Van Nistelrooy EMBARRASSES Ten Hag with Man Utd interim spell

Cameron Smith

• 10 Nov 2024 18:30 GMT
• 3 min read

Ruud van Nistelrooy has embarrassed Erik ten Hag with his spell as interim manager at Manchester United.

Ten Hag was sacked following the Red Devils’ worst ever start to a Premier League season and Van Nistelrooy was immediately placed in interim charge at Old Trafford.

The Man Utd club legend will be replaced by Ruben Amorim on 11 November, and the 39-year-old’s first game in charge will come against Ipswich Town after the upcoming international break.

READ MORE: Man Utd OPEN TALKS to sign Harry Maguire successor

While Van Nistelrooy’s spell in the dugout has now ended, the Dutchman has steadied the ship at Old Trafford and ensured the club are no longer in crisis mode.

Man Utd won three of Van Nistelrooy’s four games in charge, with the only blemish on their record coming via a 1-1 draw against Chelsea last weekend.

The Red Devils had a comparatively easy run of fixtures under Van Nistelrooy, but their performances certainly improved following Ten Hag’s exit.

READ MORE: De Zerbi reveals Man Utd contract offer to Marseille players

Ruud van Nistelrooy saves Man Utd’s season

Man Utd are now only four points off the Champions League spots and their season could therefore be saved thanks, in part, to Van Nistelrooy’s impact as interim boss.

Van Nistelrooy has enjoyed a ‘new manager bounce’ at Old Trafford, but his success reflects extremely poorly on Ten Hag.

The ex-Ajax boss had spent two years in charge of Man Utd, yet he was unable to stamp his authority to create an evident style of play and Van Nistelrooy has managed to get a tune out of the exact same set of players.

Furthermore, the Red Devils legend only has one season of senior management under his belt - the 2022-23 season at PSV - while Ten Hag has over a decade of experience in the dugout.