Amorim says Milan’s greater freedom is key to Lecce win

Ruben Amorim says Milan’s 3-0 victory over Lecce showed the benefits of giving his players more freedom, after admitting he cannot repeat the tactical mistakes he made at Manchester United.

The Portuguese manager came under pressure following draws with Juventus and Lazio in Serie A, followed by a 2-0 defeat by Benfica at San Siro in Milan’s opening Europa League match.

“I think we improved a lot,” Amorim told DAZN. “The freedom and movement of the players, especially the runs in behind, meant we were not just a team that kept possession but also a dangerous team.”

Milan had struggled in recent matches because, according to Amorim, their tactical structure had become too restrictive.

“We still have a lot of work to do, but we are developing and learning,” he said. “We had difficulties in the last games because the structure was too rigid in terms of positions, but the players were given a little more freedom and played better with it.”

Amorim said the change was based on what he had seen during matches and on the qualities within his squad.

“Of course I listen to the players, but a coach, especially at a big club, always listens to his players, watches them and understands them,” he said.

He stressed that adjusting the system had been his decision, drawing on his previous experience at Manchester United.

“The decision was always mine,” Amorim added. “What I felt in the last matches was the same thing I felt at Manchester United, and I cannot make the same mistake.

“Sometimes we do not have the ideal qualities to play this way, and if we do not have them, we have to adapt.”

Amorim also said opponents were finding it harder to deal with Milan when the team moved away from fixed positional references.

“The coaches here are very intelligent and very good at man-marking,” he said. “When they lose their reference points about what we want to do, it becomes difficult for them to understand our movement, just as they make it difficult for me to understand their teams.”

The victory took Milan to 11 points from their opening five Serie A matches, leaving them fifth and two points behind leaders Roma, Inter and Lazio. Lecce remained 12th on six points.

Milan’s meeting with Lecce also brought their first first-half goal in Serie A this season. They had almost 70% possession and produced their best performance since Amorim took charge.

The result ended a run of draws against Juventus and Lazio before the defeat by Benfica. Milan also became the first team since Nils Liedholm’s side in 1963 to collect 11 points from their first five Serie A games, with three points awarded for a win.

“We have not lost many points,” Amorim said. “We dropped two points away at Lazio and Juventus, so it is not all bad.”

He added: “This is an ongoing process, and I think we should have more points. Against Juventus we were not playing well, but we were 30 seconds away from taking three points. Even against Lazio, when you look at the balance of the match, I feel we deserved more.”

Milan travel to Sassuolo on 11 October, while Lecce host Bologna on the same day.