Five PL moves for Ruud van Nistelrooy post-Man Utd include replacing Ange Postecoglou at Spurs

It was obvious, wasn’t it?

When Ruud van Nistelrooy returned to Manchester United in the summer to become Erik ten Hag’s assistant, it immediately felt inevitable that he would be named a variation of interim, caretaker or acting manager at Old Trafford this season. 

This switch came sooner than expected as Man Utd‘s dire start to the 2024/25 campaign forced INEOS to make a decision they should have sanctioned in the summer as Ten Hag’s prolonged stay of execution ended.

Wary of another Ole Gunnar Solskjaer situation, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co. moved quickly and decisively to appoint Ruben Amorim, who has a major job on his hands and is already reportedly looking to offload two ‘resounding failures’.

With Amorim’s start date delayed until the international break, temporary boss Van Nistelrooy was given the reins for four matches and won three. He was fortunate in that two of the games were against Leicester City, but he exuded calmness and his natural leadership skills came in handy as he managed to steady the ship.

Van Nistelrooy is adored at Man Utd and there is also affection for him in the squad. But Amorim was never likely to keep a man with clear managerial aspirations from the previous failed regime on board and the Dutchman’s departure was confirmed shortly after Ten Hag’s replacement got off the plane from Portugal on Monday.

The ex-Man Utd assistant came close to joining Burnley before his former club swiped him away in the summer, but he could land a Premier League job after passing his fleeting audition at Old Trafford and there are five potential next moves for the 48-year-old…

Wolves

Being prematurely linked with the Man Utd job has cursed Gary O’Neil, who rapidly plunged from being the next big thing to a mega-fraud as Wolves have picked up just 11 points from a possible 63.