Soccer
Sergio Conceicao said AC Milan paid the price for making unforced errors, meaning they had to come from behind to earn a 2-2 draw against Fiorentina in Serie A.
Milan conceded twice in the opening 10 minutes through a Malick Thiaw own goal and a first-time effort from Moise Kean but salvaged a point with goals from Tammy Abraham and Luka Jovic.
However, they continued to lose pace with the Champions League places and are now given just a 0.2% chance of finishing fourth by the Opta supercomputer.
Milan have won just 48 points this season; it is just the third time in the last 10 seasons that they have accumulated fewer than 50 points after 2015-16 (49) and 2019-20 (49). They finished those campaigns in seventh and sixth respectively.
Conceicao noted that they need to make big improvements if they want to finish the season strongly.
“There are some individual errors, but not only in defence. I think the team made errors that were not forced by the opponent,” Conceicao told Sky Sport.
“There are some behaviours that we are trying to improve… These are behaviours of football and football school that you learn as a kid.
“We also miss a lot of goals. We have to find this balance because we create a lot. The approach was bad, it was not what we prepared.”
Milan, who have earned seven points from their last seven games, sit ninth in the table. They are four points behind eighth-placed Fiorentina and eight off Bologna, who have a game in hand, in fourth.
Despite their disappointment with the result, Milan have gained the most points from losing positions in Serie A this season (16, level with Bologna).
“We talk to each other, we prepare the games well. The lads have given me some good signs in these three days,” Conceicao said.
“In the game against Inter, the approach was different, and for 90 minutes, we were balanced.
“[There’s] a set of characteristics that players must have and this mentality, personality to enter the game strong to defend this shirt must always be present.”
Conceicao’s side held Inter to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final tie on Wednesday.
With the prospects of securing Champions League football fading, they can earn a spot in the Europa League if they succeed in that competition.
Read MoreSoccerNews