Ruben Amorim Addresses Criticism and Prepares for Lazio Clash
Ruben Amorim walked into the press room with the numbers on his side – two wins, one draw, unbeaten in Serie A – but the questions waiting for him were about style, not results.
The 0-0 against Juventus still hangs in the air around Milanello. Too cautious. Too static. Too defensive. The labels have come thick and fast. Amorim, though, has heard worse.
“Criticism is normal,” the Milan coach said on Friday, ahead of Saturday’s trip to Lazio. “I already experienced that in my former club [Manchester United]. More than that, it’s impossible.”
“We lacked energy”
Amorim didn’t hide from the performance in Turin. He dissected it.
“The last game wasn’t just static; I think we lacked energy,” he admitted. “We controlled the ball quite well, especially in the first half, but then we lacked aggression in the final third and inside the box.”
That was the theme of his debrief with the squad. Too many cheap giveaways. Too many gifts for Juventus.
“I showed the players that a lot of opportunities for Juve came from us losing the ball, sometimes even without pressure. Just a sloppy pass. Those details can change the game and the momentum. We worked on that, and we need to do better.”
The criticism hasn’t spared individuals either. Gonçalo Ramos, electric against Torino and Venezia, drew fire after a quieter night in Turin.
“I think we need to improve as a team,” Amorim argued. “Ramos did so well against Torino and Venezia that, in a game where he doesn’t have the same performance, you notice it. It’s more about the understanding of the game from all the players in the team.”
“The team is always in first place”
If the outside noise is growing, Amorim insists the internal compass hasn’t shifted.
“What I promise is that the team is always in first place,” he said. “My intention, and what they [Milan] asked me to do, was to be positive and score goals.”
He knows the accusation: a foreign coach coming in to “teach” Italians their own game.
“I understand the pressure. I understand that when you see a guy coming from abroad to say how to play your football, it is really hard, and in the first moment you are just waiting to tell me that in my face.
“I understand, but what I can promise is that the team will always be in first place. I want to dominate games, but then Spalletti, Fabregas, all these guys, they are really good and will push us.”
He pointed to the Juve match as an example of intention clashing with reality.
“We had the ball more than Juventus. Sometimes even when I have the ball, the other guy is better than me, but that doesn’t change the intention you have.
“If you look at our team, we always have an intention; you can’t see anything that is random. Sometimes we want certain patterns that are hard for the players.”
The message is clear: the ideas won’t change, even if the execution still needs time.
“What’s really important is to be good in the last set pieces of the game because if we win, some guys will have to keep that question in their pocket for one more week. The only thing I promise is the club will always be in first place. My intention is always to be better than the opponent in a certain way. I’ll try. But then you have the opponents; Spalletti was better than me, and that doesn’t change.”
Cissé “ready” for Azzurri – but still a work in progress
One player who has cut through the early-season debate is Alphadjo Cissé. Two goals in three Serie A games, decisive against Juventus, and now on the brink of his first Italy call-up.
Reports in Italy say the 20-year-old will be named in the next Azzurri squad. Amorim didn’t push back on that idea. He embraced it.
“If you put Cissé on the pitch, he’s going to play. Doesn’t matter if he’s with the national team, with Bastoni or with these guys,” he said. “He’s going to play, free. For that, he’s ready.”
Then came the caveat.
“But he needs time to grow up. I saw a bit of a difference when he plays away and when he plays at San Siro. San Siro is tough, so he needs to adjust to all these small things. Let’s give time to Cissé.
“If you put Cissé in training with the national team and playing with the national team, he won’t be shy, and he’s going to have the ball. So he’s ready, but he needs time to be the player he can be. He has a lot to learn.”
Pulisic “upset” but set for first minutes
Amorim also addressed the situation of Christian Pulisic, who has yet to feature this season and has watched the opening three league games from the bench.
The coach confirmed the USMNT star will finally see the pitch in 2026-27, starting with the Lazio clash.
He also acknowledged the forward’s frustration, describing Pulisic as “upset” with his lack of playing time so far. For a player of his stature, that reaction is hardly a surprise. For Amorim, it is something to manage, not fear.
The American’s introduction adds another layer of competition to an attack already under scrutiny for its lack of cutting edge against Juventus.
“If you want Como’s football, buy Como’s manager”
The conversation inevitably drifted towards Como and Cesc Fabregas. While Italian clubs stumbled in Champions League Round 1, Como shone, dismantling RB Leipzig and drawing praise across Europe.
Are Fabregas and Como a model for Milan’s long-term project?
“I think we are different managers, with different backgrounds and work for different clubs,” Amorim replied. “Mister Cardinale has never told me that [Como] is the inspiration, so you need to tell me, as I didn’t know.
“I have my way of playing; I think it will take time. Every manager needs time. You saw against Torino, the friendly against United, that we are improving. But if you want a team that plays like Como, you need to buy Como’s manager to play the same way.
“I’m completely different; I have my style of play, my identity. Coaching Milan is really hard; coaching Como and doing what they are doing in the Champions League is so hard, and they are doing so well, but I’m not focusing on how Como are playing; I focus on how Milan must play to win games.”
The pressure is already sharp. The expectations are clear. Amorim has nailed his colours to the mast: his ideas, his style, his hierarchy, with the team above all.
Now comes Lazio, the Olimpico, and another test of whether Milan can turn intention into dominance – and keep those questions in pockets for at least one more week.
