Stefano Pioli admits Milan “got everything wrong from the start” in a 5-0 defeat to Atalanta. “I expected a reaction, but the second half was even worse.”

Papu Gomez broke through within 10 minutes, then Josip Ilicic bagged a brace, with Mario Pasalic and Luis Muriel on target too.
“We got the game wrong against the worst possible team we could’ve done that with,” the coach told DAZN.

Stefano Pioli admits Milan “got everything wrong from the start” in a 5-0 defeat to Atalanta. “I expected a reaction, but the second half was even worse.”

Papu Gomez broke through within 10 minutes, then Josip Ilicic bagged a brace, with Mario Pasalic and Luis Muriel on target too.
“We got the game wrong against the worst possible team we could’ve done that with,” the coach told DAZN.

“Clearly, this cannot be the real Milan, because we showed strong performances in other matches recently. We have to take some of the blame too, because we made mistakes and have to work. This cannot be us.”

It was only 1-0 until the hour mark, then the Rossoneri fell apart by conceding four goals.

“We started the match without the right determination or sharpness. If you get the approach wrong, it becomes difficult to recover. We allowed far too much space to an Atalanta side that is among the best in Italy and even Europe when it comes to intensity and aggression.

“We all need to work, starting from me, because this performance was profoundly below par. I had hoped we could get it back on track, but we lost our unity even more, opening more spaces.”

Pioli pointed to the lack of experience in the Milan squad, with Theo Hernandez and Lucas Paqueta suspended today.

“When you have a very young squad, it’s more complicated to stay with your head in the game during difficult moments. I expected a reaction at the start of the second half, but instead it was even worse than the first.

“We struggled to mount any kind of reaction or high press, weren’t sharp tactically and the club knows the evaluations I’ve been making with this team over three months. I know the strengths and weaknesses, so we are working out a strategy for the January transfer window.

“Today’s performance makes it look as if it was our first game together, but that is not the case. We need to get back to what we were doing before and remember the matches we had before this. Clearly, we can and must do better.”

Would Pioli welcome Zlatan Ibrahimovic to this Milan squad in January?

“These are questions for the club owners. People have talked about Ibrahimovic for over a month now. I’ve already said he is a champion and would bring that determination and character to raise the intensity and focus even during training, more so than in games.”

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