'Ruud van Nistelrooy won't always play attractive football - it's what I really like about him'

Ruud van Nistelrooy is currently warming the Manchester United hot seat after Erik ten Hag was sacked by the club after their worst start to a Premier League season

Ronald de Boer has already told Manchester United supporters what they can expect to see in a Ruud van Nistelrooy team.

Van Nistelrooy, 48, has been placed in temporary charge at Old Trafford following the sacking of Erik ten Hag. He is currently set to oversee their League Cup clash against Leicester City, while United pursue a deal for Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim.

The Red Devils also host Chelsea at Old Trafford on the weekend, but it's unclear as to whether Ten Hag's assistant will still be in the dugout for their visit. Nevertheless, in a previous interview, De Boer said Van Nistelrooy likes to set his sides up to play attractive, free-flowing football.

However, he also mentioned that the ex-PSV Eindhoven manager has a pragmatic side to him. Considering United's lack of confidence this season, Van Nistelrooy may err on the side of caution rather than go out all guns blazing.

In 2022, De Boer told the Herald: "I like Ruud as a person and I like how he conducts himself. But what I really like about Van Nistelrooy is that he is not naive.

"He knows that if his team is not as strong as their opponent then they have to make sure they make it difficult for them. If you can't win, don't lose.

"Ruud is searching for the best team to play with the philosophy that he has. He will always want his side to play attractive football and try to dominate the game. But if that is not possible he is realistic."

Van Nistelrooy has also showcased his tactical acumen in a video on the Coaches Voice earlier this year, where he detailed how he outsmarted Ajax in the 2023 Dutch Cup final. He deployed his side in a 3-4-3 formation that utilised two No. 10 attacking midfielders to slice through the heart of the Amsterdam titans.

Given the limited preparation time, it's doubtful he'll attempt anything too audacious with the Red Devils. However, ex-United skipper Gary Neville has already encouraged him to take a radically different approach with the team.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Neville said: "He can set the team up differently. That's something that could happen, he could make the make-up of the team slightly different.

"But he's been on the bench with Erik ten Hag so I'd be amazed if there was something drastic in the next few games. I believe that ultimately there needs to be quite a lot of work done with those players because at this moment in time they are desperately struggling.

"Ruud van Nistelrooy will do his very best. I have thought for a number of months that, looking at the players that United have that they'd maybe be better suited to going three at the back. Just purely because of the lack of a centre-back pairing and the full-backs look better going forward than they do defensively, so maybe that could happen.

"Maybe that might give them a bit more comfort because it would give them an extra body at the back and players would be in a system where they got more support."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Get the new Man Utd kit

Get the new Man United 2024/25 kit now!
Adult sizes from £80

United have unveiled their new adidas home kit with new front-of-shirt sponsors for the 2024/25 season - and you can get your hands on it right now.

Fanatics
Get it here