Fikayo Tomori insists Milan ‘really believe’ in their capabilities after three straight Serie A wins and is so happy to have childhood Chelsea teammate Tammy Abraham at the club. ‘He is so energetic.’
The Rossoneri had been in the doldrums after a dire start to the campaign, managing only two draws in the opening three rounds and losing 3-1 to Liverpool in the Champions League.
However, they seem to have turned a corner domestically, sweeping Venezia aside 4-0, beating rivals Inter in the Derby della Madonnina and this evening crushing Lecce 3-0.
“We really believe in this team. We know that we didn’t start the way we wanted to, but we had in our minds that we could improve and raise the level of our performances. Now we are playing more the way we want to, there are still some things that can be improved, but we’re happy to be winning and want to keep that going,” Tomori told Sky Sport Italia.
The English defender had been expected to form a centre-back partnership with summer signing Strahinja Pavlovic, but instead in the last two games he has done well alongside Milan youth product Matteo Gabbia.
“We know the quality that Matteo has and he became a different player since returning from Villarreal. Now he’s proving he’s a great defender.”
Tomori reunited with old Chelsea chum Abraham at Milan
The best transfer of the summer as far as Tomori is concerned is the arrival of his childhood friend from the Chelsea academy, Abraham.
“I’ve known Tammy since we were six or seven years old. I am so happy to see him here. He’s always energetic, always dancing, always wants the ball, so we need that energy for the team this season.”
Milan seem to be moving at a completely different pace to the opening few matches, so was the change down to an improvement in physical fitness or was it their mentality?
“Football is not just physical, not just mental, it’s all together,” added Tomori.
“At the start of the season we didn’t get the results we wanted, we are now playing better and also have the results. I think we changed our attitude, improved the way we defend, the way we attack, trying to stay more united. It is all more effective.
“Now we have to keep going the way we are now.”
In the studio, former Milan star Alessandro ‘Billy’ Costacurta congratulated Tomori on being perhaps the only player since the 1970s to speak genuinely good Italian after moving to Serie A.