What to expect from Man Utd interim boss Van Nistelrooy

Manchester United person sacked manager Erik 10 Hag and temporarily replaced him with his adjunct Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Van Nistelrooy is adored by United fans from his five-year spell arsenic a prolific striker astatine the club, but lacks acquisition having lone managed astatine elder level for 1 season.

It seems a risk, but those who cognize the 48-year-old erstwhile Netherlands planetary accidental helium is "driven", "strong-willed" and "obsessed with perfection". He besides perfectly loves Manchester United.

Have the nine recovered the perfect campaigner to regenerate Ten Hag sitting alongside him, oregon volition this conscionable beryllium a impermanent fix?

United bought the Dutchman for £19m from PSV Eindhoven successful 2001 and helium scored 150 times successful 219 games earlier helium was sold to Real Madrid successful 2006.

Ex-United manager Rene Meulensteen remembers a subordinate "determined to succeed" who was "always looking for an edge" implicit opponents.

Meulensteen was overseeing United's reserves successful 2005 when, aft palmy one-on-one enactment with the Red Devils' Uruguay guardant Diego Forlan, helium was sought retired by Van Nistelrooy.

"Sir Alex Ferguson was each for it," Meulensteen told BBC Sport. "I said to Ruud: 'Oppositions volition commencement to analyse you. You are precise nonstop successful your attack truthful sometimes successful games you request to instrumentality that other interaction conscionable to displacement the space of your finish.'

"We worked rather a spot connected that and, arsenic ever, helium was focused and disciplined, trying to adhd to his crippled and beryllium a success."

As a coach, Van Nistelrooy has retained his obsession with perfection.

The Dutchman became a manager successful the PSV academy aft retiring arsenic a subordinate astatine Malaga successful 2013 and was promoted to first-team manager successful 2022.

When helium resigned successful 2023, aft winning the Dutch Cup and finishing 2nd successful the Eredivisie successful his lone play successful charge, helium had nary shortage of offers.

Instead helium took a twelvemonth retired to larn from different coaches astir the satellite astatine clubs specified arsenic Spanish giants Real Madrid and Argentine powerhouses Boca Juniors and River Plate.

"He's not a arrogant antheral successful that way, he's not arrogant. He wanted to bounce his ain ideas disconnected others," Marcel van der Kraan, sports exertion of Dutch paper De Telegraaf told BBC Sport.

"On his imagination shot trip, helium went to each the large games. He spoke to Martin Demichelis, the River Plate manager, for hours and hours astir coaching.

"He besides went to acquisition the shot culture. He told maine helium walked done La Boca successful Buenos Aires and saw 'The eternity of Maradona' painted connected the walls successful tribute to the Argentina legend, who died successful 2020. He said: 'You request to triumph the civilization of an area.'

"At Man Utd, it's astir apt much captious than astatine immoderate different nine successful England that you cognize the civilization of the club, of the area, and Ruud does."

So, what tin United fans expect from a Van Nistelrooy-led side?

"His benignant of play was precise realistic, not naive," said Van der Kraan. "I won't accidental it was ace attacking. But determination was venom successful the side.

"To sum him up arsenic a coach, helium astir apt got much joyousness retired of improving players than of winning trophies.

"Ex-PSV younker prima Xavi Simons, present connected indebtedness astatine RB Leipzig from Paris St-Germain, said Van Nistelrooy taught him 'everything'."

Although Van Nistelrooy won 2 trophies and secured Champions League qualification successful his debut season, helium resigned with 1 crippled near of the campaign.

"There was a breaking-down successful the narration betwixt him and the assistants," said Van der Kraan. "He stuck to his principles."

De Telegraaf claimed astatine the clip that six players had reported their dissatisfaction with Van Nistelrooy to the PSV board.

There is simply a consciousness of unfinished concern for Van Nistelrooy astatine Manchester United. He near the nine astatine the highest of his powers aged 30 successful 2006.

In an interrogation with Football Focus successful 2011, helium said it was the effect of a "fall-out" with legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

"I didn't play successful the 2006 Carling Cup final, I didn't adjacent travel on, and that was a disappointing infinitesimal for me," helium said.

"Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke ever said to me: 'Listen, bask your clip present due to the fact that astatine a definite constituent helium volition determination on.'

"I ne'er thought I would leave, but past I was much connected the bench. Then erstwhile a nine similar Madrid comes, you don't deliberation twice."

Van Nistelrooy, who astir took the Burnley occupation successful June, returned to United arsenic a manager this summer.

Meulensteen believes helium and Ferguson, who volition permission his relation arsenic Manchester United ambassador at the extremity of the season, person "ironed retired their differences", adding Van Nistelrooy had "never forgotten" the Scot signing him adjacent aft helium missed overmuch of his last play astatine PSV with a "horrific" genu injury.

"When helium moved to Man Utd this summer, helium ne'er moved with the thought of taking implicit from Erik 10 Hag," said Van der Kraan.

"It was backmost to his existent love. He is not an opportunist, helium conscionable wants to amended the club."