Last week I pointed out the flaws in the absurd notion that a Coach was responsible for injuries. Foolishly, I thought to myself that Allegri can't possibly be blamed for other issues as well. I was wrong, and it would appear that the witch hunt continues, the newest issue is this summer's player exodus. It would appear in the blogosphere that individuals believe that Allegri is responsible for the player exodus, not taking into consideration the Club's new policy on veterans, financial concerns, or general unhappiness of a certain player with a heart problem. For some people those factors are totally non-existent and it will only be a matter of time before Allegri is blamed for the economic collapse, the next hurricane to hit the gulf, the divorce of Jennifer Aniston, and the sudden appearance of hair on the head of Galliani...that last may actually be Conte's fault, but my rambling on the exodus issue is below...
I took the bulleted approach because I have a lot of jumbled thoughts on this topic...
-Why is it the same people that cried about Inzaghi leaving are usually the same people that clamor that Milan should put faith in youth? Can you keep the old man whose knees are now made for Coaching and still find space for Paloschi or Niang? I don't think so, but why don't these folks bring this up? Milan took a concerted effort last season to make sure all veterans were given the same fair one year deal and reasonable wages. Some veterans didn't like this, Andrea Pirlo I am looking at you, and they left. Yet somehow, the Coach and Club get blamed. This summer Milan said out with the old, in with the new, and many veterans were not brought back, finally a chance for Milan to move forward, yet now the Coach is a villain? Of course he is, he made the hard the choice, one that so many cried must be made and now that it has they tend to forget...
-The one that gets me more is this idea that Allegri doesn't get along with player's or that he is not "likable." What is even more ironic is the people that say things like this have probably never even stepped foot on a pitch or a locker room or truly understand what a "Coach" is. A Coach is not always your friend or buddy, this isn't youth sports. Likability is not a trait they measure when hiring the Mister, the bottom line is and always has been, results. In case you missed the reign of Sacchi and Cappello, these guys were not everybody's favorite buddy, Sacchi and his curfews were hated. Cappello was a stickler about dress code and uniformity, the moral of the story is that every Coach has traits that player's may or may not like, it's a reality of the game. I have found in my experience that it is not likability that win's the heart of your player's it is consistency. The rest is merely subjective.
-Finally, this matter of Zlatan and Silva makes me chuckle as well. How was Allegri responsible for the sale of his two best player's when financial reasons were at play:
Clearly Allegri...
"It was impossible for us to turn down Paris Saint-Germain's offer. It has saved us a lot of money in transfers and wages, meaning our finances are secure for many years to come," Berlusconi stated to Milan Channel."AC Milan were the first club to sacrifice under the new regulations and thus have sent a message to the rest of Europe. Financial Fair Play is real. It will force clubs to make difficult choices, choices that may be unpopular with their fans"
"The selling of the pair was part of Adriano Galliani’s plan to ease the Rossoneri’s financial problems. According to reports, the club had to spend more than €18M in total for Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva’s wages. Offloading the two stars means that AC Milan’s salary issues will lessen. "
Please someone explain to me how this is Allegri's doing, better yet explain to me why he shouldn't have walked out the front door of Milanello with his middle fingers held high? What kind of team sell's it two best players, continually denies the Coach the players he requests (Asamoah, Astori, Lazzari, Parola) and expects the guy to simply smile and nod while being blamed for everything and anything by the fans?
I leave you with this...go ask Pep Guardiola if he wants to stand a day in Allegri's shoes? Have some respect for a guy who continues to provide results despite injuries, but oh yeah, they are his fault...