Since I started Coaching a few years back it has been a bit easier for me to associate with Coaches instead of players. I mean how am I supposed to associate with a guy who makes more money than he deserves, gives minimal effort at his job, and to make matters worse thinks it is OK to sleep with board members!? If I did any of this at my job, I would no longer have one the next day, so you can see why it is easier for me to side with the the Coach.
I also sympathize with Coaches, especially Max, for the mere reason of criticism. If you were to judge a person's success and failures you would do so along a specific list of criteria. I find when it comes to Max the criteria changes week in and week out. When we were winning matches he was criticized for not subbing soon enough and for not being "nice." Yes, you read that correctly, here on this blog those were the mystical criteria to make a good Coach. Mind you had he subbed earlier, he would have been labelled quick on the trigger and a tinker man. My other favorite was despite piling on the results we played "bad" football. What exactly is "bad" football, for some it is the kind of football that makes your head hurt because the ball doesn't do pretty things, and while "bad" football often earns you a result, and results help you win Titles, it was not good enough!? Yes, yes, a bizarre World we live in indeed.
The real issue I have though is personnel. Allegri has now been in charge of Milan for three seasons, he has asked, on occasion, for players. Now some Coaches would ask for laundry lists, look at Carletto at PSG. In order to win I need this superstar, that superstar, and a oh yeah a bag of money! In three seasons Allegri has asked for mere peanuts compared to other egomaniac coaches at big Clubs. Lazzari, Criscito, Asamoah, Parolo, Tevez and Hamsik. Did he get any of those requests? Not a one and when he asked for Pato to be sold he was rewarded with the sale of his two best players instead!? Any other Coach would have walked clear out of this place with his middle fingers held high laughing away. Instead he opted to stay, see it through and help Milan rebuild, and what did he get in return...from the fans, NOTHING!
Management has at least understood the error in their ways and not pulled the plug yet. If it is in fact Year Zero, with expectations at a minimum and reinforcements a summer away, then why ruin what we are progressing towards? Maybe he will be gone at the end of his contract, maybe he will decline a renewal and write a tell all about the stupidity of this team's Owner and his lack of touch with the modern game, or maybe just maybe, he finally gets a player off his list and leads this team to continued success. I don't know what happens, and sadly neither do most "fans" despite what they tell you! So for now I will continue to support Max Allegri without reservation.