AC Milan boss Vincenzo Montella was happy - in the end - after their 4-1 win over Empoli.

Gianluca Lapadula struck twice in the rout.

“The way I saw it was we struggled more than necessary in the first half. We were too negative, too lazy, didn't trust ourselves and the preventative marking was just awful," Montella told Sky Sport Italia.

“Empoli are good at constructing moves and we were terrible, so I got very angry at half-time. I liked the second half much more and we created chances from the back, proving that we are capable of doing that even with other players.

“My only thought is to help the team grow and improve, so there is a lot of work to be done. I'd like to see us be consistent over 95 minutes and not set limits."

Considering Lapadula's remarkable form, is it turning into a problem for Montella to share playing time between him and Bacca?

“I think it's a problem for our opponents, really… Lapadula faces every training session at 110 per cent. If he managed to use his energy better then he'd probably be even stronger. He is an added bonus for this team."