Roberto Donadoni spoke about Milan and Ruben Amorim in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport on Wednesday. Milan face Bologna in Serie A on Wednesday evening, with the derby to follow.
Donadoni on Amorim
When asked if it feels like a ‘new’ version of Milan under Amorim, Donadoni said: "Honestly, no, but let’s be clear: A coach doesn’t necessarily have to bring something new. Amorim certainly has his own ideas, which he needs to bring forwards and will inevitably need time."
Milan are one of four teams that remain unbeaten in Serie A heading into the ninth round of fixtures, with five victories and three draws on their record so far. Amorim's only defeats at the start of his Milan tenure have come in the Europa League, losing two of his first three outings in the competition, most recently a 3-0 loss against AFC Bournemouth.
League results and consistency
On their results so far, Donadoni said: "It’s what the club expected. I hope that Milan will be able to continue progressing and that they will have fewer ups and downs as the season goes on."
He added: "We can’t complain about the results they’ve picked up so far, but for now, Amorim’s team has shown a lack of consistency, which is something to work on. If they also find consistency in results, then the growth will be complete."
Views on Cisse and Ramos
Donadoni said: "I like Cisse a lot. He does lots of different things and he does them well."
On Ramos, he said: "As for Ramos, I’ve read a lot of criticism surrounding him. Yes, it’s true that a striker has to score goals, but I don’t mind him. He won’t always be on target, but he’s still involved in games in the sense that he works hard for his teammates. So I think he should be appreciated while waiting for him to properly unlock himself, because he definitely has the qualities."
Bologna match and past contact
Asked which side the game means more to on Wednesday night, Donadoni said: "I think more so for Milan, who will then go into the derby. Going into that game with a win is the ideal scenario. For Bologna, it will be important to see if they can return to beating some of the bigger teams after their home defeat against Inter. It has happened in their recent history and we’ll see if it happens again."
Donadoni also revealed that he had once been approached by Milan about the head coach role: "Before my time in China, there was contact with Milan. The love was definitely there, as was the desire to have another experience with the Rossoneri, but at that time I’d already made a commitment with Shenzhen and I believe that words and promises have meaning."