Former Juventus manager Max Allegri says he is pleased to see the return of counter-attacking to the elite level of European football.
Allegri, who is currently out of work after departing Juve at the end of last season, believes too many sides attempted to replicate Pep Guardiola's possession-heavy style after the Catalan's success with Barcelona.
And the Italian, who has been linked with the vacant Arsenal job this week, says he welcomes the increased variety of styles today.
"I'm seeing a great return for the counter-attack," Allegri told Corriere della Sera.
"We mistakenly followed Guardiola for 20 years. Guardiola's football was not for everyone. You have to have [Andres] Iniesta, Xavi [Hernandez] and [Lionel] Messi. We took a subject that related only to them as a lesson for everyone.
"Today I travel around, I see boys' football, amateur football, I speak with the coaches and I hear things that scare me.
"When I hear [Arrigo] Sacchi talking about keeping the ball and having pro-active attitudes, I don't understand what he's saying and it annoys me. Why should playing vertically not be pro-active football?
"I saw the games of Sacchi 20 times. I remember the one at San Siro in which Milan scored five goals against Real [Madrid]. They played direct. It was a vertical Milan, counter-attacking, which is not easy to do. But when you manage it, it's a great spectacle."
Allegri recently declared that he will not return to coaching until the start of next season, with Bayern Munich and Arsenal both thought to be interested in his services.
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