Man United told to pull plug on appointing ex-player to replace Ten Hag
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has insisted it would be a “bad appointment” if Ruud van Nistelrooy was made Manchester United interim manager to replace Erik ten Hag.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs and their owners – suggested there isn’t support for Van Nistelrooy to be handed the top job at Old Trafford.
Man United appointed their former striker and Rene Hake as assistant managers to Ten Hag over the summer.
United have made their worst start to a league season in 35 years as they currently sit 14th in the Premier League table.
The Manchester giants’ hierarchy held a meeting at the INEOS offices in Knightsbridge on Tuesday, where Ten Hag’s future was discussed.
Old Trafford chiefs have insisted it was a regular meeting that was already planned in the diary as Sir Jim Ratcliffe led the talks with chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.
Van Nistelrooy, who quit his managerial role at PSV Eindhoven in May 2023 after just over a year in charge, has been tipped to temporarily take over if Ten Hag is relieved of his duties.
Man United have created Dutch groups after appointments
But Wyness has insisted that wouldn’t be a smart decision for Ratcliffe and his staff to make.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I don’t know enough about Van Nistelrooy’s managerial career so far.
“I think he’d be a bad choice and I don’t think there’s the real support for him to do that.
“I think they’ll go another route of ex-Man United player. I understand an ex-Man United player does make a difference and Van Nistelrooy fits that bill, but I don’t think he’s necessarily the right one.
“We saw some pointed discussion between him and Ten Hag on the bench at the weekend.
“I don’t know how happy that backroom staff is.
“As I pointed out in weeks gone by, they’ve now created the Dutch tribal groups, both behind the scenes and actually on the pitch.
“That’s a real issue for them that I’ve been warning against for a long time.”
In other news, Man United’s plan to hold Max Allegri talks revealed.
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