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Manchester United had failed to win 10 of their 14 games this season under Erik ten Hag and last weekend’s defeat to West Ham finally pushed INEOS over the edge.
They sacked the Dutchman with the Red Devils languishing in 14th position in the Premier League table with the former Ajax coach attracting criticism for the dire results and the lack of a clear gameplan.
His last two seasons were characterised by puzzling selection calls with the former manager falling out with plenty of big-name stars.
One of them was Casemiro, with Ten Hag far from pleased with his displays. But the Brazilian seemed like a player reborn in the Carabao Cup game against Leicester City in midweek under Ruud van Nistelrooy.
RvN-Casemiro bond
The former United striker had the players playing with freedom and for the first time in three years, the 20-time English league champions netted five goals against Premier League opposition in a single game.
Casemiro grabbed a brace and could have had his hat-trick and the interim manager will hope for more of the same from the former Real Madrid superstar now that Christian Eriksen is a doubt for the Chelsea game.
In fact, as The Athletic put it, the 32-year-old was not a fan of Ten Hag’s coaching methods which included a lot of video analysis.
Instead, Van Nistelrooy, who has played at both United and Real Madrid before, knows what top-level performers prefer and has instead opted for a lot of one-on-one discussions.
“Van Nistelrooy came to United because of Ten Hag, but he is his own man. He had robust deliberations with Ten Hag about substitutions, tactics, and training methods.
“Ten Hag’s strategy was to teach players through video sessions, Van Nistelrooy came with the perspective of an ex-player. He has a good bond with Casemiro, for example, a player who voiced a dislike for Ten Hag’s approach.
Players want RvN to stay
“Van Nistelrooy speaks Spanish and played for Real Madrid, and Casemiro shot him a smile and fist pump after Alejandro Garnacho’s goal against Leicester in the Carabao Cup.”
The Dutch coach has proven to be quite the popular hire and players have already made it clear that they want Van Nistelrooy to stay even when Ruben Amorim takes over.
And if he can keep the players onside and get them to keep performing, INEOS will love to keep him. He has three huge games to navigate before the Sporting Lisbon boss gets here.
And the interim manager is also open to the prospect of working under the Portuguese. Amorim will have the final say but he has also shown an inclination to work with certain existing United coaches.
Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images