Rene Meulensteen reckons Sir Jim Ratcliffe would consider replacing Erik ten Hag with Ruud van Nistelrooy – if Manchester United make a poor start to the season.
United are up and running in the Premier League after a 1-0 win over Fulham thanks to summer signing Joshua Zirkee’s late winner. Despite penning a new contract in the summer after leading the team to FA Cup glory, it is imperative Ten Hag improves on last season’s dismal eighth place in the Premier League.
A run of poor results would crank up the pressure on the Dutchman, who added Van Nistelrooy and former Utrecht boss Rene Hake to his backroom over the summer. It has been speculated that Van Nistelrooy could be first in line to steady the ship if Ten Hag is sacked.
Meulensteen, a first-team coach under Sir Alex Ferguson between 2007 and 2013, says the potential for Van Nistelrooy, who has previously managed PSV Eindhoven, to replace his countryman cannot be completely dismissed.
“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,” Meulensteen told Gambling Zone.
“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.”
Meulensteen, 60, was surprised Van Nistelrooy, who was linked with the Burnley job before it went to Scott Parker, didn’t go back into management this summer. He said: “I’ve stayed in touch with him and he’s obviously keen to carry on in management and I thought that’s what he’s going to do.
“I thought he may have gone to manage in Spain and then the Burnley rumours came up. I thought he would’ve continued as a manager so I was surprised when he joined United because I can see Ruud as a manager.
“I think he’s had a taste of it and I think he wants more of it. Why has he chosen to go with Erik ten Hag? Probably the fact that there’s a chance for him to go back to Manchester United where he had some fantastic years and great memories.
“He will be a good influence and a strong influence in the dressing room. People will respect him and I think he’s got a lot to teach all those young forwards.”