Of all the new arrivals at Manchester United this summer, on and off the pitch, perhaps no other arrival has won fans over as much as Ruud van Nistelrooy’s.
The United fan favourite, who scored 150 goals in 219 appearances for the club, is now a respected coaching figure in the game and the fact that he turned multiple head coaching roles to come to Old Trafford had the fans swooning.
Already, Van Nistelrooy’s impact has been lauded by many players, with his personable style of coaching with a clear philosophy proving to be a hit with everyone.
Now, he has spoken about his aim at United, his emotions about getting the job, and what exactly he wants to bring to the club.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s aim at Man Utd
Ruud Van Nistelrooy spoke to the club media for the first time alongside fellow arrival Rene Hake and he revealed his coaching philosophy.
For a fanbase that has often been exasperated by a lack of an identifiable style of play, his words will come as music to their ears.
He said: “On a collective level, it’s important to get the different game phases into the team, what is expected in the pressing or in the build-up or in the mid-block or in all the phases of the game.
“Like clear: what do we want? How do we want the execution to be and how do we translate it into the training pitch?
“I think we both [him and Hake] are aligned with that and also with the manager, of course, and from there on you look to make an influence on individuals or units. In the end, when we’re on one page, then we are definitely the strongest. That’s our aim and it will take time, but I think we had a good start so far.”
Van Nistelrooy revealed how excited he is to be back at the club in front of a full Old Trafford, with one thing in particular he’s waiting for eagerly.
He said: “I can’t wait to walk through that tunnel again and meet Old Trafford, sold out again, and have a little wave at the Stretford End.
“That brings back the memories and a good vibe, you know, for the lads hopefully to get a good start to the season.”
A necessary change
Van Nistelrooy’s arrival has been a necessary jolt of energy to a squad that desperately needed it after last season.
As Erik ten Hag received a contract extension, there was no way Ineos could go into the new season with the same coaching staff that had the stench of last season on it, even though it ended with a cup win.
The timing worked out perfectly, as Mitchell van der Gaag left to pursue head coaching ambitions, and recently, Steve McClaren has departed for the Jamaica job.
In Van Nistelrooy and Hake, United have got the carrot-and-stick approach sorted. The latter brings a completely cerebral approach to the game, tasked with effectively taking over Van der Gaag’s duties while the former brings a combination of both- head coaching pedigree and the soft touch of being a club legend.
Ultimately, the buck will still stop with the manager but he has now been empowered to do his job in a better environment than the one he arrived in two years ago.
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