“I rate him really highly” – Former Man United man from the Fergie era keen on helping Dutchman



Back when Sir Alex Ferguson was in his pomp, aside from the likes of Mike Phelan, Carlos Queiroz, Steve McLaren and others, Rene Meulensteen was one of the Scot’s right-hand men at Man United.

The Dutchman was first-team coach between 2007 and 2013, a period in which the Red Devils won the Premier League three times, other domestic honours as well as the Champions League in 2008 against Chelsea and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Rene Meulensteen would jump at the chance of a Man United return

How Erik ten Hag would wish for the same type of success at this moment in time.

The Dutchman is continuing to struggle under the weight of expectation at Old Trafford, with former professional, Stan Collymore, suggesting ten Hag “is finished” at United now.

Another pundit believes ten Hag could be sacked this weekend, with suggestions that the club will turn to Thomas Tuchel to get them out of the mess that they currently find themselves in.

Ruud van Nistelrooy is ten Hag’s current assistant manager, brought in before the start of this season to alleviate the pressure.

Though he doesn’t appear to have done that, it isn’t immediately clear how much of an impact he is being allowed to have, given that he generally looks impassive on the touchline during games.

Sir Alex Ferguson, Rene Meulensteen and Mike Phelan. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Perhaps van Nistelrooy is maintaining a low profile because of the current status quo, and a protection of his own position wouldn’t be the worst avenue to take given the situation.

Meulensteen would certainly jump at the chance to return to Old Trafford if van Nistelrooy was promoted to the top job too.

“Ruud and I know each other really well because I worked with him and always stayed in touch,” he said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.

“I rate him highly, I think he jumped the ship at PSV a little bit too soon, he was doing really well.

“I always feel if I jump into a job, I want to make sure that I’d be able to make a difference, not to make up the numbers. I also have to make sure not to kick myself because if I go back into Manchester United, I would walk back into something I probably wouldn’t recognise.


 

“In those six years that I was the first team coach at Manchester United, I loved every minute of it, I didn’t feel any negative pressure any day when I was driving up to Carrington, and that was totally down to the man management of Sir Alex Ferguson and how much he trusted us with what we were doing.

“If Ruud would come calling, you would help him of course you would. You would talk to him and say, ‘Okay what can I do for you?’”