‘I’m being told’ – Duncan Castles drops unfortunate MUFC manager update after speaking to ‘friend of Zidane’
Duncan Castles, a journalist, has been speaking on The Transfer Window podcast about Manchester United’s managerial situation and where Zinedine Zidane stands right now.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has had a difficult season at Manchester United, having already lost six games this season, including defeats to Liverpool, Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Young Boys. Despite this, it appears that the Norwegian has the board’s support.
While the manager appears to have the support of those who matter at Manchester United, The Times reports that former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane could replace Solskjaer in the dugout if he is relieved of his duties, though according to Castles, there is one major hurdle to overcome if he is offered the job.
Castles has revealed what could prevent Zidane from accepting the Man United job if it were offered to him.
“Where does Zidane stand on this? Well, the guidance I’ve had from a second source – a friend of Zidane – this week, is that he is interested. Having had these entreaties made to him, he is looking at the prospect of taking Manchester United [as] something that intrigues him.
“He has not definitively decided, ‘I am not going to do this’ in the way that’s been described a few weeks ago, it is a, I’m told, ‘live’ consideration for him.
“However, the main complication I’m being told about is that his wife, Veronique, is against the move, that she does not want to move to Manchester, does not want to move to England, and obviously, [that is] a very important relationship and a person who I’m told whose advice is extremely important to Zidane. So that is going to be a hurdle that will have to be overcome if United are to get Zidane.”
There is no denying that Zidane has a huge reputation in the game, both as a player and as a manager at Real Madrid, where he won three Champions League titles in a row.
However, that is the only club he has managed, so moving into a different league and club would be a huge risk – especially joining Man United, who have famously spent a lot of money but have very little to show for it over the years. So he’d have his work cut out for him in terms of instilling a winning mentality in the team.
Something that would help him if he were to replace Solskjaer at Old Trafford is that he would likely have the respect and help of two players he used to manage in Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo and summer signing Raphael Varane, so being able to work with those players again could potentially persuade him to jump at the chance, though it would appear to do very little to convince his wife.
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‘I’m being told’ – Duncan Castles drops unfortunate MUFC manager update after speaking to ‘friend of Zidane’
