It was obvious, wasn’t it?
When Ruud van Nistelrooy returned to Manchester United in the summer to become Erik ten Hag’s assistant, it immediately felt inevitable that he would be named a variation of interim, caretaker or acting manager at Old Trafford this season.
This switch came sooner than expected as Man Utd‘s dire start to the 2024/25 campaign forced INEOS to make a decision they should have sanctioned in the summer as Ten Hag’s prolonged stay of execution ended.
Wary of another Ole Gunnar Solskjaer situation, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co. moved quickly and decisively to appoint Ruben Amorim, who has a major job on his hands and is already reportedly looking to offload two ‘resounding failures’.
With Amorim’s start date delayed until the international break, temporary boss Van Nistelrooy was given the reins for four matches and won three. He was fortunate in that two of the games were against Leicester City, but he exuded calmness and his natural leadership skills came in handy as he managed to steady the ship.
Van Nistelrooy is adored at Man Utd and there is also affection for him in the squad. But Amorim was never likely to keep a man with clear managerial aspirations from the previous failed regime on board and the Dutchman’s departure was confirmed shortly after Ten Hag’s replacement got off the plane from Portugal on Monday.
The ex-Man Utd assistant came close to joining Burnley before his former club swiped him away in the summer, but he could land a Premier League job after passing his fleeting audition at Old Trafford and there are five potential next moves for the 48-year-old…
Wolves
Being prematurely linked with the Man Utd job has cursed Gary O’Neil, who rapidly plunged from being the next big thing to a mega-fraud as Wolves have picked up just 11 points from a possible 63.
Wolves fared better after the October international break as their unfortunate 2-1 loss against Manchester City preceded draws with Brighton and Crystal Palace. Then at the weekend, Wolves *finally* won their first Premier League game of the season, beating Southampton 2-0.
The infamous Michael Owen meme comes to mind when a Premier League side beats Southampton and O’Neil – who is among the favourites to be the next manager sacked – will do well to still be in a job by the end of the festive fixtures as 19th-placed Wolves are deep in trouble.
Wolves’ squad isn’t at the ‘too good to go down’ level, but their current ceiling is higher than 19th and Van Nistelrooy will surely be one of the frontrunners if/when O’Neil is axed.
READ: Amorim Man Utd honeymoon over with ‘concerns raised’ as Tuchel wastes ‘precious time’
Crystal Palace
A welcome visit of Dr Tottenham gave Palace a much-needed boostbut Oliver Glasner’s side immediately crashed down to earth as they were dominated in a 2-0 home loss to Fulham on Saturday.
Glasner headed into this campaign as one of the safest managers in the Premier League as his side had the dizzy heights of a top-half finish as a seemingly realistic target. But it seems that the end of last season came at the worst possible time for Palace, who have not been helped by a difficult summer transfer window.
Like O’Neil, Glasner has gone from being linked with a European giant – Bayern Munich – to being at risk of being sacked by relative minnows as Palace have reverted to type after their superb run-in efficiency exceeded all logic.
If Palace do not suddenly rise from the relegation picture to mid-table, Steve Parish could feel forced to push the panic button and seek another new manager. As is also the case with Wolves, appointing Van Nistelrooy would be a risk given the fear of relegation, but this bold call would be in keeping with the past decisions made by the ambitious board with Glasner and Patrick Vieira.
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Everton
A Man Utd-esque dreadful start to the season for Everton led to calls for a change as a ‘sensational return’ was on the cardsbut Sean Dyche did Sean Dyche things against Palace and Ipswich Town as the pressure on him eased following these two huge victories.
But more misery is always just around the corner for Everton, who head into this international break on a three-game winless run.
You still have to fancy their final season at Goodison Park being full of extreme lows and the odd high, which ultimately results in the fortunate escape of a 17th-placed finish.
Ahead of the stadium move and further boost of an expected takeover, Everton need survival at the very minimum. As he often does, Dyche will likely save the Toffees before his pragmatic approach is ditched for a forward-thinking manager at the start of a new bright era for this long-suffering football club. Ruud would fit the bill…
West Ham United
The goalless draw between West Ham and Everton was a chore for all involved, but the outcome certainly suited Dyche more than Julen Lopetegui, who is surely edging ever closer to the sack.
His appointment in the summer following David Moyes’ exit was underwhelming. One negative manager replaced another and it was hard to foresee a scenario where Lopetegui would give frustrated West Ham supporters the excitement they were craving at the end of the Scotsman’s reign.
Lopetegui was backed in the summer as West Ham – on paper at least – made some positive signings. But this huge investment is not paying off as Lopetegui struggles to get a tune out of his talented but misfiring squad.
West Ham are sitting just five points above the bottom three in the Premier League table and assuming Lopetegui’s eventual replacement is not another like-minded manager, Van Nistelrooy or another successor could stumble on a great job given the calibre of squad at his disposal.
READ: Premier League winners and losers: Liverpool strengthen grip as Dr Tottenham saves another patient
Tottenham Hotspur
Dr Tottenham has been particularly generous with his time at the start of this campaign as they handed Palace and Ipswich Town their first wins of the season.
It’s as hilarious as it is nonsensical that this spell has also included wins over Manchester City and Aston Villa as Tottenham have been held back by their infuriating inconsistency.
A once-lovable Aussie manager has become increasingly fed up as he’s been weighed down by Tottenham’s ineptitude. This fuelled speculation surrounding Ange Postecoglou’s future, but the fan resentment should be reserved for Daniel Levy as his head coach is just the latest in a long list of victims to be dragged down by Spurs.
While Levy needs to be shown the door first, Postecoglou will be ousted long before the chairman, who must be running out of ideas as he searches for an end to Tottenham’s prolonged trophy drought.
How about a Manchester United legend from the long-heralded Sir Alex Ferguson era that’s reminisced about way too often on The Overlap? ‘Lads, it’s Tottenham’, we know. But this is one of few remaining options for a failing and increasingly desperate Levy.
