It does make sense. He said at PSV that he didn't feel ready to be a head coach/manager. Now he gets to learn at probably the biggest club in the world as an assistant. If he was interested in a managerial job or felt there were other clubs "better for his career" he would have declined our offer.
Ruud van Nistelrooy approached to join United coaching staff
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Doesn’t seem realistic. Who’d turn down a good level management job (likely he’d be a PL manager in 12 months if he took the Burnley job) to be a first team coach ?
Actually it's not that strange. RVN initially didn't think he was ready yet for the manager role, and had a well thought plan on how he wanted to develop himself, just like how he did when he was a player. However the PSV board convinced him to take the job anyways, which I think he did well as a new manager. But towards end of season he found a lack of support of the same board who convinced him to take the job, thus the reason he stepped out. So by taking the assistant manager role, he is actually going back to his original plan, which I think really deserves praise.
If anyone has any doubts about this, id suggest watching this interview with Ruud:
Reading between the lines of that, im not entirely surprised he is happy to take an assistant role instead of another manager position - he clearly isn't one for a lot of the politics that comes with the top gig.
Reading between the lines of that, im not entirely surprised he is happy to take an assistant role instead of another manager position - he clearly isn't one for a lot of the politics that comes with the top gig.
Get him on Razmatazz, he can pick him up in the morning, sit next to him at dinner, be on his arse like a pimple. We need Ruud version two.
Ruuuuuuuud 
So the bad cop bad cop drill last season seems to be true. RVN will probably be the good cop and will also hopefully have a say in tactics with ETH.
I have absolutely no doubts about ETH's tactics or his skills as a manager. But having someone who can relay his messages in a better way will certainly help. Bonus if he's one of United's and premier league's best ever.
Still doubt it will happen as ETH will certainly feel like if he goes wrong, RVN is waiting in the background to take over.
Best transfer business this season if RVN comes in. Love this man to bits.
I have absolutely no doubts about ETH's tactics or his skills as a manager. But having someone who can relay his messages in a better way will certainly help. Bonus if he's one of United's and premier league's best ever.
Still doubt it will happen as ETH will certainly feel like if he goes wrong, RVN is waiting in the background to take over.
Best transfer business this season if RVN comes in. Love this man to bits.
If Højlund and Rashford can't learn positioning for tap-ins from this guy....they never will learn
If INEOS are pushing for a new coach to help out then Ruud (or RVP) is probably the safest bet and wouldn't get much pushback from the EtH.
Also scoring goals has been lacking since Ole departed really, so it would be a real plus to have Ruud on the training pitch with Hojlund every week.
Also scoring goals has been lacking since Ole departed really, so it would be a real plus to have Ruud on the training pitch with Hojlund every week.
I'll be fecking buzzing to see Ruud back here. One of our greatest ever strikers, hopefully he teaches the front lads a thing or two. RVN
Ruud! Ruud! Ruud!
He did do well based on the results. A lot of things happened with some financial restrictions from the board, some keyplayers who had to be sold, etc. It was not an easy year for any trainer who would have had his seat at PSV from that point of view.
However, football tactical and technical wise he didn't do well at all. There was for example not a clear vision in how to play. One match we would press very high and aggresive, another time we would try to dominate and control the possession game. There were also enough matches (most of them) were we would play an old fashioned kick and rush or catenaccio style of play. In modern football this doesn't work. You have to have a clear style of play. Characteristic was an interview in the beginning of the season were he said he wanted to defend like Simeone and attack like Bielsa. You don't have to be rocket scientist to understand that those are two completely different worlds of football which you cannot tactically combine.
And all this was furthermore amplified by the fact that a lot of Ruud's tactical principles were outdated. In possession everything was very rigid. There weren't much vertical runs, the positional formation was very rigid with hardly any rotations, no use of halfspaces, etc. Defensively everything was man-marked which made it easy for opponents to dismantle our defensive structure using simple rotations and runs without the ball. During the whole season, every match there were phases where the length between the striker and last man during pressing/gegenpressing/transition was around 60 meters.
Eventuallty this lead to the situation were a lot of players didn't take him seriously because tactically he wasn't up to the job. Some influential went behind his back to the board to say this could not go any further like this. The board also didn't have a lot of trust in Van Nistelrooij which eventually lead to his resignation. The reason he got the job in the first place is a bit vague and there are a lot of different rumors. What is clear is that the former general manager (who didn't have a lot of football knowledge) clearly had a prejudice for ex-profs from the club instead of measuring people based on their qualities. It is for that reason in the first place Van Nistelrooij got the U19/U18 job and a few years later the U21/U23 job, while it was widely known on the youth side of the club that he wasn't up to this task at all.
A lot of people who i spoke who worked at the club or worked with him, described him as an amazing person but tactically insufficient with a capital letter. It surprises everyone that he is in the conversation for a manager role at Burnley and it seems to do more with his iconic status and name in the football world than rather with his qualities as manager. It seems to us that this is also one of the reasons why he is getting this job as an assistant. Although, I have to say i think the role as an assistant suits him more than a manager role in modern football. Yet he still needs a lot to learn.
Very yes please
Ruuuuuuuuuud
One of my all time favourite footballers alongside Cantona and Rooney.
Don’t think being part of Ten Hag‘s team will enhance Ruuds career prospects unless it puts him top of the pile to replace Ten Hag (probably sooner than later)
Good luck to him whatever he decides to do.
Don’t think being part of Ten Hag‘s team will enhance Ruuds career prospects unless it puts him top of the pile to replace Ten Hag (probably sooner than later)
Good luck to him whatever he decides to do.
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Hope we get him. A great ready made interim manager for when the inevitable happens.
This would be so bloody awesome
I remember in 2015, when Netherlands was in Latvia, I met him in the stadium day before the game.
I was in United Vodafone kit - I shouted to him: "Ruud" as he was ending the training, he saw me and said "That's the shirt!"
It was lovely. Got an photo and autograph.
Awesome guy.
I was in United Vodafone kit - I shouted to him: "Ruud" as he was ending the training, he saw me and said "That's the shirt!"
It was lovely. Got an photo and autograph.
Awesome guy.
Imagine the impact he could have on Rasmus and the potential incoming Dutch ST.
Probably my favourite united player.
Looks like our non-scoring strikers are going to be in for a Ruud awakening. (chuckle chuckle guffaw)
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ETH requested him as part of the new contract negotiations?
When the CAF wants this to happen so bad you know it's gonna turn out to be a disaster.
Sounds like ETH was more than open to it.
I think more that INEOS will get to hire Ruud as compensation for having to keep Erik
Or some other way to word it. But effectively that
Weve got Jonny Evans, might as well put Ruud as a bench option
Not sure, it sounds like ETH was in favour of it.
Maybe he admitted that he needs more help? or asked for more attack coaching help?
Thanks for the helpful context. It does sound like the right move for him then.
This
Perspective, he may be one step away from being United manager.
More Jobs for the boys (ex united players) , Glazers 2.0 strikes again
Bite, you know you want to
Bite, you know you want to
Ruud!!! Fantastic news for the club and for the fans.
Great appointment if it happens
odds on him being interim manager at some point will probably be high
odds on him being interim manager at some point will probably be high
Fair enough if he doesn’t want to be a head coach/manager. But the point still stands about why he’d join a manager whose future isn’t certain and is unlikely to be the lead assistant unless Van de Gaag is demoted or leaving. EtH’s future isn’t certain here and for him I can think of far better managers to learn under which is why I referenced Pep and Carlo.
Say EtH gets canned during the year, what happens to Ruud?
By the way, to the posters treating this as fantastic news how is this any different to Ole joining our coaching staff as an assistant or Rooney? Would you be as happy if they joined? It’s a bit confusing people looking at this as good news, it’s neither good nor bad because we little clue of the impact it could have.
That's doesn't sound very encouraging.
That can happen to any manager he is an assistant to.
And ETH is getting a new contract, buddy. He is here to stay for a while.
surely you'd want the manager to have a say in who his coaches are?
It does not but hopefully he knows a few things well that he can contribute with as an assistant coach.