Sir Alex Ferguson made admiration for Zinedine Zidane clear with 15-word statement

Sir Alex Ferguson famously said that with "10 planks of wood" and Zinedine Zidane, he could clinch the Champions League.

Despite snubbing a chance to sign Zidane in favour of sticking with Eric Cantona, the Manchester United legend clearly had a real admiration for the French legend, with Sir Alex expressing his high regard for him during his successful years managing the club. The iconic Scottish mastermind was once quoted as saying: "Give me 10 planks of wood and Zidane and I will win the Champions League."

While Zidane the player never made the move to Manchester, it is being suggested that Zidane the manager could in the near future with reports continuing to link him with the Old Trafford hotseat. Presently, United's current manager Erik ten Hag is feeling the heat following a disappointing start to the season.

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Despite Ten Hag securing an extension earlier this year after guiding United to a shock 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final, his position may soon become precarious again following a shaky start, reports the Mirror, though there is no suggestion that his job is under threat yet. With only one win from three Premier League games and challenging matches ahead both in domestic and European competitions, the Dutchman will have to turn things around with the club wanting an improvement from last season.

United's sole win came against Fulham, with a last-gasp 2-1 loss to Brighton and a heavy 3-0 defeat by Liverpool contributing to their recent performances. They are currently 14th in the league