Erik ten Hag alternative has already started showing he wants the job, the timing matches clearly

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The international break comes at simultaneously the best and worst possible time for Erik ten Hag and Manchester United from a speculation point of view.

On one hand, there are no games, so no interaction with the media for Erik ten Hag. On the other hand, in the absence of any communication, speculation will run rampant.

A recent meeting was business as usual and while other managers have started getting increasingly linked to the job, there is no firm clarity.

In the meantime, one Erik ten Hag alternative has already started showing he wants the job and the timing of his actions is too uncanny to leave it as a coincidence.

Erik ten Hag alternative makes intentions clear

It is a tricky balancing act for any alternative to act, or even hint that they want the job without it coming across as disrespectful or unprofessional.

It is why Graham Potter remained tight-lipped recently when he appeared on a Monday Night Football show, and why there hasn’t been a peep or public appearance from Thomas Tuchel.

One man who is already in the limelight, and is a prime contender to replace Erik ten Hag, however, is doing all he can to show the higher-ups at Old Trafford that he is the man for the job.

That someone is Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has recently started showing with his actions that he is “separate” from Ten Hag.

Van Nistelrooy came in as Ten Hag’s assistant but fans knew early on that he is going to be the contingency plan in the future if needed.

Nobody thought it would be this soon but from Van Nistelrooy’s, actions, it is already clear that he thinks there’s an opening.

He got yellow carded vs FC Porto for his wild protests while Ten Hag remained somber on the bench. There was him clapping the away end alone after the Aston Villa draw without any of the staff.

The clip of him deep in discussions with Ten Hag, apparently disagreeing and discussing something with the man in charge recently went viral.

Combine that with increasingly visible involvement in training where he is now seen barking instructions and getting in on the drills, it is clear to see that he has started carving out his own identity.

Problem facing Ruud van Nistelrooy

That was always going to be the issue for Van Nistelrooy. The longer Ten Hag struggles for results, the higher the chance that Van Nistelrooy gets “polluted” by association.

It is why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was such a breath of fresh air as an interim manager because he refreshed the culture of the place.

As it stands, Van Nistelrooy is a part of the coaching staff that is scrutinised every game, even though the majority of that is on Ten Hag.

So it is extremely intelligent of Van Nistelrooy to start separating himself from Ten Hag’s “structure” by branching out and appearing on his own.

Of course, there might not be anything to it at the end of the day but the timing of his increasingly visible “his own man” moments is too uncanny to write off as a coincidence.