The elephant in the room with Ruud van Nistelrooy at Manchester United must be addressed

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Ruud van Nistelrooy recently admitted he never thought he would go into coaching.

Van Nistelrooy didn't think he wanted to become a coach after hanging up his boots as a player, and he wouldn't have considered the idea of managing Manchester United.

But something inside Van Nistelrooy turned him to management and there is now a real possibility he could take charge of United, at least on an interim basis this season.

Erik ten Hag was pushed closer to the brink following Sunday's heavy 3-0 defeat to Tottenham and although he will be allowed to manage against FC Porto and Aston Villa this week, there is a growing belief that he could be axed as the October international break begins.

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The possibility of Van Nistelrooy stepping in and taking the reins on an interim basis if Ten Hag is sacked has been blindingly obvious since his arrival as a first-team coach in July.

Van Nistelrooy made an impressive start to his management career by winning the Dutch Cup as manager of PSV Eindhoven in 2023 and held talks about becoming the manager of Burnley before opting to join Ten Hag's backroom staff, so it was an interesting move for him.

Having resigned from his position at PSV in May last year, Van Nistelrooy took a break from football last season and returned to work at a club he spent five years with as a player.

Van Nistelrooy has been considered a shrewd addition to Ten Hag's backroom staff and has received praise from players, who have relished working with a former United great.

He would be a safe pair of hands on an interim basis, but the possibility of him managing United permanently has also been discussed among fans and he's not qualified for that role.

There are clear parallels with Van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Solskjaer was given the interim United job following Jose Mourinho's dismissal in 2018, he was tasked with putting 'smiles back on faces' and oversaw an impressive upturn in fortunes during that spell.

That led to Solskjaer being appointed permanently. Solskjaer is by no means the worst manager in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era and he did admirable work during his time in charge, despite not winning a trophy, but he tactically fell short and his tenure literally ended in tears.

Solskjaer was great at reminding the players who they represented and he created a happier culture at Carrington, but he wasn't a world-class coach and that's what United needed.

The Norwegian did well in the circumstances and got closer to winning the league than other United managers - not including Mourinho - in the last 10 years but was never truly close.

Van Nistelrooy 'knows the club' - you can sound the cliché klaxon - like Solskjaer and there are benefits to that. However, he is not yet a world-class coach, so even if he does get the job on a temporary basis and improves results, he shouldn't be considered for the permanent position.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants United to be 'best in class' and Van Nistelrooy would not tick that box. He has spent just one season in charge of a senior team and doesn't have the experience.

Dan Ashworth and Omar Berrada were appointed as United's sporting director and CEO respectively because of their proven track record in their areas of expertise. Ratcliffe is expected to take the same approach when hiring Ten Hag's successor and Van Nistelrooy doesn't fit that billing.

Van Nistelrooy will clearly be a popular choice to take over as a caretaker if Ten Hag is sacked but the possibility of giving him it permanently should be shut down.

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