What if Zidane replaced Mourinho? Winners, losers and a predicted Man Utd XI

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With reports that Zinedine Zidane has designs on succeeding Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford, we decided to look at what it would mean for the current Manchester United squad on and off the pitch.

Zidane enjoyed unprecedented success at Los Blancos when he helped them win three consecutive Champions League trophies.

Meanwhile at Old Trafford, Manchester United have struggled to recapture the glory years presided over by legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson during his 27-year spell at the club.

With current incumbent Jose Mourinho at odds with club CEO Ed Woodward, and frustrating fans with flat football, his confrontational attitude as well as last season’s trophyless campaign, some bookmakers have predicted that the Portuguese tactician will be the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season, with Zidane tipped as the favourite to replace him.

Zidane had some of the world’s best players at his disposal at Madrid: from five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo to Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos, Sergio Ramos and recent World Cup Golden Ball-winner Luka Modric.

Manchester United may not boast a squad quite as formidable as the reigning champions of Europe – especially the 2016/17 edition – but there would still be plenty of talent for Zidane to take under his wing at Man Utd.

Here we predict how Zidane’s tactics would impact on the Red’s starting XI and guess the winners and losers among United’s players should Zizou get the top job at Old Trafford.

Predicted XI

Zidane has been criticised for his tactical approach to the game, in the sense that he doesn’t really have one. The Frenchman demonstrated a pragmatism and an emphasis on individuals over any prescribed system during his time in the Real Madrid dugout.

The World Cup winner knows how to bring out the best in his players, finding a way to balance egos as well as ensuring each individual Galactico could flourish.

Isco’s growing importance to the side last season saw the Frenchman switch from a 4-3-3 to a diamond formation in order to free the Spaniard completely. It also allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to occupy a position even further forward.

When Isco was rested, however, Zidane changed style once again. Exploiting the dynamism of Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez, Real Madrid took on a 4-4-2 of sorts, with both Spanish flyers providing extreme width and prioritising getting crosses into the box.

With pragmatism and man-management as his best traits, Zizou would be able to work with what he found at Old Trafford. The Red Devils lack out-and-out wide players, especially a left-footer, so Zidane is unlikely to restore United’s traditional 4-4-2 formation that brought them such glory over the years. As a result, the 4-3-3 or 4-3-1-2 system he used at Madrid is the most likely formation.

If that’s the case, then here’s how United would likely shape up.

Goalkeeper: David de Gea

One of, if not the best ‘keeper in the world at the moment, De Gea kept the most clean sheets between the sticks last season. The fact he was a reported target for Real Madrid throughout Zidane’s tenure means he is definitely going to start.

Right-back: Antonio Valencia

One of the few remaining players from the Ferguson era, club captain Valencia has matured in his role at right-back and has been consistently one of United’s best players over the last few campaigns.

Centre-back: Eric Bailly

Was out for most of last season with injuries, but the Ivorian is undoubtedly United’s best centre-back when he does play. Finding him a suitable partner would be Zizou’s biggest challenge.

Centre-back: Chris Smalling

Finding a partner for Bailly is a difficult task and is one that frustrated Mourinho last season and during pre-season when he failed to land any of his centre-back targets. However, after Bailly, Smalling just edges Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Victor Lindelof in central defence. Although the Swede is already staking his claim to start.

Left-back: Luke Shaw

Ashley Young was one of United’s best players last season and was solid at left back. However, Young is a right-footed player and with Shaw showing improvements he is the better choice in this position, he also has youth on his side.

Defensive midfield: Fred

United’s only high-profile signing this summer is a perfect fit for the ‘Casemiro’ role above United’s back line. Like his compatriot at Los Blancos, fiery Fred has the right mentality to allow his colleagues to roam forward while providing cover to his centre-backs, he’s also not shy in the tackle and is capable of bombing forward when needed.

Centre midfield: Paul Pogba

United’s most expensive player has not fully lived up to the potential he showed in Serie A with Juventus, this has been attributed to numerous different factors regarding his relationship with Jose Mourinho off the pitch and what the Portuguese manager asks of him on it.

Given the strengths of Zidane’s management style highlighted in the outset, Pogba’s compatriot could well prove the perfect manager to fully unleash him.

Centre midfield: Nemanja Matic

If Pogba is loosely Zidane’s Modric then Matic would be his Kroos. Despite possessing a different profile to the German, Matic is also able to dictate the game at his own pace. Often seen shrugging off opposition players who try and force his hand, the Serbian would be the glue that holds the side together; the player that can bring calm to high-pressure moments and see a game out when required.

Attacking midfield: Jesse Lingard

Along with Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard is a Red through and through. He’s also becoming a highly accomplished player. Just like Isco at Madrid, the 25-year-old is never still, making constant runs through the channels and can be found anywhere in the final third, on either flank and more centrally. Juan Mata is an older hand, but despite Lingards off-pitch frivolity the England international is increasingly maturing on the pitch and becoming indispensable at Old Trafford.

Forward: Alexis Sanchez

Sanchez had a difficult time fitting in at Old Trafford after he arrived on the scene last January, citing exhaustion as the reason. But with a full pre-season behind him, it’s not unfair to expect the Chilean forward to re-capture the excellent form he showed in north London, something Jose Mourinho himself expects.

The current Man Utd manager said the following towards the end of last season: “Hopefully next season he will be better, which is what we think is going to happen.”

Whether Jose Mourinho is the man to oversee such an upturn in form remains unclear. Should Zidane be the person to do it, playing Sanchez alongside another attacker up front is likely to be his preferred method.

Striker: Romelu Lukaku

Lukaku didn’t achieve the goal haul that he would’ve liked last season, but the Belgian is still a terrifying prospect for the best of defenders in the Premier League. With players behind him given more license to attack, expect his goal tally to increase dramatically.

Winners and losers

Jose Mourinho favours strong, defensively minded players who have the discipline to adhere to his tactical system, if Zidane is recruited then the club’s priorities will change, and that means there will be some winners and losers among the squad.

Here are two of the likeliest winners and losers if such a reshuffle did happen.

Winners

Luke Shaw

Shaw hasn’t been the same since he suffered a horrific leg break against PSV Eindhoven in 2015, and has only been a sporadic player in United’s first team ever since.

However, with Ashley Young still regaining fitness from his extended holiday after the World Cup, the Englishman made a case to feature more prominently in the starting XI after an excellent performance against the Foxes in United’s Premier League opener, which saw him grab his first goal at senior level.

Marcus Rashford

Rashford is another player that has perhaps not been allowed to fully express himself under Mourinho. The 20-year-old Mancunian burst onto the scene under Louis van Gaal due to an injury crisis towards the end of the Dutchman’s tenure.

Now Man Utd’s No.10, Rashford impressed with goals on his debut, whilst his incisive attacking play and ability to make a difference in the big games saw him become one of the most exciting young prospects to emerge from the club in recent years.

He still showed flashes of his promise last season, but despite featuring in a team-high 52 games, 26 of those were as a substitute as he was forced to play a diminished role in Mourinho’s side due to the introduction of Lukaku, further compounded by the January arrival of Sanchez; Rashford was brought 18 times in the Premier League last season, at least five more times than any other teammate.

A local lad adored by United fans, Zidane the romantic will want to get the best out of him. Also, with two strikers likely to be used, he would have a greater chance of playing in his preferred role, as well as being given some help and support when deployed in it.

Losers

Marouane Fellaini

The bushy-haired Belgium international has only played a minor role at Old Trafford since David Moyes brought him to the club in 2013.

The 30-year-old’s most valuable asset has been his ability to use his imposing presence in the box at the end of games that United are losing or chasing, sometimes to great effect. However, there are simply better players in Fellaini’s position at the club, and his role as a cameo player is unlikely to change under a Zidane led regime.

Scott McTominay

The Scotland international showed great promise last season and Mourinho awarded him with the club’s Player of the Year award.

McTominay is solid in possession and equally reliable in defence, but the Scot already faces a tall order to break into United’s first team, with the like of Pogba, Matic, Ander Herrera, Fred and now Andreas Pereira ahead of him.

With Zidane’s slight alteration in style, McTominay will face an even more difficult task of breaking into a first team that will have fewer places for a defensively-minded midfielder.

The post What if Zidane replaced Mourinho? Winners, losers and a predicted Man Utd XI appeared first on Squawka News.



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