Milan coach Conceicao wants more from his team in Lecce clash

AC Milan coach Sergio Conceicao acknowledged that he had made mistakes as they prepare to visit lowly Lecce in Serie A on Saturday but said his team must do more to halt their slump.

Milan, who are 11 points off the top four and six points outside the European places in ninth, head to Lecce after three consecutive defeats, with Conceicao under increasing pressure.

"I've made mistakes, as all coaches do," he told reporters on Friday.

"Regarding principles and team dynamics, I have my own characteristics, and I always try to make the best decisions. Over my career, I have had more satisfactions than disappointments."

The Portuguese won several trophies with Porto, including three Primeira Liga titles, before joining Milan in December.

Asked what was needed to turn things around at Milan, Conceicao added: "With results. Two things are crucial: working at the maximum and doing more as a team while also limiting mistakes, unforced errors and bad luck in matches.

"There is no other way but to work. You don't believe just to believe - you believe to achieve," he said.

He added that a turnaround demanded the buy-in of all the players.

"It was important to work with all the players because, until now, there had never been time. If you play for Milan and don’t have the desire, that’s already a problem. Here, we shouldn't even be talking about desire - that comes with wearing this shirt," he said.

"Just because things aren't going well doesn't mean we should react without intelligence.

"This season, the environment has not been great from the start but we must focus on what we can control - the performance. The players must take that responsibility."