Chelsea pose tough test for Van Nistelrooy Sunday
Manchester United hit the reset button again by sacking manager, Erik ten Hag, with the team mired in mid-table mediocrity and Ruud van Nistelrooy will be in charge for the home Premier League game against Chelsea on Sunday.
Dutchman Ten Hag was fired on after a fourth loss in nine league games left United languishing in 14th place 12 points behind leaders Manchester City.
Nistelrooy was appointed interim manager until Ruben Amorim reportedly leaves Portuguese side, Sporting, and takes the reins after November’s international break.
Nistelrooy, who scored 150 goals for United, got United off to a victorious start in the post- Ten Hag era with an entertaining 5-2 victory over struggling Leicester City in the League Cup on Wednesday, but Chelsea are a different beast.
Under new manager, Enzo Maresca, a young squad have given the Stamford Bridge faithful a glimmer of hope that the London club can return to the Champions League.
Led by the imperious Cole Palmer, who has seven league goals and five assists this season, they sit fifth in the table.
They will also be desperate to improve their woeful record against United who have lost to Chelsea only once in the last 13 Premier League games.
Such is Maresca’s attention to detail that the Italian is redoing his homework and analysing Van Nistelrooy’s managerial stint at PSV Eindhoven where he led the Eredivise club to a Dutch Cup title.
“I guess it will be Ruud (who takes charge of United). He’s a friend of mine, we played together, we spent a year together at Malaga and we still have a relationship,” Maresca said.
“We started to watch some PSV games. We’d already watched many Manchester United games. I’m sad for Erik and at the same time happy for Ruud. Hopefully I can see him Sunday.”
Chelsea are also looking to return to winning ways after Newcastle United took revenge for last weekend’s loss by dumping them out of the League Cup on Wednesday, a game where Palmer was rested.
Nistelrooy is hopeful he can stay at United long-term after arriving in the close season.
“I’m helping as long as I’m needed and in the future in any capacity… I’m here to give my everything for the club in any capacity,” Van Nistelrooy said.
—Reuters
