Mihajlovic: “I believe in finishing third but let’s take things one match at a time, Milan on the right track”

Sinisa Mihajlovic was pleased to hear the words of the President over the weekend and see the banners of the Curva Sud at the Torino match.

Milan returned to San Siro last night and got three points in a hard-fought match thanks to a Luca Antonelli goal.
The Rossoneri players, who celebrated 30 years of Berlusconi yesterday, saw the Curva Sud raising some banners in their honour of this team, which read:
“Players and Coach: for the shirt, for the city, for who loves this club to the point of madness… Only by continuing to fight will you see the passion you can unleash. With blood and sweat you are winning back our love: respect, effort and dedication… We ask for nothing more. Go on lads!”

“I always said we shouldn’t complain about the fans and that it was down to us to change things,” Mihajlovic said at the end of the match, as reported on acmilan.com “They have always supported us during matches and I thank them for the banners on behalf of the whole team. We always have to believe and continue to fight like we have been doing. With this attitude, we needn’t fear any side.
“We were prepared for a difficult game. Torino are a tough side to face and they played well, but we deserved this win. I liked the team’s desire to battle and work-hard. Looking at the numbers, such as points collected and goals conceded, it’s fair to say we are on the up and we are on the right track.
“We now have to prepare well for Tuesday’s cup game and then the next three matches in Serie A, which will reveal a lot about our chances of qualifying for the Champions League. I believe in it, but let’s take things one match at a time. I am really happy and for the players above all.
“The words from the President (that we need to keep what Milan are doing right now up) were important and very nice. An area to work on is how we use the ball when in possession, but the President recognized the commitment and the team spirit that exists. We never give in and you can see that. The President has seen that and I am very happy about this. We are step by step gaining our revenge.
“We now have to focus on the Coppa match. The chance to reach the final is a big motivation. That is our aim and then we will think about beating Sassuolo in the next league match.”

Speaking to Sky Italia, Miha added: “We had several chances to finish the game off earlier and knew Torino defenders always wanted to play the ball. The strikers do a lot of dirty work and that tires them out in front of goal, but our forwards are our first defenders and I am happy with them.
“We work in training to make sure every individual knows what they are supposed to be doing when in possession and off the ball. It is important we have a team that stays in the game, keeps cool and doesn’t get frightened. This is why the results come. We had to watch out for Torino’s counters, so someone always had to stay back from midfield – Juraj Kucka or Andrea Bertolacci – to help.
“It’s a lot of hard work to chase them down. Bertolacci was always criticized, but had a lot of injuries and will be fundamental. We must compliment Adriano Galliani, because we signed Kucka for just €3m [a move which was criticized by many fans]. We still have to improve everything. Everything. Today we had more opportunities to finish the game and didn’t take them, that is the main thing we’re missing.
“I want to thank the players and the fans, because the team deserve those banners and I’m pleased the crowd is happy with our performances. I was always calm because I knew hard work would pay off. Let’s carry on like this, then at the end of the season we’ll see where we are and draw some conclusions.”