AC Milan boss Sergio Conceicao was left disappointed after our 1-0 defeat to Atalanta, but was defiant over talk about his future.
The Rossoneri were poor in the first half, but despite improving after the break, Ederson’s header just after the hour mark ensured that the visitors secured all three points.
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That in turn was a damaging setback for Milan’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, and perhaps for Europe at all, and it will only raise further question marks and criticism of Conceicao, the management and the current squad.
Naturally, the Portuguese tactician was disappointed after the game with both the result and performance, but when questioned on his future, he was bullish amid ongoing speculation about a potential change on the Milan bench at the end of the season.
“The first half was balanced, we were a little deeper than we had asked for and prepared, but they didn’t create any chances,” he told DAZN, as quoted by MilanNews. “We finished the first half well, but then, when it came to putting the players in front of the goalkeeper, we didn’t manage to do it and we paid for it. Like in the second half. And they, at the first opportunity, scored; we even talked about the crosses to the far post: it’s one of their characteristics. But that’s how it went.
“My future? Every day since Milan-Cagliari they talk about who comes to Milan, for me it’s fine, but for the group that I work with, they see all the news and there is no stability.
“We have to work today to try to be better tomorrow. It’s not easy for me because they don’t even have much respect because they talk about the Milan coach as if he has never been in football and it’s not true. My future doesn’t depend on anything. It depends on preparing for the match with Inter, trying to win two titles and I don’t know how many years Milan hasn’t won them. And it’s not normal.”
While winning the Coppa Italia to add to our Super Cup success earlier in the season would be two impressive achievements for Conceicao, there is no escaping the disappointment and frustration of the campaign in Serie A and the Champions League. Further, it’s far from a guarantee that we’ll lift another trophy given our up and down form.
There hasn’t been enough consistent progress since Paulo Fonseca’s dismissal to suggest that we’re now going in the right direction and the current set-up has long-term promise, and so significant questions will have to be asked when the season ends.
In his defence, Conceicao does make a valid point as ongoing talk about a managerial change can be destabilising and a major distraction for players thinking beyond this season, but that then comes down to the professionalism and ability to manage the situation as a coach, and it simply hasn’t been effective enough to get the desired results.
