[han2503]

Not the best game to start our season with and to add to that it will be a mere few days before the Barca match. But we'll need to do the most professional job we can to get those 3 points

[d'Arc.LP]

Here’s what coach Massimiliano Allegri had to say on the eve of Milan-Lazio.

MILANELLO – In the press room today here’s what the coach told the gathered journalists: We just have to focus on tomorrow’s game. From Saturday on, we can think of Barcelona. Tomorrow’s game will be tough as it’s the opening game and we haven’t played for a while. The difficult thing will be to have the right mental approach. Luckily some of our players were away with their national sides and this is a good thing. Tomorrow will be a tough game and a very important one. We’ll have to play it as best we can mentally and physically. I believe that when you start your preparations, there are certain dates that you work on. It would have been easier to start with Cagliari bacause that was what we worked on. But you have to adapt and we’re ready. Lazio will be fighting for the title, there a strong side and like us they’ve been playing together for a year. Klose and Cisse will bring something new to the team. They’ll come here tomorrow and I expect an open game. I don’t think they’ll play mainly in their own half as they did last season and so I expect a good game. Milan? The club has bought in important players where they were needed. Mexes will be ready to play soon. Taiwo is doing well, El Shaarawy has talent and then there are also Aquilani and Nocerino. I’m happy with the signings, especially in these economically difficult times when the president could easily have thought about selling some big players. Instead, he brought players in and this is important. Tomorrow’s game is the most important game from here to December. Even if it’s the first game, it’ll condition our games against Barcelona and Napoli. We’re favorites on paper, there’s no getting around that. But on paper is one thing and on the pitch is another. The team is more motivated than last year. The players want to show that everything that happened last year was down to hard work and a desire to win. Aquilani and Nocerino are both available and one of them could play from the start. Nocerino comes from a team that plays in a certain way so putting him in the team will be easy.


Still Allegri: The game against Spain was good for Cassano’s morale. Everyone comes to training here to prove themselves every day. I’m happy that he’s in good shape. Inzaghi? I talked to him again the day after he was left out of the team list and I repeated what I had told him over the phone. I was more dissapointed than anyone but I had to make certain valutations and I believe the choices I make are for the good of the team. His place in the history of the club is assured and I’m sure that come Janury he’ll have his chance to get back on the Champions League list. Robinho? He’s had a setback and didn’t join up with the national side. I’ll make my decision this evening but I don’t think he’ll be available tomorrow. After Lazio we’ll have an extra day to think about Barcelona. The club? They’ve worked well by bringing in two internationals. El Shaarawy will be on the bench Tomorrow, he’s still learning and I’m very happy with him. Ibra will play. Aquilani? He and Pirlo have different characteristics. Pirlo was 10 years at Milan and he won a lot. Aquilani just got here and wants to show that he’s a Milan level player. The formation? Two or three players will change between tomorrow and Barcelona. Antonini and Zambrotta are doubtful. I’ll have to decide on Zambrotta’s knee later and Antonini pulled up in training the other day. The team has worked well up until today, we’ll have to be ready mentally tomorrow. It won’t be easy but we’ll have to do it. It’s a really important game for the rest of the championship. I’m underlining this because we haven’t played for a while and also because there’s Barcelona coming up. Tomorrow there’s Lazio and that’s what we have to think about. We won’t fly to Spain until Monday. If we don’t beat Lazio then that’ll be on our minds when we should be focusing on Barcelona.