Search icon

Football

02nd Oct 2018

Zidane to recruit Instagram’s biggest marmite to coaching staff at United if he gets job

Reuben Pinder

Mourinho’s days are numbered.

Third season syndrome has well and truly kicked in for José Mourinho. Again. Results have not been up to scratch for Manchester United this season, performances have been uninspiring and rumours of fall outs between him and Paul Pogba refuse to disappear.

According to a report from RMC SportMourinho has lost the faith of his players, and his days are now ‘numbered’. The report also states that Zinedine Zidane is the leading candidate to replace Mourinho. The former Real Madrid boss, who stepped down from his post at the Santiago Bernabeu in May, has been in London recently to attend FIFA’s The Best ceremony and has reportedly been taking English lessons in preparation for the United job.

He would be guided by a strong French speaking contingent in the United squad, too.

RMC also state that United legend Patrice Evra could become part of the coaching staff at Old Trafford if Mourinho is dismissed for Zidane. The Frenchman was in attendance at the London Stadium on Saturday to watch two of his former teams as West Ham beat United 3-1. Evra was spotted chatting to United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, sparking rumours that he could be recruited as a coach.

One would suspect that such an acquisition would go down extremely well with Paul Pogba, who formed a strong bond with ‘Uncle Pat’ during their time together in the French national team. Anthony Martial, too, would presumably be much happier learning from two of his country’s most lauded footballers of recent years than being scapegoated by Mourinho.

However, you’d have to wonder if the rest of the United squad would take as kindly to being guided by a man who regularly posts videos of himself singing with his rubber duck in the bath tub.

Evra made his France debut in 2004, and Zidane retired after the 2006 World Cup, but their international careers did not properly overlap, as Evra went without a call-up for two years following the return of Eric Abidal and subsequently missed the 2006 World Cup in Germany.