Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is a man under pressure. After losing 3-0 to Tottenham at Old Trafford, the Red Devils find themselves in a similar position.
Humiliating defeats to AFC Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Liverpool in the past have all placed the Dutchman under the spotlight. After already losing to Liverpool this season, draws to Crystal Palace and FC Twente were followed by Sunday’s latest pivotal result.
MEN Sport understands that United are set to stick with Ten Hag, for now, but the 54-year-old faces a defining week as he battles for his future. He is expected to remain in charge for the Europa League trip to Porto and Sunday’s fixture at Aston Villa.
Should they go badly, a decision will have to be made during the October international break. After the Villa game, United are not in action until Saturday October 19 when they take on Brentford.
Plenty of names have been floated about since it emerged that Ineos were considering a change in the dug-out towards the end of last season. Recently, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s arrival as assistant manager has led to fans sparking theories that he’s the ready-made appointment if Ten Hag is sacked.
After coaching the youth teams at PSV Eindhoven, Van Nistelrooy spent the 2022/23 season in charge of the first-team, winning the KNVB Cup. He was heavily linked with the Burnley job in the summer before opting to rejoin United.
During his time at PSV, he played a big part in the development of Cody Gakpo and Noni Madueke, who joined Liverpool and Chelsea for a combined fee of £65million in January 2023. In a recent interview with Coaches Voices, Van Nistelrooy elaborated on his passion for player development, something that will be encouraging reading for United.
“Of course, in an academy, development is the number one and winning is two – but I felt that they almost went hand in hand. In the Under-19s, especially, the players know that in the Dutch league you can make your debut at such a young age. Players could jump straight from my team into the first team – and they have to be ready.
That happened with Noni Madueke, for example, and Cody Gakpo was another who went from the Under-19s straight into the first team, making their debut and then playing European football. It’s hard to imagine, but that’s what you constantly tell the players at that age.
“Listen, two months from now you could be playing in front of 30,000 people,” I would say to them. “This is what is expected, with and without the ball, and in transition moments. This is what your lifestyle outside of football should look like.”
“As a player, the most important thing I took from working with Sir Bobby Robson and Sir Alex Ferguson was their relationships with the individual. It’s not a football player; it’s a person. When you reach that connection, you get the best out of people – and from there on you can help them build their careers. I never let that thought go out of my mind.
“Sometimes you have to be tough on them, of course, and sometimes you have to get your arm around them. That mixture is important, but the most important thing is to always be honest and straight. When you have knowledge about the game, and what is necessary at the highest level, you must share it.
“As a coach, or as a mentor within a group of coaches, you just try to help players reach their goals. And it is something that makes you feel really proud when you see young players develop. Of course, Gakpo went on to Liverpool and Noni to Chelsea, but there are a couple more from that time who are now in the PSV first team. The feeling I get when I see this is comparable with winning a league, really.”