Vincenzo Montella was impressed by the attitude of his players after Milan defeated Bordeaux 2-1 in his first match in charge.
The former Fiorentina and Sampdoria boss watched his team get their pre-season campaign off to a winning start on Saturday, with Suso's two first-half goals proving decisive.
Montella thinks there is much more to come from Milan in the weeks ahead, but he has already been encouraged by his newly-inherited squad's application.
"I am certainly happy – the lads showed their willingness to put the principles we worked on into practice," he said to Sky Italia.
"Fortunately, we can still get a lot better. The lads interpreted the game well in terms of attitude.
"It was our first match, so we still have to raise our tempo and the speed of our passing when we construct moves.
"But we are only at the start and there are some positive signs. The most important thing is that the team is showing enthusiasm and really participating in the process.
"They showed good spirit and we gave a good impression of Milan, so I think we can be satisfied.
"We have worked a lot with the ball in training. The secret is in the quality and the mental preparation of the players."
Milan travel to the United States later this month to play International Champions Cup matches against Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Chelsea.
- Goal