Ruud van Nistelrooy is an 'outstanding' appointment for Man Utd: Meticulous Dutchman can bring back Sir Alex Ferguson-level standards - and won't be afraid to 'go against' Erik ten Hag

Van Nistelrooy is serving as one of Ten Hag's principal assistants, alongside another Dutchman in the form of Rene Hake, with United having parted ways with Mitchell van der Gaag, Benny McCarthy and Eric Ramsay at the end of last season, before Steve McClaren accepted the head coach role with the Jamaican national team this week.

INEOS chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been overseeing a major overhaul across all levels of the club, with a shake-up on the bench deemed essential after United's worst-ever Premier League finish in 2023-24. The Red Devils have also drafted in Jelle ten Rouwelaar as a second goalkeeping coach, to work alongside Craig Mawson, while Van Nistelrooy's former team-mate Darren Fletcher was appointed technical coach in May.

Ten Hag, meanwhile, was eventually given a new contract, on the back of a remarkable FA Cup final victory over Manchester City, but even he acknowledged that the players needed new direction. “I am delighted that Rene and Ruud have agreed to join our project, adding a wealth of experience, knowledge and new energy to the staff," the United manager told the club's official website last month. "Now is a good time to refresh the coaching team as we look to build on the achievements of the past two years and push to the next level.”

The experience noted for Van Nistelrooy came as an assistant for the Dutch national team and, crucially, in a spell as head coach for a high-profile club. He guided PSV to the Dutch Cup and Dutch Super Cup in just one year in charge, before resigning in May 2023 due to a "lack of support", and earned widespread praise for the style of play he implemented at Philips Stadion.

According to The Times, Van Nistelrooy would go onto reject several offers elsewhere, including at recently-relegated Burnley. That fact he's taken a step back from a leading role in order to write a new chapter at Old Trafford bodes well for United. Van Nistelrooy clearly still has a deep passion for the club and will do everything within his power to transform their fortunes.

Of course, improving United's output in the final third will be considered Van Nistelrooy's main job, given his stellar credentials in that department. The Red Devils were the joint-lowest scorers in the Premier League's top half last season as they found the net on just 57 occasions, with Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund posting squad-leading totals of 10 each.

Hojlund's first season at Old Trafford was encouraging, but the £75 million ($96m) man still doesn't look like a natural marksman. The same could be said of £34m ($43m) summer arrival Joshua Zirkzee, who only scored 13 Serie A goals in his two-year spell at Bologna.

Van Nistelrooy will be tasked with unlocking the duo's full potential. That will include instructing them on how to get in behind opposition defences more effectively, when to drop deep and hold the ball up, and most importantly, how to be more clinical in front of goal.

Zirkzee and Hojlund are both still very young and should be eager to learn from a man who also enjoyed a prolific stint at Real Madrid and scored 35 goals in 70 games for the Netherlands. Van Nistelrooy will leave no stone unturned, with United back-up goalkeeper Tom Heaton among those impressed by his meticulous approach in his first few weeks back at the club.

"He’s been brilliant, his level of detail is superb," Heaton told The Guardian. "You’d be forgiven for thinking that he’s a United legend coming in so is just here [as a face]. But his level of detail, and I’ve been in a couple of meetings, is outstanding.”

United are currently in the midst of their pre-season tour of the United States, and have one more fixture left to play, against arch-rivals Liverpool on Saturday, before heading back to England. Ten Hag's squad held an open training session at the University of California campus in Los Angeles before their 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at the weekend, and Van Nistelrooy was the most vocal member of the coaching staff during a session designed to maximise width and set up goal-scoring opportunities.

At one stage, Van Nistelrooy was seen screaming "quicken it up" in the direction of Marcus Rashford, and got the desired reaction as the England international proceeded to fire a fierce shot into the top corner. It was widely reported that Rashford was the standout performer in the session as he looked to attack his marker and impose himself physically.

It was a version of Rashford who didn't turn up for United in 2023-24; he only scored eight goals in 43 outings across all competitions and drew the ire of club officials with his conduct off the pitch. The once-beloved academy graduate has seen his commitment questioned as a result, while it has been reported that INEOS will consider selling him before the transfer window closes if they receive a suitable offer.

For Rashford's part, he has insisted he remains determined to help United get back to challenging for Premier League and Champions League honours, but after nine years in the first team, it's high time that he shows some real consistency, and Van Nistelrooy has the wisdom and no-nonsense attitude to bring that out of him. The former PSV boss also spoke with Rashford one-on-one and seemed to be advising him on where to direct his runs, with the 26-year-old clearly taking everything on board.

There were genuine signs of improvement in United's latest friendly outing against Real Betis, which saw Rashford bag a goal and an assist, before going off with a knock. He needed a proverbial kick up the backside, and it looks as though Van Nistelrooy has provided it. Rashford will probably be given the chance to revive his United career and now has the ideal mentor, who must make sure he doesn't revert to bad habits when the new campaign gets underway.

It would be a mistake to assume that Van Nistelrooy will only add value in the attacking department, though. Veteran defender Jonny Evans, who has been handed a one-year contract extension after his surprise return to Old Trafford last term, says the legendary frontman also has plenty of knowledge to pass on regarding the art of keeping the ball out of the net.

"Ruud did mention that after he left United, he had a spell when he went to Spain [at Malaga] and he was talking about when he was under [Manuel] Pellegrini and real sort of diehard defensive coaches," Evans said to The Guardian. "I think he learned a lot and saw real value in it. He’s probably himself quite obsessed about defensive structure, and, as a striker, where he could score his goals."

United are still recovering from a miserable campaign that saw them concede 85 goals in all competitions for the first time since 1963-64. Raphael Varane's contract expired in June, and new signing Leny Yoro is facing three months out after an unfortunate pre-season blow, meaning the Red Devils may have to dip into the market for another centre-back.

A new right-back is also said to be a priority as Ten Hag seeks an upgrade on Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and much will depend on whether United can add more depth at the back. But cutting out basic mistakes and maintaining discipline is the basic starting point if they are to get back into the top four.

To that end, Van Nistelrooy has been drilling the squad on the importance of sticking to a strict defensive shape - as per The Manchester Evening News. He is viewed as a well-rounded coach by club insiders, not just a scoring specialist, and he intends to raise the level of the entire squad.

Ten Hag has described Van Nistelrooy as "very young, very ambitious and very driven"; the type of coach that was sorely missed in the United dugout last season. United were tactically all over the place, with a low block-high pressing combination that opened up a gaping hole in the middle of pitch which opponents exploited week after week.

An unprecedented injury crisis certainly played a part in United's struggles, as Ten Hag pointed to constantly, but he was also guilty of failing to adapt, and there was obviously no one brave enough to question his decisions. That should change now that Van Nistelrooy is on board.

"As a manager, you need people who will go against you and challenge you, and hopefully Ruud and Rene (Hake) will do this," former United defender Jaap Stam said in a recent interview with The Athletic. "Ruud, of course, is a legend for the club. Our times crossed over briefly and I was asked to look after him when he first joined, like me, from PSV. At United now, Ruud can hopefully bring some quality and make the players better as individuals. He’s been a manager himself, too, so that should help. I like the appointment."

Van Nistelrooy won't hesitate to speak up if he feels something is amiss. During his playing days at United, he even criticised Ronaldo for holding onto the ball for too long, and retired from international football early after a fallout with Marco van Basten.

Ten Hag needs someone to rein him in, because United have not progressed under his leadership. He's delivered two trophies, but the squad looks in even worse shape than when he arrived in 2022 and the gulf in class between the Red Devils and noisy neighbours Manchester City has only increased. Having a strong character like Van Nistelrooy backing him up will be vital if Ten Hag is to really turn the tide in 2024-25.

According to Sky Sports, several United players have expressed their belief that Van Nistelrooy has an "aura" about him, which could also provide a welcome boost in the transfer market. The Red Devils have found it harder to attract top talent in recent years, but the impending arrival of a former Arsenal wonderkid suggests their pulling power is gradually returning.

United have struck an agreement for 16-year-old Chido Obi-Martin, who left Arsenal last week after rejecting a new contract. The Danish sensation received offers from several clubs, but decided Old Trafford is the best place for his development after talks with Van Nistelrooy - according to Fabrizio Romano.

Obi-Martin is considered one of the brightest young prospects in Europe; a quick, strong forward with a real eye for goal, and it's a big blow for Arsenal to lose him to a direct rival. United supporters will hope that the club continues to capitalise on Van Nistelrooy's pedigree, which was also an attractive factor for Zirkzee, who said in his first interview with United's media channels: "Obviously when I was younger, watching the Dutch national team, Manchester United, watching [Van Nistelrooy] play, he was one of the guys who you were pretending to be when you were out playing with friends. So having him out here is obviously a bit special, it's great."

United are not going to win the Premier League next season; not even the most blindly loyal fans would argue against that. Even an immediate return to the Champions League may be too much of a leap considering how far they've fallen. But there is a minimum requirement that must be achieved if Ten Hag's new deal is to amount to more than just a stay of execution.

The season-ticket holders who pay a fortune to follow the Red Devils around the country and across Europe deserve some proper entertainment. That means clear patterns of play, quick, free-flowing football and all the players singing from the same hymn sheet.

It's still not clear whether Ten Hag truly understands the core philosophy on which the club was built. But Van Nistelrooy does. "I love the game, and I love a certain way of playing. At Manchester United, Sir Alex was always pushing us forward," he said to The Coaches' Voice in June. "Look forward, play forward, get crosses in, shoot on target. As a player, I loved the way that made me feel. I wanted to play like that, and I want to transmit that same feeling to my teams, to my players."

Getting the players to enjoy their football is half the battle. In Ten Hag's first two years, there has been far more ups than downs, and too many star figures have played within themselves. United have to rediscover their identity to have any hope of reclaiming a place among the elite, and Van Nistelrooy is perfectly placed to make sure they get back on the right path.