Just as it seemed as though our season was crumbling from beneath us, a beacon of hope has emerged from the darkness that has shrouded Turin. Alberto Zaccheroni has begun life as coach of the Bianconeri with minimal fuss and his record thus far reads; W2 D2 L0.

A fairly fortuitous victory over Genoa at the weekend has been followed up with an impressive 2-1 victory away in Holland against Ajax. How far can the wily old tactician take us?

Alberto Zaccheroni ©Getty Images

Now before we all take to the streets to dance in jubilation, let us remember that Signor Zaccheroni’s tenure is still in its early days and it may perhaps be somewhat of a honeymoon period. However, the improvement in the side is there for all to see, with players looking more comfortable in their roles and the biggest miracle of them all being Amauri remembering he has to put the ball between those two big white sticks. Yes Amauri...it’s called scoring a goal, remember when you used to do it on a regular basis?

His tactical astuteness and strategic manoeuvring of the individuals at his disposal coupled with a wealth of experience have shown that Zac is in fact the real deal and can still cut it at this level. His bold statement in changing formation to a 3-5-2 come 3-4-3 or whatever he wants to call it, is suddenly reaping its rewards and we all wait with baited breath as to where it takes us. However, let us be patient and not get ahead of ourselves. It’s time to just play our football and re-assert ourselves on both the domestic and European scene.

Despite all the trash talk that has been directed at the Europa League, it is what it is. I for one would rather see us fight for some silverware, albeit not the Champions League, whilst attempting to break back into the top four. With Alex Del Piero rolling back the years once again, and Diego suddenly realising it is time to play football, I feel more optimistic about the future...that is until the full time whistle blows against Bologna on Sunday. One game at a time aye fratelli...