Manchester United could already have Erik ten Hag’s replacement in mind, as pressure starts to mount on the Dutchman, according to a new report.
It has been a disappointing start to the campaign for the Red Devils both in the Premier League and in Europe, so much so that pressure has significantly increased on ten Hag after Sunday’s defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
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ByBrett WorthingtonSep 30, 2024 Erik ten Hag under pressure at Man Utd
Defeat to Spurs on Sunday made it three defeats in their opening six Premier League games for the Red Devils, a return that is nowhere near good enough – they sit closer to the likes of Everton and Leicester than the top four chasers. A poor and lacklustre performance in the Europa League last week also poured even more misery on ten Hag as their European campaign got off to a poor start.
The performance on Sunday by the Red Devils was labelled as “disgusting” and “disgraceful” by former United player Gary Neville, while fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp labelled it “embarrassing” and stated that the club had “hit rock bottom.” Meanwhile, former Celtic striker Chris Sutton believes that is a performance that means just one thing for the manager, as he told BBC 5 Live: “That’s the type of performance which gets the manager the sack.”
The result against Tottenham has put huge pressure on ten Hag heading into the next two games against Porto and Aston Villa, and if results don’t go the right way, a change in the dugout could occur over the next international break. Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has been linked with the Old Trafford hotseat recently, but it appears there could be a fresh option the club looks to if a change does occur.
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According to Manchester United’s former chief scout Mick Brown, current assistant manager Ruud van Nistelrooy is in line to take over from Erik ten Hag should he be sacked. Brown previously worked at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson, and he played a key role in bringing Van Nistelrooy to the club in 2001.
The former chief scout remains well-connected at United, and he has told Football Insider that he would be a “brilliant” fit for the managerial role, and he should be allowed to prove himself.
It has been suggested that van Nistelrooy could be in line to take the United job on an interim basis if ten Hag is sacked with a view to taking the role on a permanent basis should he impress. Van Nistelrooy has previous experience in management as he led PSV to the 2022 Johan Cruyff Shield and the 2022-23 KNVB Cup before resigning from the role.
Now, Brown believes van Nistelrooy should be a prime candidate to take over from ten Hag, as he labels the Dutchman a “top-class” person.
Games
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Won
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Drawn
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Lost
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Brown told Football Insider: “Ruud van Nistelrooy has come in, and I know him; he’s a top-class person. I was instrumental in signing Ruud. I think he’d be a brilliant fit. But at the moment, he can only do what the manager instructs him to do, so we haven’t seen too much of what he’s capable of.
“They’re going to have to do something because I don’t think there’s a long list of candidates out there waiting for the job. I think they could give him the job on an interim basis and see how he goes.
“If he does well, they might end up appointing him to take over on a full-time basis, as there aren’t too many other options out there.”