Why Seedorf, Then Prandelli Are the Right Men to Lead AC Milan Forward

Milan are entering a tough moment, as they have to think about both the present and the future.

WIth Juventus claiming a second successive scudetto, the Rossoneri cannot afford to hand the Bianconeri a free run for the next few years while they build a new project. So Adriano Galliani and Silvio Berlusconi must decide whether to stick or twist with Massimiliano Allegri as their manager.

If we examine Allegri's three seasons at the San Siro, one could argue that Allegri has done a decent job. Having won the scudetto in his debut season, the former Cagliari manager then fell just short in a tight scudetto race with Juventus.

But this season has been tough, as Allegri had Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic taken from him, and these world-class players were essentially replaced by Cristian Zapata and Giampaolo Pazzini, which is simply unacceptable for a club of Milan's stature.

A disastrous first half of the season left Allegri on the brink, on numerous occasions in fact, but Milan gradually turned things around.

After the big signing of Mario Balotelli in January, Milan snatched third place from Fiorentina on the final day of the season, coming from behind to beat Siena with 10 minutes remaining.

The Milan Channel (via Football Italia) have revealed that Berlusconi is currently on holiday, but upon his return on Thursday, the president will decide on Allegri's future with Galliani.

Milan want to be successful in Serie A once more, of course, but ultimately they crave Champions League success, a competition that nobody has won more in the last 50 years.

While Allegri did well to pull off a remarkable win at home to Barcelona in the first leg of the last 16, the manner of the defeat in the second leg at the Camp Nou was truly worrying for the Rossoneri.

It was a spineless display that suggests that Allegri is not the man to lead Milan in the long term. But after leading the Diavoli's late charge in the league to claim the final Champions League spot, Allegri at least deserves a decision on whether he is wanted long term, or not at all.

Offering Allegri a one-year contract and examining the situation again next year would simply destabilise the team and provide the players with an excuse to quit in troubling times due to the knowledge that their manager is not backed by the board.

Therefore, Milan must fire Allegri now and then decide whether the right candidate to take Milan back to European glory is currently available.

For my money, the right man is not available. That man is Cesare Prandelli, who is in charge of the Italian national team, and it will be impossible to tempt the former Fiorentina manager away before the 2014 World Cup.

Prandelli has done wonders with the Azzurri, proving that his style translates to knock-out football, after an impressive spell in charge of the Viola.

Italy provide fans with a style of play that is easy on the eye, encouraging a pass-and-move tempo that revolves around several midfielders who rotate their positions on the pitch throughout the game. But they are also defensively solid and can adjust their style depending on the strength of their opponents, as was the case against Germany at Euro 2012.

So Milan must seize the opportunity to prize Prandelli away from the national team job after the World Cup in Brazil, which leaves a season to wait for the right man.

In this situation, Milan might feel like they can roll the dice, as long as they secure a Champions League place for the following season when Prandelli could potentially arrive.

They need a manager who could inspire and galvanise a group through his presence alone, a role that Clarence Seedorf might be able to fulfil perfectly on a short term basis.

The Dutchman has zero experience as a manager, but Corriere dello Sport (via Football Italia) have reported that the Milan legend could be installed as the leader of a new management team that would include Paolo Maldini.

Both Seedorf and Maldini have the club's principles at heart and would do things in the right way. Some of the playing staff have already backed Seedorf, with Mattia De Sciglio telling Sky Italia (via Forza Italian Football) that the Botafogo midfielder "could be a great coach."

Seedorf is somebody who appreciates attractive football, from his Dutch background instilling the total football philosophy as he developed as a player.

Corriere dello Sport (via Football Italia) report that Seedorf would like to bring back Alexandre Pato—who is playing in the Brasileirão with Seedorf at Corinthians—and put him in a mouthwatering front three with Mario Balotelli and Stephan El Shaarawy.

While fans might have their doubts about Seedorf, ideas like this will inspire a group that has grown to be stale under Allegri, and a change is necessary to drag Milan back to relevance in Europe's premier competition, which is what really matters to Berlusconi.