AC Milan manager Sergio Conceicao understood the fans’ frustration after Saturday’s defeat to Torino, insisting that the team must take responsibility for their shortcomings and improve their response to setbacks.
Milan endured a frustrating evening when an early own goal from Malick Thiaw and a missed penalty from Christian Pulisic contributed towards their 2-1 defeat at Torino.
The travelling fans voiced their disappointment on Saturday after a challenging week that also saw Milan exit the Champions League, with several banners and chants urging the squad to improve their performance.
“They are absolutely right to do so. It is on us that we come here and do not win, so naturally there are higher expectations. We are not satisfied when there is criticism on the directors, players or staff. We are Milan and we take the criticism all together,” Conceicao told reporters.
“Torino were 1-0 up at halftime without a single shot on goal, whereas we missed a penalty and several other chances. Things happen and we must be stronger when reacting to them. I realise it’s not easy for the players either when Torino’s best player was their goalkeeper and we had 30 attempts on goal.”
He added that his side still lacked the cohesion required to perform at the top level and was prone to making too many mistakes.
“All players have different personalities. I am sorry for the fans who were present for these last few games. The last 12-15 goals we conceded were pretty much all unforced errors. It’s not about strategy or formations, these are things I often wonder how they are even possible.”
