Back in 2013 when Manchester United chose David Moyes to replace Sir Alex Ferguson they probably could have had their pick of the world's greatest managers.
Five years on they will have a huge job on their hands if they want to persuade Zinedine Zidane to take over from Jose Mourinho in the middle of what is already shaping up to be a tumultuous season.
After a half a decade of rudderless drifting: the appointment of three very different coaches, and haphazard transfer activity, the club – at least from Zidane's point of view – does not represent a challenge that he would accept without thinking… and much less in the middle of a campaign.
Sources close to the Frenchman speaking frankly to Sportsmail at the weekend said their understanding of the triple Champions League-winning coach's state of mind at the moment was that he does not need to test himself at a club that still needs major surgery in the transfer market to turn it into a serious big trophy contender.
Especially when it showed in the summer that it was reluctant to carry out that surgery.
The job would be a hospital pass right now and although he wants to get back into management he is not sure that replacing Mourinho at Manchester United is the smartest way to do it.
The one thing that could change his mind is perhaps the prospect of working with, and getting the best out of Paul Pogba.
And if the Manchester United hierarchy decide that they are going to come down on Pogba's side and not Mourinho's in the biggest battle of wills at Old Trafford then it makes sense to at least make a pitch for Zidane, who wanted Pogba at Real Madrid in 2016.
Zidane would certainly change Pogba's mood and the general mood at Old Trafford. The positive body language and the relaxed demeanour would lift the gloom.
He never lost that sunny disposition in two and a half years at Real Madrid so there is little chance the United job would crush him in the way it might other candidates.
The relationship with the players would be different. There would be no more training ground death stares caught on camera.
The only footage making it's way out of Carrington would be of Zidane pinging crosses to the edge of the six-yard box for his striker to line-up and volley goalwards at David de Gea.
There would be a return to the 'defend the players at all cost' management style that Mourinho always displayed in his early days at Porto, Chelsea and Inter.
When Real Madrid wanted to sign a goalkeeper last January – Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga – he vetoed it out of loyalty to the keepers he already had and a sense that the group he started the campaign with should be the one he finished it with. He always stood up for his players.
And if relations are strained then he knows how to handle it without it becoming headline news.
There were problems with both James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale at Real Madrid but grievances were never publicly aired.
The park the bus jokes would have to be parked for good because Zidane does not set his teams up to defend. Some would say he can't. Others would argue he chooses not to.
Real Madrid conceded 15 goals more than Barcelona and 22 more than Atletico Madrid last season as they trailed the eventual La Liga winners by 17 points.
The emphasis would be on covering the defensive cracks by going on the attack. That might be for the best considering the limited resources he would inherit at the back.
It would not be long before he was asking for the club to sign Raphael Varane however. He had a close bond with Varane at Madrid, first forged when he called him up to persuade him to join the club in 2011.
He had to call back when Varane put the phone down because he thought it was a practical joke.
United wanted Varane too that summer but Real Madrid got their man thanks to Zidane's charisma. Mourinho also wanted Varane at the start of this season.
Perhaps United would have more chance of convincing the player if Zidane was the manager at Old Trafford. First they have to convince Zidane. And cash alone will not be enough.
He tore up the two years he had left on his €9m a season deal when he quit Madrid last summer, money is not a priority.
Neither could the club sell him the dream, pulling on his heart strings because he has never shown any emotional link to Manchester United or to English football.
He did pose in an old red phone box on a recent visit to London however. Maybe he would pick the phone up to Ed Woodward. Ask the people close to him and they will tell you, it would only be to give a very polite 'thanks but no thanks'.
There is an elite cast of coaches in the Premier League, the man who was never not a Champion of Europe in his short reign as Madrid coach would probably enrich it further. But it will not be easy persuading him to try.
kabemoru
210
zidane succeeded in real Madrid bcoz he was played for real Madrid and also assistant manager in 2014 with anceloti who bought la decima to real Madrid then he went to coach real Madrid b team where he devolped young players achraf hakimi bla black he well knows the had good relationship with real Madrid players that time so the after benitez failure real Madrid players and fans want zidane to take the charge he came and conquered 9 trophies with real Madrid army but still I don't know why united fans are changing zidane zidane French men is right for this job.. Antonio conte is right coach for united bcoz he won EPL and FA cup with Chelsea last year's ago..
likeermen
146
Someone who has only managed the best club in the world by some distance - never built a team is in the running for the United job? Rivalry aside, I cannot see it working for United. I do not deny that Zidane is a talented manager, but it seems a bit of a risk in my eyes - if I was a united fan I would want a manager with a proven record with a lot of experience - someone who knows how to handle the dressing room issues going on at the moment etc.
FappMaester
85
when we say Manchester United, we think of Sir Alex Fergusson, and trophies. Since Fergie retired, 3 managers have took over and all struggled. Even with world-class players the managers all struggled to keep up with the team. Now, for me, United needs mature players to guide the others on the pitch. Note that United were very successful when Zlatan played for them, and since he left united have crumbled bit by bit. Why is that? There's no leader amongst them. Liverpool have Milner and Henderson, and young van Djik has proven to be a leader as well, despite his young age. But at United? There's no player who has the quality of "leader". Sanchez is a hasbeen, Lukaku is a follower, Martial and Rashford are too young. For me, to revive United, they need at least 2 senior player of world - class caliber, 2 defenders, and a world-class manager. Right now, that manager could be Zidane. As for the players, well, Varane and Umtiti would be the perfect pick. Both are French, both love Zidane, and both are absolutely world-class. As for the midfield, Fred is useless, overrated. I'd pick Aaron Ramsey, he's an excellent player with low-maintenance in terms of cash. Of course in the front we don't need more strikers, if there's a wish to add more they'd have to offload and I'd sell Sanchez at any given day (hell I'd rather have Gervinho instead of Sanchez). As for a leader inside the pitch, right now, I can't think of anyone that would fit in for the current United players.... A good Midfielder to pair-up with Matic would be awesome. Any suggestions?
nionpru
72
MU spirit and culture must be preserved. There's no such thing as instance success. Nobody wants to take over from a rudderless dispirited team and inheriting players that did not shape their vision. Bringing back ex MU players turn coaches like Ryan Giggs would be a good idea to make that slight transformation. When players are no longer playing for the head coach, there's no recipe for success. There's still pride at stake but JM has to go.