October 30th 2024.
Tonight, Ruud van Nistelrooy will take the lead for Manchester United as they face Leicester City in the Carabao Cup. However, his former teammate Paul Scholes believes that van Nistelrooy should have had more influence in the club's transfer decisions, especially when it comes to bringing in new strikers like Joshua Zirkzee.
It's no secret that United has been struggling to find the back of the net this season, with only Southampton and Crystal Palace scoring fewer goals in the first nine games. This poor start has resulted in the sacking of manager Erik ten Hag and van Nistelrooy has been appointed as the interim manager for now.
Although his time in the dugout may be short-lived as United are already in talks to appoint Ruben Amorim as their new permanent boss, van Nistelrooy will still lead the team tonight against Leicester. Ten Hag's plans for the season were already hindered when Rasmus Hojlund suffered a hamstring injury during pre-season, causing him to miss the first five games.
In the summer, Zirkzee joined United from Bologna in a deal worth £36.5m and impressed by scoring on his league debut against Fulham. However, he has struggled to find the back of the net since then, with only one goal in 12 appearances. This has led to Scholes questioning whether van Nistelrooy would have chosen Zirkzee or Hojlund as potential signings if he had been consulted.
Scholes, who played alongside van Nistelrooy and now serves as a pundit, believes that coaches tend to be control freaks and want to be involved in every aspect of the team. However, he thinks that van Nistelrooy should have been given a say in the recruitment process, particularly for a new striker or even two. He also doubts that van Nistelrooy would have chosen Zirkzee or Hojlund as his top picks.
Despite United's approach to Sporting Lisbon for Amorim, the Portuguese manager's future is still uncertain. He confirmed that United has triggered his £8.3million release clause, but it remains to be seen if he will take on the job.
As for van Nistelrooy, his future beyond Wednesday night is also uncertain. While he may have returned to United last summer as Ten Hag's assistant manager, it's unclear if he will continue in that role under Amorim's leadership.
But for now, all eyes are on van Nistelrooy as he leads United against Leicester in the Carabao Cup. Will he be able to turn things around for the team and secure a spot in the next round? Only time will tell. Stay tuned for all the latest news, exclusives, and analysis on Manchester United by signing up for our newsletter. Your privacy is important to us, and this site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
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