Zinédine Zidane has revealed what the main thrust of his philosophy in charge of Real Madrid will be. The Frenchman knows all about the tastes and demands of the Bernabéu faithful and will make a concerted commitment to attacking football.
For starters, Zidane plans to build the team around the BBC again and bolster their status. Although he got on well with Gareth Bale, Rafa Benítez had major problems with the other two thirds of the attacking trio, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, while Zizou has enjoyed a fantastic relationship with the pair ever since his time as Real Madrid's assistant manager."I'm going to play with all three. That's definitely the idea", the former midfielder has stated. This statement of intent is reminiscent of Carlo Ancelotti's comment that the BBC were "non-negotiable" starters when fit.
Although Benítez selected the front three together most of the time, he often gave the impression that he was doing so through gritted teeth. For instance, his decision to take off Benzema at important junctures of key matches, such as against Atlético Madrid and Valencia, underscored deep-seated misgivings harboured by the players, fans and even the board about his conservative streak.
Zidane has set out to bury any such doubts from the word go. He wants to reinvigorate spirits in the dressing room and get along with everyone - including Bale who, in theory, could be seen as one of the big casualties of the regime change.
The 1998 Ballon d'Or winner will also use his man-management skills and charm to bring James and Isco, two players who found themselves fall from grace under Benítez, back into the fold. The challenge will be to find a way for the duo to dovetail with Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and the BBC without sacrificing the team's balance.
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