Ruud van Nistelrooy has a number of traits which could see him become a successful manager(Image: Manchester United via Getty Imag)

Ruud van Nistelrooy told he has four key traits to replace Erik ten Hag as Man Utd boss

Van Nistelrooy may have became a Manchester United legend on the pitch, but Rene Meuelensteen believes he has the right stuff to guide them to glory from the side lines should Erik ten Hag be shown the door

by · The Mirror

Ruud van Nistelrooy has four key traits which could see him succeed Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, according to Rene Meuelensteen.

Meuelensteen worked as a first team coach alongside Sir Alex Ferguson between 2007 and 2013, helping guide the Red Devils to four Premier League titles, two League Cups, two Charity Shields and a Champions League. And while Van Nistelrooy departed the north west for Real Madrid the year before Meuelensteen arrived at Old Trafford, his fellow Dutchman predicts that he has a number of assets which could transfer over into the world of management.

Speaking to BoyleSports, the 60-year-old said: "Ruud van Nistelrooy has plenty going for him when it comes to potentially taking over at Old Trafford. He knows the club, he knows the expectations of the club and he’s strong-willed with a very strong personality.

He then identified four key traits Van Nistelrooy possesses in the event he ends up replacing Ten Hag in the hotseat. He added: "The key is to make sure that you can focus on the most important aspects which are getting the team playing for you, then when things calm down you can do your best work. When the performances are not going your way then the scrutiny becomes so big.

"You need to create a strong culture with the players and the staff if you’re going to be a success." Van Nistelrooy showed a wealth of leadership on the pitch while playing under the watchful eye of Ferguson, scoring 150 goals in 219 games for United over the course of five years.

He parted ways with the Red Devils in 2006 to become a part of Los Blancos at the Bernabeu, winning two La Liga titles and a Supercopa de Espana before moving on to Hamburg in 2010. The striker enjoyed one last dance with Malaga between 2011 and 2012 before hanging up his boots, however, he has since tried his hand at management.

Van Nistelrooy is working hard at Manchester United( Image: Getty Images)

He took over Jong PSV between 2021 and 2022, before leading the first team in the 2022/23 campaign - winning the Johan Cruyff Shield and the KNVB Cup, while guiding the side to a solid second-place finish in the Eredivisie behind Feyenoord. He made the move back to Manchester United in July this year, this time in a managerial role working alongside Rene Hake as Ten Hag's assistant coach.

However, the 2024/25 campaign has been far from smooth sailing for the Dutch trio. United currently sit 13th in the Premier League standings, with the pressure ramping up on Ten Hag after a lacklustre record-low eighth-place finish in the league last season. Their lacklustre start has ramped up speculation from some pundits that Van Nistelrooy could be in line to succeed Ten Hag if the United hierarchy decide to call it quits with the Dutchman.

Erik ten Hag is under pressure at Old Trafford( Image: Manchester United via Getty Images)

United kicked off their season bright with a 1-0 win over Fulham, but that was followed up by a 2-1 loss to Brighton  the week after. A 3-0 thrashing to fierce rivals Liverpool followed, but a win over Southampton at the same scoreline gave the Old Trafford a glimmer of hope that the tide was turning.

A goalless draw with Crystal Palace was a bitter pill to swallow in the Reds' next Premier League fixture however, before another 3-0 walloping from Spurs lowered morale further. United have a tough task at hand when they face a fifth-place Aston Villa on Sunday.

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