While Manchester United fans may be negotiating the rudderless void between relief and frustration that Erik ten Hag’s era as the Red Devils’ boss has come to an end, they should find salvation with current interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Stepping up from his role as assistant in the wake of his manager’s departure following two years in charge of the Old Trafford club, Van Nistelrooy boasts of an interesting CV. Already, the former striker can doff his cap to the cliche of ‘he knows the club’, yet it’s not the only facet of the 48-year-old’s managerial ascent.
Of course, Van Nistelrooy immediately springs to mind for his prolific exploits in front of goal for the likes of PSV, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and the Dutch national team. In fact, it’s hard to think of anything other than goals, as the clinical and opportunistic frontman tallied an iconic 349 goals in a total of 592 club appearances, while also scoring 35 goals in 70 games for Oranje. However, while his time on the pitch can overshadow his role as a technical sideline thinker, his formative coaching spells have already seen some real positives that can give United fans hope in uncertain times.
Although he may not be in the United interim role for a long time, Van Nistelrooy is not unaccustomed to success in the dugout. RVN initially found experience following his storied playing career, as he joined PSV as a coaching intern working with the under-17s in the summer of 2013. Following some education with the youth, he was revealed as the new striker coach of the U17 side, under-19s, and the reserve team in February 2016.
Following this, 2018 saw more developments in his coaching career, as he moved up an age group to the U19s, as old boss Mark van Bommel took over the PSV first team. Shortly after, in December 2019, Van Nistelrooy was confirmed as a part of Ronald Koeman’s backroom staff together with Maarten Stekelenburg ahead of Euro 2020 for the Netherlands. This arrived in addition to previous Oranje experience that saw him work with Guus Hiddink after the 2014 World Cup and Louis van Gaal’s departure to, funnily enough, Manchester United.
March 2022 saw the crowning moments of Van Nistelrooy’s coaching career so far, as his hard work with both youth and national team set-ups saw him appointed as the replacement for the outgoing Roger Schmidt as PSV’s head coach. He signed a three-year contract beginning with the 2022–23 season, and while he failed to win the Eredivisie title, he still managed to clinch both the 2022 Johan Cruyff Shield and 2022-23 KNVB Cup. Citing a lack of support, he resigned from his role with one match remaining in that Eredivisie season, yet proved his capability in the spotlight to a certain extent.
Still learning, Van Nistelrooy has consistently cited his time at United as a player under Sir Alex Ferguson as having a huge impact on his coaching outlook. Speaking to the Coaches Voice in June 2016, the former striker said (as per GiveMeSport):
“I love the game, and I love a certain way of playing. At Manchester United, Sir Alex was always pushing us forward. Look forward, play forward, get crosses in, shoot on target. As a player, I loved the way that made me feel. I wanted to play like that, and I want to transmit that same feeling to my teams, to my players.”
Given United’s recent ineptitude in front of goal, the former goal-scorer’s coaching style inspired by greats of yesteryear may prove all the more valuable.
So, what of his tactics then? Harking back to the ex-striker’s time at PSV, (and via GMS once more), his favoured structure was clear. Van Nistelrooy has showed an astute nature with his set-up involving a 3-4-2-1 shape, with one of the full-backs getting high and wide to create overloads, with the other staying back and coming inside to form a back three with the two central defenders.
Plus, he prefers short distances between his players when they have the ball because he believes in the importance of control and possession instead of more direct attacking. Defensively, the new interim prioritises compactness and minimising the spaces in central areas to force his opponents out wide. As a result, he often opts for dominant central defenders who can deal with crosses from wide areas. Time will tell what impact he has as the new man in the United hotseat, however, it’s sure to give him a platform to boost his own managerial career.
