[Danny]

'Until we win 10 games in a row I am not convinced we've turned a corner.'

This was during a very dark period in Rangers' on-pitch history where the side was in the doldrums.

As far as Ferguson was concerned, there was no sign of an emergence from this until his side went 10 wins on the trot, or at the least, unbeaten.

We have won 6 out of the last 7 matches, so if we overlook the irrelevant result V Zenit, we've won 6 out of the last 6 meaningful matches. Last match of note we lost was Fiorentina on the 11th of last month.

I hate to say this to all you guys who loathe Allegri so much, but the results have MASSIVELY improved, and right now we're actually playing reasonably well too. It's not perfect, but inasmuch as we had to criticise Allegri for all that he got wrong at the start of this season, you have now give him credit as much as anyone for the turnaround.

I'm not saying we're fixed, we're not. I stand by Ferguson's statement about 10 meaningful matches - but I for one am willing to give Max the chance to continue this.

The team is looking, for the first time this season, relatively settled. They don't look as unhappy as they did. And the results have started to flow.

If we manage to keep this domestic form up for another 6 matches, I think it's a sure sign we've come out of that awful start to the season and are starting to feel more like ourselves again.

And I will give Max as much credit as anyone for the improvement.

But we'll see.

[Jack Bauer]

Yes, he deserves credit and we are improving but that disastrous start is what put us in this mess, and the bottom line, whether we can take the 3d place, is what will count in the end.

But even if we take 3d place, I really doubt our management will keep him. He's gonna stay for sure till the end of the season but I think it has been already decided that we will have a new coach next season, I don't think Allegri can do much to change that, bar remarkable title, which obviously won't happen.

This post has been edited by Jack Bauer: Dec 17 2012, 12:16 AM

[acid911]

What Jack said. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Don't know about you guys, but I always knew we'd fight and achieve 3rd place - unless we have a radically disastrous season. This is the Italian Serie A we are talking about, not the Spanish La Liga. It was the title race that I was most interested in. Last year's surrender still leaves a horrible taste in my mouth.

Nevertheless, other clubs will falter one way or another, now and in the second half. Nothing surprising.

[Danny]

After the vile start we made, 3rd place would be a stunning, stunning achievement.

I gave us zero hope of making the Europa, never mind the CL.

[acid911]

Of course, most didn't. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy.gif) I knew how much our form and fitness affects the amount of points we gather (unlike some other clubs which even when playing at a lower level still rake up points), so in a way I knew we'd need just a push in the right direction to be on our way.

Obviously, like I said, with the state Serie A is in currently, other clubs are always going to drop points.

[X-Offender]

Shouldn't have lost those two games at home against Atalanta and Sampdoria.

[Danny]

Shouldn't have lost those two games at home against Atalanta and Sampdoria.

I am willing to be lenient. Having just lost our 2 talismen in Silva and Ibra, plus an entire plethora of first-team players, the sheer level of change was always going to hurt. It wasn't like other clubs have done at the start of change where dead wood got shipped out and high quality players brought in. We lost some of the world's best players and gained some good players, in some cases very good - but very good doesn't replace Ibra and Silva and a glut of top players.

It's taken us a long time, and while you're spot on that we shouldn't have lost to such teams at home, I'm happy that guys like Acid seem to be getting proven correct. He had faith that while the start was sticky, the side would still turn it around and get back to winning ways.

I didn't believe it.

Now I do.

[acid911]

It's taken us a long time, and while you're spot on that we shouldn't have lost to such teams at home, I'm happy that guys like Acid seem to be getting proven correct. He had faith that while the start was sticky, the side would still turn it around and get back to winning ways.

I didn't believe it.

Now I do.

Thank you! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/king.gif) I guess I'm just good with feeling like these. And that's why you may recall I never had any alarm bell ringings at the start of the season, I was cool and calm. It still will be close, we are not out of the woods yet, but I always believe it will be a combination of us winning a whole bunch of matches, and our competitors losing a few.

It's a cliché, but as they say "It's not how you start it's how you finish" that counts. Always does.

[Danny]

Dude, you wouldn't panic if you were in the middle of a gunfight!

I can see you standing up in a hail of bullets and calmly announcing, 'gentlemen, let us stop fighting and sit with a cup of tea discussing our differences'.

[acid911]

Dude, you wouldn't panic if you were in the middle of a gunfight!

Can't say I disagree with this. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy.gif) When you've got to die, you've got to die. Panic never helps one bit.

I can see you standing up in a hail of bullets and calmly announcing, 'gentlemen, let us stop fighting and sit with a cup of tea discussing our differences'.

Ha, so true. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) Not to say I've never felt anger, I have, it's just that I learned to control it (all of it) at a very young age. There is only room enough in me for good emotions - anger, depression or panic aren't the ones. Besides, this is Milan, football, sports, game, spectacle. Impossible stuff happens here.

Like I said, I am a tad disappointed we could not put up a fight for the title. Regretfully so.

[han2503]

Talk all you want about Allegri, but when did we FINALLY see a turnaround?

When Silvio Berlusconi himself had to PERSONALLY fly in and make the motivational speech to the players. I mean it's not rocket science here. The players were not happy to be under Allegri and this was glaringly revealed in the Gazzetta after that mess against Fiorentina.

Allegri had completely lost control of his dressing room at that time.

I give Allegri credit for certain things, but certainly not his abysmal application of tactics, or should I say non-tactics, and even worse (which is a feat in and of itself) his terible man management.

The man has lost all of my sympathy and support. And with every bad decision he makes, he makes me hate him even more. I think someone above said it best. He'll stay on no matter what this season, but come summer, he's out. One way or the other. He's just not Milan material, end of.

[Danny]

I respect your opinion, but I think it's pathetic and beyond ridiculous to hate the man. Can you state for the record what credit you give him?

[han2503]

I respect your opinion, but I think it's pathetic and beyond ridiculous to hate the man. Can you state for the record what credit you give him?

I never said I hate the man per se, although some of his horribly classless moves don't make me respect him. I just hate the type of coach he is.

I give him the credit he deserves for his first season, which although was largely in part to Ibra, during the second part of the season he managed to turn us into a highly cohesive unit imo. Some of those performances in the title head-to-heads were simply great.

I gave him credit just yesterday when we were discussing Abate and DS in the match thread. Saying that this is one of the few scenarios in which he's been smart in how he's handled DS's introduction into the team as well as his continuous growth.

Sure the credit is very little in comparison to all the criticism I give him, but can you blame me, especially about last season's outcome. At least this season he has the weak squad excuse...

[Danny]

Fair enough, reasonable comments. You did quite well there despite your face going red with fury as you threw darts at a photo of his face (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

For the record I think he deserves a huge amount of credit for moulding a brilliant LB out of a CM in Constant.

[X-Offender]

For the record I think he deserves a huge amount of credit for moulding a brilliant LB out of a CM in Constant.

And an average LB into a mediocre winger in Emanuelson. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)