Allegri pleads for patience

Massimiliano Allegri has asked AC Milan supporters to give him time to turn his side’s fortunes around.

The 45-year-old Milan coach has come under scrutiny following the San Siro club’s shocking start to the campaign, but insists if given time Milan can still challenge for the Serie A title.

“No team is built in two months,” Allegri told reporters.

“I knew it was going to take time, I was just hoping that results would go our way and that luck was going to be on our side, which unfortunately did not happen.

“Give me your patience and at the end of the year Milan will be very competitive, I am sure of that.”

Following the sales of star men Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to Paris Saint-Germain, Allegri has opted to blood a number of younger players and he is confident that faith will reap rewards in the long run.

“We had to start over again with young players and we showed that there are some excellent youngsters in Italy,” he said.

Milan face Malaga in the Champions League on Tuesday as they continue their Group C campaign.

And Allegri believes the Costa del Sol club are favourites to advance to the knockout stages from the group.

“Malaga are certainly favourites to go through to the next round but the group is still wide open,” he said.

“They are a very technical team and they showed that in the first-leg. I am very nervous about them because although they lost to Rayo Vallecano this weekend, they haven’t forgotten how to play football in just one week.”