Vincenzo Montella says he must accept responsibility if Carlos Bacca fails to play to his potential, as the coach contemplates deploying Gerard Deulofeu as a false nine when AC Milan face Lazio.
Bacca scored 18 Serie A goals in his debut season at San Siro, but the Colombia international has netted just twice in his past 13 league outings.
"For us he [Bacca] is a major player," he told a news conference. "I have a duty to get the best out of him and if that fails it is my fault.
"In the past he did better, not only in terms of goals. But I will not tell you now if he plays or not."
"A false nine? Yes, I'm thinking about it. It's possible," he added. "It is right to give him praise for what he did [against Bologna]. It's fine to do it in the media but I also like to praise others."
"There were a thousand reasons to make excuses, instead they [the players] were professional. It should be an example and a memory that we use every time," he said.
"I am very proud, there is a spirit here because we are a true team. The targets are always high, we need this spirit shown in Bologna in order to achieve our aims."
