Why Ruud van Nistelrooy should get the Man Utd job if Erik ten Hag is sacked

When the time comes, Ruud van Nistelrooy has all the ingredients to succeed Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager.

It emerged this week that the 48-year-old, who returned to Old Trafford in the summer as an assistant coach, would be offered the manager's job on an interim basis if Ten Hag is dismissed.

After a poor run of form featuring two wins from their opening seven Premier League games, Ten Hag's future will be discussed at a long-standing meeting with members of the club's executive committee.

It remains to be seen whether the Dutchman will keep his job beyond Tuesday but should he get the axe, then Van Nistelrooy is one of the favourites to take over alongside Thomas Tuchel.

So what should United fans expect if Van Nistelrooy gets the job? We know the former Real Madrid striker succeeded Roger Schmidt as manager of PSV in 2022 following a short stint at Jong PSV.

Here, he fell short of the Eredivisie title as the Dutch club finished seven points behind Feyenoord, but they did lift two trophies, including the Dutch Cup, where they limited Ajax to zero shots on target across 120 minutes.

To the surprise of many, Van Nistelrooy stepped down as PSV manager before their final game of the season as he felt a “lack of support" within the club.

He later admitted that it would have been “impossible” for him to continue due to his relationship with the club’s hierarchy but during this short spell, we learned a great deal about his philosophy and man-management style.

As a result of working under some of the all-time greats, the Dutchman has adopted some key principles from the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, including using wide areas to stretch the opposition.

Like many modern day managers, he also encouraged an aggressive press to regain possession during his spell at PSV, as well as zonal marking to force turnovers.

Van Nistelrooy opened up on his philosophy and his love "for a certain way of playing" during an interview with Coaches Voice.

"I love the game, and I love a certain way of playing," he said. "At Manchester United, Sir Alex was always pushing us forward. Look forward, play forward, get crosses in, shoot on target. As a player, I loved the way that made me feel. I wanted to play like that, and I want to transmit that same feeling to my teams, to my players.

"There is a long history of great Dutch coaches, and I have so much admiration for the careers they have had. Rinus Michels, Johan Cruyff, Louis van Gaal, Guus Hiddink, Dick Advocaat, and now of course Erik ten Hag and Arne Slot."

He added: "It is motivational for me to continue learning, to continue improving myself, and maybe one day make the steps to show I am capable of that. It’s a fantastic challenge, and I’m looking forward to taking it on."

As well as combining an attacking intent with solid defensive disciplines – not to mention his intent to implement quick transitions – Van Nistelrooy has adopted another trait from Ferguson.

In fact, he named the former Manchester United manager, alongside Sir Bobby Robson, as those who have helped him develop his man-management skills.

"As a player, the most important thing I took from working with Sir Bobby Robson and Sir Alex Ferguson was their relationships with the individual. It’s not a football player; it’s a person," he said previously.

Image credit: Getty

Javier Rabanal, who was Van Nistelrooy's assistant at PSV, gave an insight into his man-management style during an interview with Sky Sports.

"When it comes to tactical knowledge about the game, most of the top coaches in football are at a similar level of understanding. The difference with Ruud was his passion and his ability to communicate his feelings about football to the group," he said.

"He is someone who can connect with people. It does not matter if it is a young player taking their first steps or a player in his final years. I remember the passion with which he spoke before big matches such as the cup final we won against Ajax. He is different."

The amount of elite managers who have helped Van Nistelrooy forge his philosophy over the years is impressive, to say the least. For example, he “learned so much” from was Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, who invited him to attend training sessions at Los Blancos.

“Since leaving PSV, I have taken the opportunity to invest a lot of moments in being with other coaches,” he told the Coaches Voice.

“I asked to go to Madrid, and Carlo Ancelotti invited me over for a week. I attended every session, every meeting, and learned so much from him.

“The club was fantastically open in receiving me; Raul was there too, training with Castilla, the second team, and Alvaro Arbeloa with the Under-19s.

“I also rang my old manager at Malaga, Pellegrini, who invited me over to Sevilla, where he is with Real Betis – and where my old teammate Isco is playing. These are all fantastic moments for me to learn again, you know?”

Image credit: Getty

Van Nistelrooy is said to be 'concerned' about being viewed as an ‘opportunist’ after arriving at Old Trafford in the summer to support Ten Hag, according to the Sunday Mirror, as a source brought up the former striker feeling 'betrayed' at PSV.

But you would expect that the opportunity to take over at his former club, even if it was on an interim basis, would be too difficult to turn down.