Pioli comments on Ibrahimovic rumours and reveals how to stop Ronaldo in Juve-AC Milan
Coach Stefano Pioli is now struggling with big problems in the standings and in terms of personality, as his team is unable to change the direction of the season. The former Inter and Fiorentina coach analyzed the situation in the regular press conference ahead of tomorrow's match at the Allianz Stadium.
"I trust my players. If they have made certain statements, they have this belief. The standings say a lot but it starts from 0-0. Great challenges represent great opportunities. They are the best team in Italy and among the best in Europe," he said to Calciomercato.com.
"I believe that it would take a lot to win tomorrow. Speaking of turning points is difficult because then you have to think about the challenge with Napoli. We are low in the standings and need to focus on what to do tomorrow. We must fight and never give up."
The Rossoneri coach also reflected on the previous matches against Lecce, Roma, Spal and Lazio, in which his team collected only four points. Moreover, he spoke about the possibility of changing formations as well as the physical condition of Suso, who missed the clash against Lazio due to adductor issues.
"Four points in four games are few and we should have taken more. It is a regret. We must give more attention and care to details because the games we played, we were on par with our opponents. We weren't clean and precise and we paid for it.
"These are all experiences that can be used to grow, tomorrow night to make an important performance because we face an opponent of much higher technical level. The three-man defence? Training for this, for tomorrow it is a possibility. Suso? He is in good condition, he will surely play tomorrow."
Pioli went on to comment on the recent rumours linking Zlatan Ibrahimovic to a shock return to the San Siro as well as on the way he plans to stop Cristiano Ronaldo tomorrow and revive Piatek's goalscoring abilities for the Rossoneri.
"Ibrahimovic? Surely he is a great player and great professional but it is too early to talk about the market.
"Cristiano? It is difficult to stop him, he has many possibilities to hurt you. We are talking about a phenomenon, a champion. We must be very careful against him, whoever is against him must be very determined to give him little space. He is a great champion, one of the greatest players of all time.
"Piatek? First of all, I think we have to make sure we play a lot in the opponent's penalty area to enhance his characteristics. In other matches, we did well to give him opportunities in necessary spaces. Then if the balls arrive inside the area and he doesn't score, we'll try to understand the reasons," Pioli concluded.