Ancelotti's extension of his contract with Milan would have surprised some, but on closer introspection, it is not as stupid a move or as tragic an incident as has been described by some of our friends.
Ancelotti's 4 years with Milan has seen us witness an impressive cycle - quite an understatement, i must say - The Scudetto and the CL in the first two years, and a third season which almost saw us doing the 'double', denied only by a legendary night at Istanbul and a nerve-wracking top-of-the-table clash with Juve. For this reason, i'll never consider last season to be a failure.
If nothing else, the first half at Istanbul was as good a display of attacking football as you could hope to see, which left the purists purring. And the domestic campaign too was orchestrated with great control and efficiency. We were matching Juve blow for blow - and even a diehard Juve fan would accept as much with bent knees. We were outdone by a moment of brilliance from 'Pinturuchio', of whom i continue to be a great admirer.
Milan played like a tired Juve would on that night at the San Siro. No fire in those eyes, only a longing look at the candy high-above, out of reach : if only i could get there.....It was unbecoming of Milan. And we paid for it.I wouldn't say we were lazy on that night, no, we were very much alive and kicking, wracking every sinew in the quest for the Holy Grail. Only, there was no creativity. There was no flair, no sustained brilliance to outdo a side which gave away nothing when there was a match to be won.
Do i think that was Ancelotti's mistake? I think not. Sure, he could've brought on suitable substitues - u never know what might have been - but i still don't think it would've made much of a difference against a Juve who were rock solid on that night.
This season is a different story. We did slip-up when we shouldn't have and found ourselves knee-deep in trouble. Its a different story that we have regrouped admirably. But Juve have been phenomenal this season. If iam not mistaken they're gonna break the total points collected in a single season if they manage to find their pre-christmas form. Juve's strong point has always been efficiency, and u don't get any better than this. Ancelotti has done well to keep us in second up until now.
The CL this season has rather surprised me. After the horrors of Istanbul, I honestly thought a QF place would be a stretch. But i've been - happily - proved wrong. Ancelotti has done well in restoring the players' belief in his system, and more importantly, in himself. I never for once fancied our chances against Bayern. But 5-2!!?? Holy Christ!!!
Milan have been a joy to watch this season, and with the possible exception of Barcelona, play the most attractive brand of football in Europe. No wonder Real want him.No wonder we kept him.