Middendorp earlier pointed out that he is "nearly 20 years older" than Zinnbauer, suggesting that though they are both German, they are from different eras.
However, the three-time Absa Premiership Coach of the Month for this season has since outlined why he still considers himself a modern coach despite being from a different era to the new Pirates tactician.
"I'm now 26 years in the professional soccer coaching side, and when you start coaching professionally you have ideas and you must be able [to understand it]," explained Middendorp.
"Let's talk about what is modern. There was a big coach somewhere worldwide who said once, 'Modern is when you pick up points; when you're successful, then you're modern.'
"I have a little bit of an additional idea around it – you have to have the understanding that coaching five years ago, and coaching today is a totally different job.
"We are dealing with another generation of players – the generation Z, being busy with social media, day-in and day-out; 24 hours; seven days.
"And, if you want to approach them in a way that you've done it five or 10 years ago, that's definitely something totally different. The communication has to be done differently.
"So, it doesn't matter which era you're from, if you want to have a place in coaching, have to understand that you are a global player and that you are able to communicate with players, because communicating with players from 5-10 years ago to 2019 is a totally different story.
"You also have to understand the coaching resources we are getting these days – researching models – the Verheijen model in terms of conditioning and strengthening of tactical periodisation that came into the market in the last 10-20 years, it's colossal.
"I think this is something, and it doesn't matter which nationality or era you are going into, you must understand you have to know how to do it, and if not then you'll have no place being on the market – that's 100 percent for sure."