A source at Old Trafford contends “nobody would be surprised” if Ruud van Nistelrooy was to become Manchester United manager, an ESPN report reveals.
The 48-year-old returned to the Red Devils this summer as an assistant manager as part of a comprehensive shake up of Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff. Rene Hake, Andreas Georgson and Jelle ten Rouwelaar were also added to the Dutchman’s team, with INEOS believing a refreshing of personnel off the pitch would help produce better results on it.
So far, the theory has not translated to practice.
United have endured their worst Premier League start in history. Eight points from seven games with a goal difference of minus three would constitute a worry for any team; for the biggest club in England, it’s nothing short of disaster.
Yet, it’s the performances which have been as worrying, if not more so, than the results.
United were absolutely abject in successive home matches in the league against Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, losing both games 0-3 without ever looking competitive. In other matches, against teams United should be comfortably beating, they have struggled, offering a stark parallel with the dismal campaign last season.
The defeat to Spurs, which saw the London side register the highest xG by an away team at Old Trafford in history, was then followed by a pair of disappointing draws as the football season entered into the mid-October international break.
The first, a chaotic 3-3 draw in the Estádio do Dragão against Porto in the Europa League ; the second, a drab 0-0 against top rivals Aston Villa in the league. While neither result was enough to make Ten Hag’s position at United any weaker, neither did they make it any more secure.
There had been widespread rumours the Dutchman would not survive the international break. And, had the club decided to pull the trigger on that decision, there are those at United who believe a readymade replacement is already in the building.
ESPN contends Van Nistelrooy has made an “instant impact” since returning to Old Trafford, where he scored 150 goals across 219 appearances from 2001 to 2006.
“Ruud looks like a manager, and he acts like one too,” a source at the club reveals to ESPN. “He has one-on-one meetings with players and there is certainly an aura about him. Nobody will say it, but if he became manager at United, nobody would be surprised.”
While even Ten Hag’s biggest detractors could not fault the 54-year-old’s work ethic or dedication to his role, he has never felt a comfortable fit in the bright lights of Old Trafford. There is a slight awkwardness to his approach; a coldness in his manner.
By contrast, Van Nistelrooy is a magnetic personality with a commanding presence, even from the touchline.
He’s also adored by the United fanbase. Chants which were sung long after Van Nistelrooy departed Old Trafford as a player have returned with a renewed vigour since he came back as a coach. Following the draw against Porto, the Dutchman was the last person to leave the field after the nonplaying substitutes completed their warm downs, “with the 48-year-old applauding fans who stayed behind to sing his name. ”
Van Nistelrooy also has previous managerial experience, albeit brief. He took charge of PSV Eindhoven – another former club – for the 2022/23 season, winning the KNVB Cup (Holland’s equivalent of the FA Cup).
If United’s terrible start to the campaign continues into the winter months, the pressure on Ten Hag (and the club’s executives by extension) will ramp up to a suffocating level. There is not an obvious candidate to immediately replace the 54-year-old either, particularly now Thomas Tuchel has been confirmed as the new England manager.
Yet the right replacement for Ten Hag may present themselves next summer; a point of the calendar where coaches are far more willing to move teams. Ruben Amorim, Sporting’s impressive manager, may be one such option, where a release clause in his contract kicks in next summer.
And in this scenario where INEOS may be playing the waiting game for their long-term option, they may need a short-term one to fill a void until the end of the season. And, according to sources at the club, “nobody would be surprised” if that option was Van Nistelrooy.
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