Simon Kjaer offered quite a thoughtful response to a question about AC Milan’s mental struggles in recent period after the hard fought 1-0 victory over Sassuolo at San Siro.
Milan were not at their free-flowing best during the win against the Neroverdi, needing a Christian Pulisic winner in the second half to overcome a spirited opponent who have struggled a lot recently, but they did get three points.
After the 2-2 draw against rock-bottom Salernitana just before Christmas left a sour taste in the mouth, the pressure had built around Stefano Pioli and the squad, given the Champions League elimination and the fact the Scudetto seems to have already slipped away.
As mentioned, it was a performance with grit and character, plus a welcome clean sheet given the makeshift nature of the back line. Kjaer spoke to DAZN at the end of the win against Sassuolo tonight, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.
Tell us about the huddle at the end of the game…
“There is a united group, a group that is working every day to move forward on the road together. It’s critical.”
What does this match leave you with mentally?
“Every now and then football is like this, you have to be able to bring the result home on evenings like this. We knew about Sassuolo’s qualities but above all we know our own.
“Every now and then we find difficulties during the match but the thing I liked most today was that we were a united team, everyone ran forward and everyone ran backwards. We brought a 1-0 home with our fans.”
A lot of young players have made their debuts in the recent period?
“The important thing is to come in and do your job. Everyone has this dream as children, then someone manages to enter here at San Siro. It is one of the most beautiful and important stadiums in the world. I enjoy this thing, it’s special.”
Are the difficulties that arose during the season of a mental nature or of technical continuity?
“It’s a good question. The mental aspect is not so simple. I see the mentality of everyone on this team every day, and I see that it is a united team. There are groups within the big group, but everyone loves everyone else.
“There is no one going in other directions. In football there are situations during the match where everything can change for you. You can concede goals while dominating and every now and then you can win a game…
“I also remember the game we played at Anfield against Liverpool after the first half we were winning. I would say to the team: ‘How are we winning this game?’ because Liverpool had really put us under pressure. So it means that in football anything can happen, positive or negative.
“It’s a very delicate matter, as a team we always try to learn how to react to these moments. From a mental point of view you can have all the experience in the world but there are games where you can lose a bit of focus and it has to be the group that gets you on the right path again.
“However, a very difficult aspect was very important for me today: there were situations in which we could have done better but we sprinted 50 metres back to defend and then started again. That’s a good sign for me.”
How is Theo as a centre-back?
“He is a central defender to whom every now and then I have to say ‘stop, stay here, don’t go away’. He is a player who plays by instinct, that is his strength. Every now and then, if you are a central defender, you have to choose the moment. He’s listening to what I’m telling him, so he’s fine (laughs).”