York: Van Nistelrooy Should Not Settle for Being Ten Hag’s Backup; He Should Pursue His Own Vision

Andy Cole, the Manchester United legend and treble-winning striker, believes that Ruud van Nistelrooy’s return to the club as an assistant coach is “a bit odd” and not a positive situation for either head coach Erik ten Hag or Van Nistelrooy himself.

The return of Van Nistelrooy, who scored 150 goals in five seasons at Old Trafford, was a huge boost for fans. However, for head coach Ten Hag, Van Nistelrooy, who managed PSV Eindhoven during the 2022/23 season, represents a potential successor. York feels that the appointment by the club hierarchy is not straightforward.

In an interview with the media, York did not shy away from discussing the impact of Van Nistelrooy’s return on Ten Hag’s team, saying, “If Manchester United were to sack Ten Hag, they would clearly appoint Van Nistelrooy as the next head coach. If you are the head coach, this is really not an ideal situation. I know Ruud personally, he is a great guy, he has his ambitions, and he has made them clear in the past. In my view, when you take a job knowing that if your boss does poorly, you will replace him, it doesn’t feel great.”

York also added that the allure of a job at Manchester United is so strong that everyone overlooks the oddity of the appointment. He said, “I think there is something a bit off about it. I believe in Van Nistelrooy’s professionalism and that he will do any job well – working for Ten Hag, serving under Ten Hag’s system – but I don’t like the premise. I’d rather sit on the side and make it clear that I want to be the head coach.”

Despite this, York expressed understanding for his former teammate: “The situation is very delicate, unless Ruud decides to leave the club himself if Ten Hag gets sacked. Personally, I don’t like the role he is in now. I’ve seen similar situations under Roy Keane, Lambert, and O’Neill. Like Keane, Ruud isn’t suited to being number two. That said, getting a job at Manchester United is so rare that it’s hard to turn down any role.”