For now, Ruud van Nistelrooy is a Premier League manager. And Manchester United supporters will be hoping his immediate impact is as impressive as the previous legendary striker to inherit the job temporarily. But it will not be easy for the Dutchman.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer embarked on an eight-game winning streak when he cleansed the club following Jose Mourinho’s sacking six years ago, but this is no clean break. Van Nistelrooy was Erik ten Hag’s assistant but must still change the mood at Old Trafford.
It helps that he has pedigree as a head coach after an encouraging season in Eindhoven with PSV, one in which he took the club to second spot in the Eredivisie and won the KNVB Cup. His former assistant Javier Rabanal remembers his stirring speech that day.
It was his passion that stood out back then, but it will be his delicate handling of these interim duties that could decide what happens next. “It is a really tough situation for him because he was there because of the confidence of Ten Hag,” Rabanal tells Sky Sports.
“I am sure that he can do it immediately because he has certain experiences as head coach. Of course, Manchester United is not the same as any other club, but I am sure he has been working from minute number one to show leadership in the situation.
“He can deal with certain situations and manage them in the right way. He is someone who can manipulate the training sessions, knowing when to push the group a bit more and when to push them less. I think this will be really important now in this period.”
There is a feeling on the outside that United’s tactical idea was far from clear under Ten Hag but Van Nistelrooy is unlikely to be given the time to reshape the team’s style, despite being praised by players for his level of detail since returning in the summer.
“Right now, his personal leadership skills are more important than his knowledge of tactics. It is time to deal in a different way with the group. He will need to decide when to introduce tactics and when to let the players solve the problems by themselves,” says Rabanal.
“In this situation, it is more about how to manage people, how to manage the group, give them energy, give them confidence, and let them show the best version of themselves to help change the situation at such a big club like Manchester United.”
Expect Van Nistelrooy to approach this challenge diligently. His reputation as a single-minded striker will be in the minds of many at Old Trafford this week ahead of a cup tie against Leicester and a league game against Chelsea, but he is different as a coach.
He retains that aura but brings a work ethic to the role, a desire to be out on the grass. Rabanal credits him with changing his own perspective on coaching and speaks of the fascinating level of detail that he can go into about how to find space on the pitch.
While he can still call on the vast number of experiences he enjoyed with United and Real Madrid, emotionally, he has laid his playing career to rest, happy to be judged on the quality of his work. He has shown an appetite to learn and a humility in doing so.
After leaving PSV, he went on coaching visits to Spain and Argentina, wanting to add to his knowledge in preparation for the next opportunity. “I have met a lot of ex-pros,” says Rabanal. “The typical ex-pro coaches, they try to reproduce what they were taught.”
But the game moves on. “Some of them do not bring anything new and they do not keep learning. But the top ones are open-minded people who learn new things. Whether it is technology or methodology, they are open to it. And Ruud is this kind of coach.”
Rabanal talks of someone “always listening to others around him” but when it is time to impart information, he can do it. “He was one of the top strikers in history so when he talks about finishing, people listen. But he is good with defenders and midfielders too.”
He adds: “Ruud is particularly good with young, talented players. He was important in the development of Xavi Simons at PSV, leading him in the right way. Ruud is at his best with these kind of players – and Manchester United is a team full of talented players.”
As it stands, United are the third-lowest scorers in the Premier League this season. But Solskjaer began with a bang by seeing his new side put five past Cardiff. Maybe playing with a bit more freedom could help this United side in the short term too.
“When I worked with him, he always had ideas about how to attack and that is something that I am sure he will bring to the team. Attacking football is in his DNA and there will be a good game plan of how to score goals. He will bring something tactically.
“I do not know how long he will be in charge of the team. In football, you never know. But now is the time for him to bring his own vision of what they can do to improve their level and push the team to better performances. I am sure that he will make a difference.”
