Allegri on Trofeo TIM, Serie A, the squad, the market and more…

MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI believes Juve are Serie A favourites and talks Robinho, El Shaarawy, Honda and Trofeo TIM.

Milan will be tested for the first time tomorrow in the Trofeo TIM and even though the tournament says nothing, it’ll be interesting to see what Milan have achieved so far in training as they’ll play against Juve and Sassuolo in Emilia-Romagna.

“I want to wish Vilanova and Acerbi good luck in their battle against their illness,” coach Massimiliano Allegri said at the start of the press conference in Milanello. Both Tito and former Milan man Francesco are fighting against cancer.

Milan release official 2013/2014 shirt numbers
Folletti: “Milan players won’t be exhausted in the spring”

“The Trofeo TIM is our first test and it’s important. The squad is doing well and the players also played well last Saturday against Pergolettese. Our first objective is the UCL play-offs. These friendly matches will help us reach our best condition. Which tactical set-up we will use? It depends on the matches. The squad has improved tactically in comparison to last year.

“Sassuolo? I’m very connected to Sassuolo and their president, Squinzi, and all those who work there. It will be a great for me to see them tomorrow and in Serie A – and the same goes for Livorno. Juventus? They’re the favorites to win Serie A. They have brought big players like Tevez, Llorente and Ogbonna. Milan are aware that this season will be a lot more difficult than last season. Besides Juventus, there are 6 other teams that are fighting for the Champions League spots.

“Inter have strengthened themselves considerably with the arrival of Mazzarri, and they will only be playing once a week this season. Roma have bought Strootman, who is a player that has a lot of experience despite his young age. And then there are Napoli, Lazio and Fiorentina, so it will be a lot more difficult. Balotelli and Tevez? They’re two different players, and they’re also different in terms of their age. But it’s definitely better we signed Balotelli, although Tevez is a champion.

“We have no regrets about this. Balotelli has scored many goals, also from set-pieces. He’s such a young player that he can only improve given his technical qualities. We have signed three young players: Saponara and Poli have arrived. Jherson Vergara was born in 1994 and he will be here from July 24. They are three youngsters who are in line with the project here.

“We have 25 players and also a few players who still have to find out where they will play next season. The management doesn’t want a squad with 30 players. If someone leaves then somebody will arrive, otherwise we will move forward with our current squad. Who the new Mattia De Sciglio will be? I hope that the players who have been moved up to the first team (Bryan Cristante and Andrea Petagna) will manage to do what he did, but let’s not rush them. They’re still young kids and they have their ups and downs. I have given my evaluations regarding some youth players, and we must wait for them, and not hype them up too much, but at the same time we must not knock them down. We have to make them grow calmly.

“The Champions League play-offs? If the favorites make it through to the final round – i.e. PSV, Fenerbahçe and Real Madrid, then we have to be really well-prepared. Robinho? Last season was a bit particular for him. He didn’t do much in the first 4 months after he had had his mind set on returning to Brazil. The deal looked like it would go through and we had given him the permission to stay in Brazil, and in the end he returned. He has extraordinary qualities, and I’m very happy that he’s staying at Milan. He has to give us something extra on the pitch. Robinho as the trequartista? It depends on whether or not he wants to play there. It’s difficult to put him there now. It’s very difficult on paper to seeing him playing there.

“But it’s just an option. In the end, the important thing is that the players are ready and available. I have known the current squad for a year now, so I know what they can give me. All the players have approached the pre-season training in a good manner. They also know that we have to be in a good shape both mentally and physically before August 20 .Boateng is now playing as the trequartista because Saponara is still tired after playing in the U21 Euros. We currently have Boateng and Emanuelson. Boateng can also play in midfield, and he must make the most out of his qualities: strength, technique.

“Pazzini is working hard. If everything goes as planned then he should be back by the end of October. If El Shaarawy and Robinho can play together? We will play with 3 players up front. It doesn’t change much if we play with one trequartista and two strikers or two trequartisti and one striker. There was a lot more competition in the squad when we won the Scudetto.

“El Shaarawy? I haven’t talked with him. He needed to relax and recharge his batteries. He has to improve in certain moments of the match. El Shaarawy played extraordinarily in the first part of last season, and he was the main player behind our comeback, but then his form dropped which is normal. He has to get back on track with calmness, and forget about the months where he didn’t score. His character has improved and the slump that he had last season made him reflect. It’s not enough to play well for the first part of the season because everybody forgets what you did yesterday.

“There is no tactical problem with El Shaarawy, and the important thing is that he improves on the pitch. Nothing has happened with him, and these transfer market things occur. The management has talked with him about this. El Shaarawy has always been an integral part of this team, both for Milan and for me. The performances from El Shaarawy have never been missing, and even when he hasn’t scored, he has still performed well. Saponara? He has returned from the U21 Euros where he played with some minor physical problems. We’re trying to manage him so he doesn’t get a serious injury that will force him to be sidelined. De Jong? He has improved a lot from his first to his second match in this pre-season, even though he has been out for 8 months. He has to regain match fitness. He’s a new player for Milan, and he will do well.

“De Jong is the alternative to Montolivo in midfield. If 5 central defenders is enough? Vergara is a young player, and the main objective is to have all the players fit and ready. 5 central defenders is more than enough. Why Milan haven’t made a big signing? Milan already made a big signing in January with Mario Balotelli. We will start the season with this squad.

“The youngsters have to settle in and prove that they’re good enough for Milan. Ranocchia? He’s a young player with a lot of experience, but one player is not enough to prevent all the goals that we have conceded from set-pieces. We just need to be a bit more attentive. Keisuke Honda? He’s a good player but he still belongs to CSKA Moscow, and I don’t like talking about players from other clubs. He has a good technique, and he can play as the trequartista, but also on the wing.”

Honda will probably joined Milan in the next days and will perhaps even be available for the friendly match against Valencia later this month. Massimiliano Allegri will look to start his fourth Milan season with the trophy he’s never won.

Translation credit: @Milanello