I don't believe there's another way. Football is for tough people: or you're tough or you struggle at this level. From the first day I came here, I felt that pressure. Just like the players, and it's like this at every spot in the table. We know perfectly well that Empoli have to win, just like Sassuolo and Atalanta".

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