Laurent Blanc went to Paris to watch France-England, heard the VIPs of French football congratulate him on an outstanding start to his coaching career at Bordeaux and went home feeling, like most of the audience, that the journey had been unfulfilling. “I was disappointed with the match,” he admits. “So many good players, two good teams and what was, after all, a friendly - and it was so cagey.” It provided, he thought, further evidence of “the paradox” of English football: home to some of the most brilliant club teams on earth, and to one of the most insipid national XIs.

Still, Blanc was cheered by aspects of the Paris match. Being a Frenchman, he was happy that his country won, and he was delighted to see Rio Ferdinand captaining England. They were partners in Manchester United’s defence five years ago and Blanc is entitled to believe he played a small part in the younger man’s maturing. “I felt pleased for Rio. He’s a good guy, with lots of experience and a real leadership quality. He’s also a superb player.”

We were talking at Blanc’s latest place of work, the handsome training centre of Girondins of Bordeaux. They appointed the 1998 World Cup-winner as head coach last summer. It is his first management job, and it has proved an inspired choice. The club is pushing Lyons harder than they are used to. Blanc’s reputation as a player, for France and in Italy, Spain and England, had already marked him out as a potential high-riser in management; his first nine months suggest that his name may be in the recruitment plans of the elite.

Glasses have replaced the rolled-down socks, shinpads protruding. As a player Blanc gave off a calm authority; he was quiet in public. As a manager, he is charming, energised with ideas and he is happy to wander down memory lane, to his last two seasons as a player, an important threshold, he says, to his coaching career.

United recruited him at the start of the 2001-2 season, having sold Jaap Stam. Blanc was approaching 36. Sir Alex Ferguson valued his experience and nous, but aspects of English football initially alarmed Blanc. He had come from Inter in Serie A, land of the chainmail back four, and joined a club that would let in 38 goals before Christmas, 28 of them in the league. “In the English league, you could go 2-0 behind and end up winning 3-2. It wasn’t like Italy,” he says, smiling.

United finished third that season. Ferdinand arrived in the summer at a record fee for a defender. Blanc recalls it as a watershed, a key moment in building what would become the finest defence in the Premier League – a mere 15 goals conceded going into yesterday – and among the best in Europe. “One of the first things Alex Ferguson said to me when I got there was that Manchester United had to play differently in the Champions League than they did in the Premier League. He was convinced their tactical system had to be very distinct in Europe. All the English teams in the Champions League have realised that since. The English game is brilliant to watch, but its culture had not been effective in Europe. That has changed, and that’s the good thing foreigners have brought to England.”

The 42-year-old can be counted among the influences. As a player, he came to England after his peak. As a teacher, he had a role. “I did spend some time with Rio and Wes Brown, and maybe I was there when there was a bit of cultural change at United and in English football generally. We used to do specific drills. Alex insisted that we should do more of that, but it was also true that at the beginning the players weren’t especially motivated by that. They weren’t so used to it.” Did Blanc enlighten them? “I had a few ideas. In the first few sessions we had specifically on defending, I contributed some ideas. It led to improvements. At the beginning some of the players were not so keen, but we got into the habit of dedicated sessions on defending, practising different scenarios. I think that was of some benefit for the players, and the young players, like John O’Shea, Wes Brown, Phil Neville, and Rio, who was young but had a lot of experience. England has always had had defenders with great qualities, great commitment, but there was a time when English players did not have the same tactical training as elsewhere.”

United’s defence, adds Blanc, should be the envy of the Continent, well equipped to win the Champions League. They play Roma in the quarter-finals, then a potential hazard awaits should they meet Barcelona in the semi-finals. “The only side with a real chance of stopping an English winner of the Champions League would be Barcelona. Man United have made a great impression, and I like the game Arsenal play, very pleasing to watch, geared to attack. An English team must be the favourite for the Champions League. Chelsea seem very disciplined, Liverpool can look very solid in Europe. And all have talented players up front.”

Naturally, he’d like it to be United. If one or two of their defenders owe Blanc some thanks, he feels greatly indebted to their manager for many of skills he uses in his new job. “From Alex, I learned about man-management,” says Blanc. “He has such good instincts about the relationships between players, understanding how they work, knows exactly how to deal with them, how they will respond to situations.” Did they talk much? “From time to time. But my English is not so great, and with that Scottish accent of his . . .”

Roma v Man Utd Tuesday, ITV1, 7.30pm, kick-off 7.45pm