If he was anybody else, Zinedine Zidane would have been sacked by now.
Real Madrid are in fourth place in LaLiga, 19 points behind runaway table-toppers Barcelona. After two Champions Leagues in the past two seasons, the decline has been astonishing, with real doubts growing about Zidane’s suitability for the job.
To his detractors, he is a mere ‘facilitator’, eschewing detailed tactical instruction in favour of letting big players do his thinking for him.
After battering Valencia 4-1 at the Mestalla last weekend, it looked like Los Merengues had turned the corner.
On Saturday, however, the Madridistas laboured to a 2-2 draw at Levante, remaining one point behind Marcelino’s side in 3rd place.
Zidane’s job and legacy looks precarious; if he is to stay beyond this season, there are four things he must do sooner rather than later.