Ex-Man Utd coach says how Sir Jim Ratcliffe would feel about Ruud van Nistelrooy taking over

Rene Meulensteen reckons Sir Jim Ratcliffe would consider replacing Erik ten Hag with Ruud van Nistelrooy – if Manchester United make a poor start to the season.

United are up and running in the Premier League after a 1-0 win over Fulham thanks to summer signing Joshua Zirkee’s late winner. Despite penning a new contract in the summer after leading the team to FA Cup glory, it is imperative Ten Hag improves on last season’s dismal eighth place in the Premier League.

A run of poor results would crank up the pressure on the Dutchman, who added Van Nistelrooy and former Utrecht boss Rene Hake to his backroom over the summer. It has been speculated that Van Nistelrooy could be first in line to steady the ship if Ten Hag is sacked.

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Meulensteen, a first-team coach under Sir Alex Ferguson between 2007 and 2013, says the potential for Van Nistelrooy, who has previously managed PSV Eindhoven, to replace his countryman cannot be completely dismissed.

“I don’t think Erik ten Hag will be worried about Rudd van Nistelrooy potentially replacing him, he’s too focused on the job at hand,” Meulensteen told Gambling Zone.

“But who knows what the future will bring. If United stutter at the start of the season and the results don’t go their way, Sir Jim Ratcliffe would consider Van Nistelrooy. But at the moment they believe that Erik is the right man and now we need to see what happens.

“It is an interesting development, what has happened at Manchester United because Ten Hag brought in his trusted staff and many of them have gone. Now he has brought in his friend