October 1st 2024.
Last summer, Ruud van Nistelrooy made a comeback to Old Trafford, joining Erik ten Hag's staff as an assistant manager. However, according to Paul Scholes, the former United striker should have had a bigger role in the team's recent transfer decisions, especially in regards to the attacking front. Scholes believes that van Nistelrooy may not have chosen Joshua Zirkzee, who arrived at United from Bologna in a £36.5m deal, or Rasmus Hojlund, who suffered an injury during pre-season.
This season, United has struggled to find the back of the net, with only Southampton scoring fewer goals than Ten Hag's side in the league. The team's plans were further hindered when Hojlund was injured, forcing him to make brief appearances off the bench in the last two games. Zirkzee, on the other hand, started in United's last four games but has yet to score since his league debut against Fulham.
Scholes, who was part of the punditry team covering United's disappointing 3-0 defeat to Tottenham, believes that coaches tend to have control over everything and that van Nistelrooy should have been consulted before bringing in another striker. He also suggests that the Dutchman may not have chosen Zirkzee or Hojlund as United's current options up front.
Despite the pressure on Ten Hag to improve results, he will remain in charge for the upcoming games against Porto and Aston Villa. However, there are reports that van Nistelrooy could step in as a short-term replacement if United decides to make a change. It is clear that the team needs to address their lack of goals and Scholes argues that consulting with van Nistelrooy could have potentially led to different transfer decisions.
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