Milan's Decision to Ditch Ralf Rangnick Revolution May Appear Cowardly - But it's the Bravest Choice of All

Even the best-laid plans can occasionally go up in smoke.

For a club which has become synonymous with chaos, disaster and mismanagement in recent years, Milan actually had all their ducks in a row this time.

Marco Giampaolo's appointment - and subsequent sacking - reeked of negligence and poor decision-making at the very top, and the arrival of Stefano Pioli did little to ease the tensions among the Rossoneri fanbase.

But Giampaolo's brief spell at San Siro woke up the hibernating beast. Heads were banged together behind the scenes, and a terrifying realisation dawned on the hierarchy. Drastic changes are needed.

With that, came the revolution. The shadow of Ralf Rangnick has darkened San Siro's door for several months now, with his impending arrival becoming the worst-kept secret in the whole of football. The RB Leipzig man was destined to swagger into Italy, upset the balance of the Serie A powerhouses, and return Milan to their perch at the top of the calcio tree.

But there was one thing that the hierarchy simply could not legislate for: Pioli actually doing a good job. That's right. The middle of the road, bang-average and underwhelming Italian coach has begun his own revolution in red and black, defying all logic and to take Milan by storm.

Pioli arrived in more than complicated circumstances, but having taken one sip from the poisoned chalice, he then laughed as he glugged down the rest of its contents. The man has shown no fear, no mercy, and thrown all of the criticism he received before having even led Milan onto the pitch, back in everyone's face.

I Rossoneri's resurgence has carried them up to the dizzying heights of fifth in the table, and they are one of the most in-form teams in the country. Unfortunately, his stellar work placed the Milan board in an embarrassing spot - albeit one that they put themselves in from the off.

Sack the coach who can't stop winning, or cut him loose for a man whose record screams success? Milan looked into the abyss of a brave new world, and decided to close the door on this adventure.

The confirmation came during I Rossoneri's trip to Sassuolo on Tuesday evening, that the Rangnick revolution had been put back in the cupboard, and Pioli would remain in charge for the long haul.

The news was met with three points. Of course it was. Outside of the economic capital, the decision was mainly viewed as a smart move, and one the club simply had to make.

And rightly so.

Admittedly, the idea of Rangnick coming in, building a winning team and rewriting history is tempting, and many will view this as a step in the wrong direction, as if the club has taken the easy way out at this forking path.

But there is another revolution well on its way - and the club hasn't had to spend a penny, yet. Pioli has benefitted from the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the January transfer window, whose main task -alongside scoring bags of goals - was to hold up the mirror to his teammates, and demand more from each and every one of them.

While the upward trajectory has coincided with the big Swede touching down in Milan, he is not the outright catalyst behind their rise. Pioli has done what very few Milan managers have achieved in the past, by getting the team to play for each other, and perform at a level higher than the sum of their parts.

The defence has immediately tightened up, with Simon Kjaer and Alessio Romagnoli partnering each other brilliantly, while Theo Hernandez and Andrea Conti occupy the flanks dutifully for the backline.

The midfield has been the real area of improvement, though.

Franck Kessie, a man whose time was seemingly running out in the eyes of an impatient Milan fanbase, has finally begun to show the qualities he possesses as an elegant yet powerful box-to-box midfielder.

Pioli has also cracked the enigma that is Hakan Calhanoglu, who, having previously had some form of phobia towards goals and assists, is now demonstrating more end product than nearly any other attacking midfielder in the league.

Samu Castillejo is proving to be far more consistent and threatening than his predecessor Suso, and in attack, Ante Rebic is a striker reborn. Having failed to score in the first 19 weeks of the season, the Croatian forward has since bagged 11 goals, and he is thriving in Pioli's particular system.

And it's no surprise, either. It's no coincidence, no new manager bounce. It's good tactics, good work on the training ground, and good man management. Round pegs, round holes. And some good old fashioned humility and realism. Something that has been lacking at this club for some time.

Pioli has found a system which suits his biggest talents, allowing Ismael Bennacer and Kessie to dictate the midfield, and releasing the shackles from Calhanoglu, simultaneously removing all the fear and anxiety that was clearly crippling his game.

The exciting coach has claimed some huge scalps on the journey, too. Recent victories over Roma, Lazio and Juventus, plus a draw in Naples, have thrown down the gauntlet for next season. Milan are no longer the pushovers of the big boys, nor a guaranteed three points for the top teams. They're a force to be feared.

The long-term future of the club may not be mapped out as intricately as it was only a matter of months ago, but this new-look Milan is a project worth following. Pioli has fought for his throne, and he's ready to topple Juventus off their own in the coming years.

Lunga vita alla rivoluzione.