FINALLY!!! Zinedine Zidane Has Accepted Man United Coaching Job – official unveiling tomorrow
Zinedine Zidane is one of the names in the frame to replace Erik ten Hag if Manchester United decide to sack the under pressure Dutchman, though he is unlikely to take up the job
Although this was well before the pressure started to mount on Erik ten Hag, Zinedine Zidane had already declared himself incapable of accepting the Manchester United job.
Under Ten Hag, United has had a terrible season. They have lost five of their first ten Premier League games, both of their initial Champions League games, and Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup loss against Newcastle.
As a result, club executives have compiled a shortlist of possible Zidane replacements, with the Dutchman being among the top candidates. The Frenchman had a tremendously successful stint with La Liga giants Real Madrid, yet he is now unemployed.
“Do I want to go to Manchester? I understand English, but I don’t master it completely. I know that there are coaches who go to clubs without speaking the language, but I work in a different way,” he told Marca last year.
“Many elements come into play to win, it is a global context. I know what I need to win. When I was a player I could choose and go to almost all the clubs. As a coach, there are not fifty clubs I can go to.
“There are two or three possibilities. If I return to a club it is to win. I say that with all modesty. That’s why I can’t go anywhere. I still want to continue training. And then, why not be in a project where I myself am the leader?”
Though the vultures are circling over Old Trafford, Ten Hag is adamant he is the right man to lead United. And following the defeat to Newcastle, the Dutchman insisted he can turn things around, despite their poor form.
“I understand that when the results are not there, it is a logical process to question [the manager]. But I am confident I can do it. With all my clubs I have done it and also last year I did it here as well. In this moment, we are in a bad place,” he said.
“I take responsibility for it. I see it as a challenge. It is not good enough. We know that. We were in the game and in a couple of minutes we gave the game away. That’s below our standards and we know that. We have to take responsibility for this.
“You only get your confidence when you take responsibility and you fight and you are winning and dictating the crowd. When you do that, you get results and from there you build your own confidence.
“Confidence is something that is in your own hands and that is individual but of course you have to do it as a team. You have to stick together. You have to stick together but you have to be disciplined and you have to do it. And [have] togetherness. Everyone has to take responsibility, be accountable and cooperate – that’s the key word
