Manchester United could already have a replacement in the pipelines
Manchester United have backed Erik ten Hag ahead of the new season(Image credit: Getty Images)
Manchester United's decision to keep Erik ten Hag after their worst season in Premier League history was a polarising one among pundits and fans alike.
The FA Cup success against Manchester City was one of the very few good moments of the campaign for the Red Devils and is widely believed to be the main reason behind the continued support from the new Ineos regime.
Such a decision will, of course, be scrutinised after every result this season regardless of context, as seen immediately after Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Brighton, despite United having enough chances to win the game themselves - with the usual pile on following the full-time whistle targeted in a large part to the Dutch manager.
Erik ten Hag has now guided the Red Devils to two trophies in two seasons (Image credit: Getty Images)
Manchester United eyeing ten Hag replacement
With ten Hag's future continually in the balance reports continue to swirl regarding a future replacement, with names like Thomas Tuchel and Roberto de Zerbi touted consistently over the summer.
However, according to former coach René Meulensteen, the owners may have already lined up an in-house replacement should the Dutchman fail to live up to expectations.
Speaking to Gambling Zone, Meulensteen explained that Ruud van Nistelrooy's recent arrival could lead to a shock appointment as manager almost two decades after becoming a fan favourite as a player.
Manchester United assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy (Image credit: Getty Images)
"I don’t think Erik ten Hag will be worried about Rudd van Nistelrooy potentially replacing him, he’s too focused on the job at hand," he explained.
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"But who knows what the future will bring, if United stutter at the start of the season and the results don’t go their way, Sir Jim Ratcliffe would consider Van Nistelrooy, but at the moment they believe that Erik is the right man and now we need to see what happens.
"It is an interesting development, what has happened at Manchester United because Ten Hag brought in his trusted staff and many of them have gone.
"Now he has brought in his friend Rene Hake, who was manager of Utrecht, as well as Van Nistelrooy, so he has identified what he needs."
Ruud van Nistelrooy, pictured in May 2023 (Image credit: Alamy)
He added: "When it comes to Ruud van Nistelrooy potentially managing Manchester United in the future, you need to have experience and not be overwhelmed as a manager for that job.
"The advantage of Ruud is he knows how big Manchester United are as a club and there are two key elements. If you get it right on the pitch, it becomes easy off the pitch.
"If you don't get it right on the pitch, there will be scrutiny on you no matter who you are. What hasn’t changed at United is ambitions, expectations and responsibilities.
"I've not worked with Ruud as a manager, so I couldn't tell you if he has what it takes in that sense, but I worked with him as a player and I know that he's a very, very determined person.
"He was meticulous in the way he prepared for games and I think that is exactly the same now he is a manager, if you compare it to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it’s a benefit that they know the club to some extent but you need to get it right on the pitch first."
James Ridge is a freelance journalist based in the UK. He recently spent time with The United Stand as an online news editor and has covered the beautiful game from England’s eighth tier all the way to the Premier League.
