Managerial sackings, when at the highest level, tend to start a domino effect that goes on to leave other teams in the lurch, and so it’s proven with recent events. The moment Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was, finally, axed by Manchester United, a host of big names were put in the running to take over the Norwegian at Old Trafford.
The cyclical nature of managerial sackings and appointments is nothing new and is already in full swing. Earlier this month Dean Smith was fired by Aston Villa and within a matter of days, he had taken another Premier League post, at Norwich City (who had bizarrely fired Daniel Farke, who had just secured promotion for the Canaries and was then axed hours after his side won their first game of the Premier League season).
One of the names linked with the Man United vacancy was Zinedine Zidane, but it appears that the Premier League side was well aware that the former Real Madrid manager wasn’t interested in a move to manage them; however, the knowledge that Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino was interested in a move back to England, has led to the possibility of a change at the Parc des Princes.
There’s a great deal of speculation that Zidane might be keen on a return to management, and a move to the French capital could be just the type of opportunity that would interest the legendary midfielder.
There’s a great deal of betting activity happening in relation to these, and it could be a great time to make use of your free bets from QuinnBet. Though Pochettino has moved to quash talk of a move to Man United, it’s worth noting that the Argentine’s family still lives in the UK, and he’s been living in a hotel since he moved to PSG since January, which kind of tells its own story.
Factor in that he’s said to find it hard to manage his high-profile players and has little say in transfer activity, which is known to be an issue for the former Tottenham manager.
Zidane’s birthplace, Marseille, could be a factor to consider given the clear hatred that exists between the team from the south of France and the Parisian outfit.
The 49-year-old has been out of management since he left the Bernabeu in May, and he did so in order to take a break from the game, and as such, he may not have had enough time out of the managerial game to want to jump back in again.
PSG sits way clear at the top of Ligue 1, having dropped just nine points after 17 matches, but everyone knows that the only real goal that the club’s super-rich Qatari owners have is to secure their first UEFA Champions League title. Anything short of that usually leads to the eventual dismissal of whoever is in charge.
The likes of Carlo Ancelotti, Laurent Blanc, Unai Emery, and Thomas Tuchel have found to their respective cost over the past eight years.
Pochettino failed to secure the title last season, and that already put him in something of a tricky situation; therefore, a move to Man United might not only be seen as one that works in terms of his family situation but also in terms of securing a relatively stable position.
Zidane, given his status, would perhaps be given more time than most to get PSG to that elusive Champions League title, but the fact that anything less would be deemed a failure might put him off even considering such a high-pressure job.
On the plus side, for PSG’s owners, Zidane is the type of manager who would be able to manage the likes of Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappe, not just because he’s a player who was no doubt idolized by the trio, but he’s known to not bow to player pressure.
The coming weeks could prove crucial, any move would need to be made sometime before the Champions League got into its knockout stages, and Man United are said to have already lined up Ernesto Valverde as a potential caretaker boss until they find a manager they really like. Until then, Michael Carrick is at the helm and started his, presumably, short tenure with a useful away win at Villarreal that secured qualification for the next phase.
No doubt they want to learn from the mistake of offering Solskjaer the job on a permanent basis after he impressed during his initial spell in charge, and Pochettino may be the right man to guide Man United in the right direction, much as Zidane might be the right fit for the PSG post.
