How Zidane-move can prove fruitful to Manchester United?

Manchester United are stuck in a rut with defeats to Brighton and Tottenham plunging Mourinho’s position into uncertain waters. The 55-year-old is understood to retain the backing of the club’s hierarchy for now, with Ed Woodward boosted by their first-half performance against Spurs.

Other reports have claimed, though, that Manchester United will bring the axe crashing down on Mourinho if they slip to defeat at Burnley on Sunday. Zidane’s shadow is looming large with the Frenchman available following two-and-a-half successful years at Real Madrid.

 

 

Winning mentality

We have this strange habit in football of playing down any achievement – we did it when Pep Guardiola won everything under the sun at Barcelona (all thanks to Messi), we continue to do it with him at Manchester City (no Messi, but would you look at all that money?).

Hell, some people even managed to do it when *Leicester City* won the Premier League (they were lucky that the top six had all had a bad year at the same time, apparently). Zidane had great players at his disposal at Real Madrid. Yes, he wouldn’t really have many if any close to that in this current United squad.

Clearly, Zidane brought something out in this group that other managers could not (Mourinho included, let’s not forget). He made few signings, built a strong team spirit and created a big-game mentality that saw them conquer Europe in a way that no team has in decades – the last side to win three European Cups in a row was Bayern Munich in 1976.

 

Tactical flexibility

Some point to Zidane and cannot see a particular tactical system, which in this day and age pretty much makes you a caveman in the eyes of some, but it may also be a big strength. The 46-year-old does not seem wedded to one philosophy or approach, but his Real Madrid teams played fast, effective, clinical football.

In many ways, it was reminiscent of United under Sir Alex Ferguson – do whatever it takes in any given match to get the result needed; play to your strengths; win at all costs.

One imagines there is a bit more subtlety to it than that behind the scenes, but, like Ferguson, it feels like 50% of the performance comes from the iconic figure that Zidane is. One of the greatest players of all time, he has an aura about him that commands respect and is clearly a superb motivator.

 

No transfer whinging

 

The only three signings Madrid made under Zidane were Alvaro Morata (brought back for his buy-back clause at Juventus), Dani Ceballos and Theo Hernandez.

None were essential members of his squad. Between taking over in the middle of 2015/16 and stepping down this May, Zidane barely changed anything in this Los Blancos squad. Of course, signings are less of a priority when you have the likes of Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Isco, Sergio Ramos and all the rest in your squad, but it’s still a pretty impressive feat that’s almost unheard of in the modern game.

Mourinho, meanwhile, spent all summer complaining about transfers. Zidane is a more modern ‘head coach’ and doesn’t seem to be too bothered about ordering his club around in the transfer market. Not once did he whinge about a lack of investment, and that allowed him to get on with the part of the job Mourinho seems to have overlooked.

 

Using vital players like Pogba and Martial

It’s easy to imagine Zidane could give a lift to the confidence of players like Victor Lindelof and Phil Jones in the way that Jurgen Klopp has got another level out of the likes of Dejan Lovren and James Milner at Liverpool. When you imagine what he could do with players like Pogba and Martial, then this United side become a very different prospect indeed.

In many ways, Pogba should be aiming to be the kind of player Zidane was in his pomp, so who better to learn from than the great master himself? Martial, meanwhile, is clearly something of a luxury player who’s never going to track back like Mourinho wants. But the right manager can make players like that work, and with the trust to just get on with what they’re actually good at, they can be lethal.

 

Trust youngsters

Okay, Zidane’s Madrid side wasn’t exactly littered with homegrown academy talents in the way that some of Guardiola’s great Barcelona sides were, but there’s every indication he’d be more willing than Mourinho to give youth a chance.

In less than three years in charge at the Bernabeu, the Frenchman brought Marco Asensio, Borja Mayoral, Marcos Llorente and Dani Ceballos into his squad. He also gave a chance to Casemiro when he wasn’t exactly a youngster, but was on the fringes of the first-team after spending time out on loan.

Mourinho, to his credit, has given chances to Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay, but one imagines there’s a lot more to the MUFC academy that we’re currently seeing, given the immense talent it’s produced over the years.

 

Zidane looks to have all the ingredients to bring United back to their roots and back to the glory years. They have to make this happen.