It has been a long time since Cristiano Ronaldo has forsaken his tradition ‘siiii!’ goal celebration with the primal scream and the arms outstretched, and run instead to the technical area into the arms of his manger.

He certainly never did it under Rafa Benitez. In Benitez last game in charge there was a moment when Gareth Bale scored to put Real Madrid 2-1 up when the Welshman led a player charge to the touchline.

Everyone hugged every with Bale embracing substitute Dani Carvajal. But Benitez stood slightly to one side, detached from the elation trying to give orders to players who were nearly all not listening.

Sergio Ramos (left) and Cristiano Ronaldo (centre) celebrates with manager Zinedine Zidane on Wednesday

The two Real Madrid players were only too happy to celebrate with their manager during Roma fixture

All three members of the Real Madrid squad celebrate after taking the lead against Roma in Italy

Within a minute Real Madrid had conceded, they drew the game and Benitez was fired. With Zidane in charge the players appear happier to involve the coach in the celebrations and he seems less inclined to pepper those party popper moments with tactical readjustments.

Zidane’s approach may be more lax but it’s a better fit for the players he has at his disposal. So far so good fit, is the verdict after Zidane’s Champions League debut as a coach. He looks like the right manager for this group of players.

When Glenn Hoddle coached Swindon, Chelsea, Spurs and England one of his biggest problems was players’ inability to do the things he had done. Zidane doesn’t have that problem with Ronaldo, Bale and James Rodriguez.

He can admire the goal Ronaldo scored on Wednesday night, the hat-trick Bale scored on Zidane’s debut and the volleys that Rodriguez has made his speciality, every much as they would admire the goals the Frenchman scored in his pomp.

Zidane struggled as Real Madrid Castilla coach. There was no noticeable improvement in the youngsters he took charge of at the start of last season but here he does not really need to improve players. He just needs to free them from the shackles of too much tactical confusion and inspire them to go out play.

Listening to and reading Rafa Benitez recently has left many Real Madrid supporters with mixed feelings. They have nodded knowingly at the suggestion that the president talks to the players and press as often as he does with the coach but there has also been an acceptance that Benitez failed to build a relationship with the players – and that at Real Madrid that is perhaps the most important task.

Zidane’s approach at Real Madrid may be more lax but it’s a better fit for the players he has at his disposal

The Real Madrid squad come together in celebration after Jese scored their second goal of the game in Italy

The Real Madrid players walk back to kick off as a team following their second goal in Italy on Wednesday

Yes the president can be difficult to work with but you have the best players in the world at your disposal and if they are on your side then you are protected from the board.

Carlo Ancelotti knew how to put the dressing room between him and the president and for two seasons it kept him in a job and won him a European Cup medal.

Perhaps it was always going to be difficult for Benitez who had succeeded at Valencia and Liverpool with soldier players who wanted a coach who had second guessed every possible occurrence in every game and prepared his players for all tactical curve balls a 90 minutes could throw them.

The Real Madrid players never really took to former manager Rafa Benitez during his short spell at the club

ZINEDINE ZIDANE'S RECORD AS MANAGER OF REAL MADRID Games: 7 Wins: 6 Draws: 1 Defeats: 0 Goals scored: 25 Goals conceded: 5 Advertisement

At Real Madrid the superstars did not want the detailed analysis they wanted a more hands-off manager. Zidane would never have coached Valencia to two liga titles and Liverpool to two European Cup finals but put him in front of 11 Galaticos and he might just guide them to the Champions League final.

There is a long way to go. Roma are good few notches below the likes of Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City would also all have asked more questions of them in a home first leg.

But as managerial debuts go, it went well and the players returned to training in Spain on Thursday believing that they have the right coach and that they are on the right road to pursue the club’s 11th European Cup.

Ronaldo is still playing his best football in that inside left position that enables him to pick the ball up wide

There have been no great tactical innovations. The playing system continues to drift between a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3. Ronaldo is still playing his best football in that inside left position that enables him to pick the ball up wide and drift in field on to his strongest foot.

There is no real change in personnel either. The best team is written in stone – the most expensive eleven players start the game. There is no need to hide team-sheets or even close training sessions. There is little room for manoeuvre for a manager whose greatest power is to influence mood.