Milan, Amorim: "Here to win trophies now, not in two or three years. Back four? The players are the same, it is a detail"

On Gonçalo Ramos:
"My idea as a coach is how to get the best out of my team, not how an individual player can score more goals on a personal level. I said that before this match as well. We need to create more chances for our forwards, not just for him but for all our forwards as well. I have worked and I am working on this with my players. It is true, I have taken something from other coaches, but I have my own idea. My goal is not to understand how to put Ramos in the right conditions to score more goals, but to win every match. I am very happy that he has come back happy and confident, and I hope this can benefit AC Milan". 

Do you plan to continue with a back four, is that the right one? 
"It depends on the match, on the situations. The important thing is that they understand when to play with a back four or a back three. You only need to look at the names in the starting XI and it is basically the same team. What changes are small details, but they can change the dynamics of the team. The other coaches have all the footage from our matches available to them, so it is up to me to come up with and create something new to surprise them. I know what I have in mind to put forward tomorrow, but I will not tell you because otherwise Aquilani would find out. Not much changes. I want my players to feel comfortable". 

Do you know Aquilani as a coach?
"I remember him. I remember him not only from Sporting. I know he played for Jorge Jesus, we have spoken about that. I remember that he was very intelligent. I can see that he is very modern in his approach. I can also see a small influence from Roberto De Zerbi, in the way he manages his centre-backs. They want to have possession of the ball but they are very intelligent in deciding when they have to press. I think he will have a great future in football". 

What indications have you had from Moreira’s matches with the national team? Where does he convince you most?
"I’ve seen several things. On the left he is more direct, on the right he looks more for one-on-ones and combinations. It also depends on the opponents. He had to defend a lot against the strong teams, so he defended a lot, a lot. That is very important for me. We know Moreira’s characteristics. He has good pace, he has strength, he needs to improve in the attacking phase but he can play on both flanks. You will see Moreira play on both flanks." 

Camarda has played only 8 minutes so far: are you thinking of giving him more space as early as this week? Will these months be important in understanding whether Camarda can be relied on? 
"About the new players you can ask Cardinale, who is there behind you (laughs, ed.). My only focus is on the matches we have to play, a huge number of them, so December does not exist for me right now. Camarda will play more. We are coming from a situation where we had fewer matches and more time to rest. Camarda is learning a lot, but he is ready. He will play more minutes than he has up to this moment. I don’t know what will happen between now and December, I just want to win as many matches as possible. That is my focus. We can also see from the experiences of national teams that they rotate a lot, so it is impossible to go with the same 11 in every match. I’ve said it since day one: I expect a lot from him and he will show his value."

Can Cisse play as a centre-forward? What effect will it have on you to see Matic again?
"He has the characteristics to play as a centre-forward. Not as an out-and-out centre-forward, but he has the characteristics to help us in certain matches. Matic is a top player and a top lad. I was able to spend a lot of time with him, I spoke to him a lot because I was one of the few who could communicate with him. The speed is not the same but the intelligence is. He gives the team a huge amount of experience, in game time, in passing the ball vertically, in winning the ball back from them. I want to see him again but at the same time I don’t. I certainly expect to give him a hug after the match, hoping to have won." 

Tomori, Loftus-Cheek, Pulisic, Hutchinson: have they improved their condition?
"They will be very important in these matches. We had a friendly where we used them in different positions, and in training as well. We spent more time with Diawara. Tomori did a bit of what Gila is doing. They will be important for our season. For Pulisic it was important to stay, because he was coming back from an injury, he played a few minutes, then started, but we had the chance to manage his recovery and his condition. They will be very important." 

Does it need a longer process or are you still convinced this AC Milan can win? And what do you make of Serie A?
"The idea is always to win trophies. I do not know how long it will take, but we have to think about the steps that will allow us to do it. Certainly, when you work at AC Milan you cannot say that we have to or can win in three years, but now, in the present. There are stages to follow. That is the objective, but there are some very good teams in this league. If you look at Serie A this year, it is changing. The refereeing rule means there are fewer whistles, so the medical staff come on less often and that allows more football to be played. A lot of people used to complain about 0-0s, but now a lot of matches are being played. Teams no longer sit in a low block for 90 minutes. Venezia are bottom because of their results, but they are a team that press all over the pitch. I have been surprised by the quality of the coaches and the players. I like being here, I want to play my part. I feel at home at AC Milan, I am honoured. Serie A is an excellent league, and sometimes the domestic league does not get the credit it deserves. I am enjoying preparing for matches, but I also have a lot on my mind because of the different teams". 

What have you seen in these first five matches that led you to opt for a back four? Could Zachary be a return in January? And with Italian?
"It would be easy for me to speak Italian if I were another AC Milan employee, but what I say is very important. I apologise, I am sorry, but I know that after matches, afterwards, I have to speak with Mister Capello. I know it would be better if I spoke Italian, but I know I have to think and also speak, so I cannot risk what I say somehow creating problems for me or being instrumentalised. It is important that I feel comfortable, because it is part of my job. A back four? In the last matches I have seen greater mobility. I have seen that these positions and this freedom allow my team to play better. We saw against Benfica that we had more possession, but there was a lack of mobility. It was necessary to make this change, not to play better but differently. I do not know whether we will continue with this set-up, but it is a tool that allows us to win. Athekame? We are monitoring him, just like the other players out on loan. At the start of the season I saw him more as a Moreira. I do not know whether the situation will change. Football is like that. He is doing very well with Fonseca, then we will see in the future".