New Delhi: Rolling back a few months, back to the off-season, there was an air of excitement and positivity around all things Manchester United following the INEOS takeover. The new controlling owners of the club brought about a proper structure behind the scenes, something that was much needed at Manchester United and then-manager Erik Ten Hag was given everything he asked for to help deliver results.
Club legend Ruud Van Nistelrooy was brought back to the club in a widely appreciated yet puzzling move as the Dutchman was in talks to takeover as manager of Burnley, only to sign at United as an assistant manager. Fast forward a months to the present day and things went down the hill massively. Ten Hag was sacked towards the end of last month after overseeing the club’s worst ever start to a season and Van Nistelrooy was given the role on a temporary basis.
There was a sense amongst fans and pundits alike when Nistelrooy was brought into the club that the 48-year-old was seen as a failsafe in case Ten Hag had to be sacked midway through the season. While that did end up being true for a short span, no one expected the club legend would depart mere months into his two-year contract at Old Trafford. The question now begs, where does the Dutchman go from here?
Did Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s pass his Manchester United audition?
Its no secret that Manchester United were in huge trouble when Nistelrooy was handed the reins as the interim boss. He had a limited time period to show his prowess to the world and make a name for himself as a manager at a club where he made a name for himself as a player. One positive on his side was the fact that he wasn’t a newbie heading into this role and already had managerial experience in his kitty.
The 48-year-old already had a successful spell with PSV during his sole season in charge of the club. He managed the club during the 2022/23 season and guided them to a second placed finish in the Eredivisie while also winning the KNVB Cup and the Johan Cruyff Shield. Given his previous experience as manager, there were some expectations from the Dutchman and he did not disappoint.
He took over an uninspiring Manchester United side that were struggling to score goals under Erik Ten Hag and managed to remain unbeaten during his time with the same squad Ten Hag had four defeats with. The biggest issue for Ten Hag was that his side weren’t able to score goals, with the club scoring less than 60 goals in the league in both full seasons Ten Hag was overseeing but Nistelrooy rectified just that.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy as the manager:
– 4 games
– 0 losses
– 11 goals scored
– 3 goals conceded
– Unlocked Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte
Whatever happens, I’ll always be grateful pic.twitter.com/7j9t8zNtB9
— T🕷️(fan) (@TheUnitedLad__) November 10, 2024
The 48-year-old had his side scoring 11 goals in his four games in charge and started his tenure by completely blowing Leicester City away with a 5-2 win on his managerial debut in an EFL Cup clash. Not only did he improve the club’s attack but also shored up their defense as the club only conceded one goals in his next three games in charge, that too came in a 1-1 draw against Chelsea where his boys frustrated the Blues throughout the night.
While he did have relatively weaker opposition to face, you can only beat what’s in front of you and he did in three out of the four games he took charge of and did so comfortably. His side beat PAOK 2-0 before breezing 3-0 past Leicester City and even though the performance against the Foxes wasn’t up to the mark throughout, the result never looked in doubt for the Red Devils.
Under Nistelrooy, even Bruno Fernandes, who was having a terrible start to the campaign, found his old form scoring four goals and assisting two more in four appearances under the club legend. The sample size isn’t big enough to call Nistelrooy’s spell as United’s interim manager a resounding success but he showed a lot of positive signs which show that he might be capable of managing a Premier League club on a permanent basis.
Which clubs can look at appointing Ruud Van Nistelrooy?
Given his exploits in his short spell as United’s interim manager and also taking into consideration what he did with PSV, Nistelrooy could be a solid choice for any mid-to-lower table club in the English top-flight. Wolves and Southampton are two Premier League clubs whose managers are struggling badly and they could be given the boot if results don’t improve. If that does happen, Nistelrooy can be a decent option for either of the sides.
West Ham is another club that is not where it’s supposed to be and fans are really getting annoyed with Julen Lopetegui. The Spaniard seems to be getting closer to the sack with each passing gameweek and Nistelrooy can be an out of the box option for the Hammers. If we move away from the Premier League, it’s unlikely that the Dutchman would want to drop down a level but tensions seem to be brewing between Burnley and Scott Parker and the club could turn to their preferred choice now if Parker is shown the door.
Manchester United legend Ruud Van Nistelrooy has left the club following the expiry of his spell as the interim head coach at the club with Ruben Amorim arriving at Carrington to takeover from the Dutchman. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
