Zinedine Zidane had an emphatic start as Real manager on Saturday as the Blancos thrashed Deportivo 5- 0. However, i saw this very interesting article, written by Jason Pettigrove on Sportskeeda.com and i had to share on the blog.  He’s outlined 5 things the Frenchman should do to have a successful spell at the Bernabeu.

1. Rid the dressing room of egos – If there is one thing that characterizes any Real Madrid team, it is the amount of egos that are in play in the dressing room.If Zizou wants harmony at the Santiago Bernabeu, then he needs to make abundantly clear that there is only one boss. And his players are looking at him.

2. Not be swayed by Florentino Perez – Florentino Perez is an omnipresent figure at Real Madrid. From exerting influence by having a say in team selection to taking players aside to remind them of their responsibilities, the president’s penchant for undermining his managers is legendary. Zidane needs to have the gumption to face up to the may who has given him the biggest of breaks and, frankly, tell it as it is. If the Frenchman can persuade his paymaster to take a back seat, in order that he can concentrate solely on matters in hand, then Zidane might just have half a chance at success.

3. Win a trophy this season– Only the Champions League and La Liga are possibilities for Zidane in his opening campaign. If Real were to win the second El Clasico of the season and other results come and go on a like for like basis, then only two points will separate these two Spanish behemoths. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility for either to be dropping more points than that between now and the end of the campaign. 

4. Find the right midfield blend– The real issue isn’t BBC {Bale,Benzema,Cristiano), the real issue is between the two, in the middle of the park. Isco is unhappy and needs to be sold if he is unhappy at an almost permanent tenure on the substitutes bench. Mateo Kovacic also needs to understand his role more fully. The mercurial Croatian talent is simply far too good to be sat on the bench.

5. Sell Ronaldo -No longer the force he once was, it is becoming clearer by the game that the ex-Manchester United man should be sold. If the intention is to build a team around Gareth Bale in any event, then now or in the summer at the latest are the most opportune times to enter the market. Ronaldo can still command a hefty fee at this moment and there’ll be no shortage of takers. 

Read full article here