Neil Lennon was not the only one that chose to get a few things off his chest after surviving the playoff round of the Champions League.

While the Celtic manager was sounding off about Scottish scepticism following the 3-0 win over Shakhter Karagandy at Parkhead, Massimiliano Allegri was making a similar speech at San Siro.

The AC Milan coach had also watched his side record a 3-0 home victory, propelling them into the group stage as 4-1 aggregate victors over PSV Eindhoven. However, irked by speculation surrounding his job security or lack thereof, and by comments made by such as Arrigo Sacchi - one of his predecessors on the Milan bench - Allegri was not in the most celebratory of moods. "For a couple of years this has been going on, so maybe I'll resign tomorrow. I'll think it over tonight," he said.

"They are trying to make me angry from the outside, it doesn't work. I hope when my career ends, maybe at the age of 60 if I get there, I will go to Livorno [his hometown], stay by the sea, go fishing, eat good food, drink good wine. I might watch a few games here and there, but not go around pontificating on what other people are doing."

Entertaining as it was, the outburst was merely the latest development in a long-running saga. Maybe it is just his new, closely-clipped hairstyle, but the 46-year-old appears to have aged rapidly in the three years since his appointment. Little wonder, given the derision he has often had poured on him by journalists, supporters and even his employer, Silvio Berlusconi.

Despite his on-going legal travails and attempts to bring down the new Italian coalition government, the Milan president and former prime minister always manages to find time to undermine the coach. In May, Sassuolo president Giorgio Squinzi claimed Berlusconi had told him: "Allegri doesn't understand anything." Shortly after, a letter purportedly written by the former Italian prime minister was read out on the TV show Processo, stating that Allegri would soon be fired.

Things came to a head in early June, with Allegri reported to have agreed a deal to take over Roma and former Milan players Clarence Seedorf and Pippo Inzaghi touted as replacements. If the conflict between patron and tactician can be likened to the Cold War, this was its Cuban Missile Crisis, with both sides taking their finger off the red button at the very last moment. Allegri was confirmed in his position, Berlusconi even having the audacity to declare that: "The rapport with the coach continues with faith and in absolute reciprocal respect."

Quite why the former Cagliari coach is such an embattled figure is hard to fathom given his record over the last three campaigns. His debut season ended with Milan's first title in seven years, then the following year they finished second only to a Juventus side that went the entire season unbeaten, and reached the Champions League quarter-finals.

Last term, they needed two late goals on the final day just to squeeze into third place in Serie A but, in the circumstances, it was arguably Allegri's greatest achievement. A host of players, from veterans Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Nesta to the coveted Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, were sold or let go, leaving Milan mired in mid-table in December. However, the deployment of a new 4-3-3 system with Stephan El Shaarawy and Mattia De Sciglio playing prominent roles roused Milan, who suffered just one domestic defeat in the second half of the season.

A lack of flamboyance or big-club experience might partly explain Allegri's continuing struggle for acceptance. He spent his playing days as a midfielder with the likes of Pescara and Perugia and, with the exception of Cagliari, had only ever managed lower-league clubs before taking over at San Siro.

The simple truth, though, is that the prickly Tuscan does not make things easy for himself. Abrasive and never slow to react to slights, Berlusconi is not the only enemy he has made. Gattuso and Seedorf are just two of the departed players who have since confessed to strained relations with their former coach.

Like the man he will share a touchline with this evening, Allegri's temper has been allowed to obscure his acumen and ability as a strategist at times. Lennon and Allegri both proved their ability to embark upon epic rants three weeks ago. The question now is who will be calling upon that ability tonight.