Indeed, for a large part they had no decent bench because the players in that list were supposed to be backups.
Zinedine Zidane - 3 time CL winning manager without a job
- Thread starter Bastian
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Hah you've had me on this before with Ligue 1.Be honest, you were absolutely underplaying winning La Liga.
And you would have Real Madrid's spine over prime Piqué, Dani Alves, Abidal, Mascherano, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, David Villa and Messi or the later version including Neymar, Suarez and Alba? There is no way that it's true, to me it's clear example of revisionism that isn't supported by how each teams played in the league or with different managers.
Just to give you examples of why it makes little sense when you put it in context, Casemiro wasn't established before 2016, Carvajal is still not particularly rated and Bale was already injury prone, his last full season was 14/15. Real Madrid defense was a massive question mark up until 2019.
No I actually rate La Liga as one of the best leagues in Europe, it's why I actually value the fact Zidane won it twice above him winning the CL which in itself is brilliant but is a cup competition after all. Just pointing out that R Madrid are expected to challenge every year no matter the manager.If he had just the CL wins and hadn't won LaLiga I wouldn't want him.
I'm just teasing you. And it's the same for me, while I value the 3 CLs and the way they won them, winning the league demonstrates that his team can have a high floor and consistency, it's even more important in La Liga where Barcelona and/or Atletico Madrid are never far and where a draw or a loss can be the difference between finishing first and third. La Liga is the league with the highest pressure to win every weeks because your opponents are unlikely to often drop points.Hah you've had me on this before with Ligue 1.
If he had just the CL wins and hadn't won LaLiga I wouldn't want him.
From a PL fan viewpoint I think that one of the mistake that is made is to count the amount of winners, superficially it's interesting if you are a casual watcher but in reality when you look at each seasons, it points to inconsistency not tough competition the last two league titles have been won with 18 and 12 points from the second team, the previous season was great in terms of competition but it was an outlier and a two team race, the season before that City won with 19 points away from United and the trend continue with every seasons being not very close.
Yeah I have always thought this too, think the nearest he came to coming here was Blackburn in summer of 95 after they won league
I'm sure he's gutted he missed out on that.
I think there are two questions being conflated in this thread which is leading to some of the wild and illogical takes.
The questions are:
1) Is Zidane a top quality manager?
2) Is Zidane right for Manchester United?
Now the answer to the first question is ‘yes,’ and frankly the people trying to downplay his record in this thread are just being pathetic.
But the second question is altogether more complex. Because of the history of the club, many United fans have a very particular idea about the kind of manager they want, and Zidane does not meet sone of the criteria. There are also other issues: language, the fact he doesn’t really want to come to England, the fact that everyone knows he’s waiting for the France job etc. etc.
It’s ok to say that you’d prefer Ten Hag or whoever without trying to downplay Zidane’s incredible achievements. I see many people in this thread have done that, and credit to them. It’s the peeps trying to claim that Zidane was somehow ‘carried’ to unprecedented success that sound ridiculous.
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Fjortoft said he spoke to someone at the club (not Ole) who completely dismissed this link. Julian Laurens and Romano have also said there is nothing going on here. Duncan Castles is a shit-stirrer.
He clearly doesn’t want the job, and even if he takes it he’ll constantly have one eye on the France job. I don’t want an Ancellotti at Everton moment.
Either bring in Rodgers or an interim until the summer. This Zidane chase feels as futile as some of the audacious transfer targets we missed out over the years.
Either bring in Rodgers or an interim until the summer. This Zidane chase feels as futile as some of the audacious transfer targets we missed out over the years.
Brendon with Rangnick as a DOF or consultant could improve the structure and style of play
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I have no clue how a manager is able to be underrated after winning 3 CL’s and 2 leagues within just a few years but Zidane has done it. It’s like people think he just patted Ronaldo on the back and told him to go win.
It's because of the galactico era; Real Madrid are seen as a club that is always brimming with world class players, and thus basically anybody could win trophies there with minimal ability and effort.
I don't agree with it, I mean we are experiencing first hand how a useless manager can create a hopeless team despite having world class players at his disposal. But on the other hand there is at least a question mark over just how good he is, and how much of Real Madrirds success was down to him and how much of it was down to the quality of the players. That'll stay with him until he goes to another club.
Ole's doing that exact thing, it's really a shame it's not that easy.
I just thought about something, unlike pretty much all the other top managers Zidane won't talk to the press unless he has to, he isn't going to give an interview where he talks about philosophy, Heavy Metal or the art of passing sideways. None of the journos that you see have clue about what Zidane thinks and he won't tell them which means that no one popular is going to regularly write wax lyricals about Zidane and he doesn't care. To some extent he reminds me Heynckes though I may have missed german articles and hype?
We can't have nice things.
You mean like Ronaldo, Varane, Bruno, Sancho, Greenwood and Cavani?
Ronny, Varany, Bruny, Sanchy, Greeny, Cavany are ok I suppose.
It would be nice to have a coaching team who have a clue what to do with them.
Yeah. Eventually it will happen.
It's like being given a top of the range TV but you realise that you live in a house with the electricity cut off.
Or you’ve got the wrong remote control
Which journo even started this rumour to begin with? Some guy on sky germany named Terry Flanders? They are trying their best to suck you guys in. Don't fall for it people.
Yeah none of the usual suspects have reported anything positive on it at all
Duncan Castles
Even though Pep's management is great - isn't his success due to the quality of his players too?
I mean iniesta, Xavi, Puyol, Pique, Villa, Alba, Busquets and others were winning World cups and Euros for Spain. Messi is regarded by some to be the GOAT.
It's just because Pep had a style of play that is seen wherever he goes.
Zidane might not have that - but I don't think a manager really has to make his team play to a rhythm does he?
Ultimately - all that matters as a manager is the ability to manage something by seeing what has gone wrong or could go wrong and for them to manage to turn it right or correct isn't it?
What's the benefit of Pep's team playing Tiki Taka football if Zidane has realised that a few tweak of his tactics stops the opposition scoring a goal and allows his team to do so.
Heynkess is the recent manager that's been brought up with no obvious 'style' to his team who was ultimately better than Pep at Bayern wasn't he?
The current Man Utd squad is arguably better than the 2019/2021 Madrid squad that he worked with.
This team is quality on paper. No need to downplay it.
This team is quality on paper. No need to downplay it.
A period that spawned the immortal line: “we don’t need Zidane, we’ve got Tim Sherwood.”
I don't think signing a coach who is known for his man managing skills, wants a different job than the one you're offering him and doesn't speak English very well is a recipe for success.
Kinda sounds like us at the moment though . E.g chase a player for two years for a problem area then sign him for a ridiculous amount of money only to play him on the other side and then Bench him .I Can see us bringing in a man manager that can't speak English that wants another Job it's the new " United way "
100% agree. Our squad on paper should be one of the best, if not the best, in world football
This is a weird thing. Zidane has said that he does not speak English, has no desire to learn English, Has no desire to manage in the PL, and yet these rumors continue.
While the likes of Ronaldo, Varane and Pogba are here then the links will continue whether true or not just because of the French/ex manager connection. It’s lazy journalism and easy way to fill papers.
Yup I can only see 3 jobs for Zidane and that’s Juve, PSG or the French National team there’s no chance he comes to England.
Even PSG is very unlikely considering his Marseille ties.
The one thing I find irritating with Zidane is -
How can such a potentially legendary manager not want to join the PL and take on Pep, Tuchel, Conte and Klopp with his own version of his BPL team?
It just kind of seems the perfect time both for him and us but it's like he doesn't want the competition or doesn't see anything about us as attractive.
How can such a potentially legendary manager not want to join the PL and take on Pep, Tuchel, Conte and Klopp with his own version of his BPL team?
It just kind of seems the perfect time both for him and us but it's like he doesn't want the competition or doesn't see anything about us as attractive.
When has Zidane said that he had no desire to learn English? Also I don't think that he has ever said that he had no desire to ever manage in the PL, his agent said that he wasn't interested in 2018 because he was tired and focused on his family, he also added something that makes little sense in 2021 which is that he doesn't like the style of the PL which could make sense in 1995 and not so much in 2021.
Almost all of what you read or hear is people speculating with Zidane rarely talking to anyone.
He’s not interested, get over it. The board are probably loving these rumours pulled out of thin air to give the illusion that they’re actually trying to improve the situation.
It was on the ESPNFC following the Portugal loss. The Spanish correspondent they use was speaking. He further went on to say that without speaking English this squad would be very difficult to manage and right now they all need to understand their exact roles. I don't know if it is opinion or fact? It is consistent with what has been said all along.
That consultant is full of shit, Zidane notoriously doesn't talk to the press and he sure as hell doesn't talk to ESPN. It's typically the things that do my head in, like Dugarry who isn't friend or close to Zidane and randomly speaks for him.
I don't think that Zidane would join United in the middle of the season, I also don't think that it would be a job that he would target, I see him in his former clubs and Marseille if the conditions fit or the french national team but keep in mind that all the journalists talking for Zidane are pretending to have a clue. Even Fred Hermel who is one of the few journalist to have a relationship with him admitted that he can only speculate.
Smart guy
England isn't the be all end all. Especially when you are talking about someone that has already managed the biggest club in the world whilst also in the most highest pressure cooker in football and won everything there is to win in the space of 4/5 years. Every club in England is a step down for him so I understand why he isn't interested. And it's not like he has something to prove in the first place.
Enjoy life for another year and go take the France job after the World Cup. manage your 10-15 games a year with stars in every position stress free, statpad against the International dross yearly and win a Euro/WC on the way. His CV in football is complete then and the best combined player and manager CV of all time. I doubt he will be asked why he didn't manage in England when he is retired for good.