Man United already employ obvious but unlikely Erik ten Hag successor - it's not Ruud van Nistelrooy

Amidst Thomas Tuchel being announced as England manager, the odds on Ruud van Nistelrooy becoming Erik ten Hag’s successor were slashed.

He was not the only potential candidate to see the numbers fall, but almost all bookmakers currently make him the most likely to be named as the next Manchester United manager, should the current boss be axed.

United had been lining up Tuchel to replace Ten Hag upon a possible dismissal, but the Football Association caught wind and sped up their hiring process to tie the German down to an 18-month contract as England head coach. United, too slow again.

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Van Nistelrooy has outlined how it was Ten Hag who personally called him to offer a coaching role at Old Trafford. “I never even saw this as a possibility,” he admitted to broadcasters last month.

“I was in talks with clubs to manage and I love it [managing]. I had my staff all ready and then I had a phone call. Erik called me and talked it through. I started to love the idea.”

Van Nistelrooy had landed in a fantastic position. There is no inkling that the former PSV Eindhoven boss has outright intentions to usurp Ten Hag, but it is not hard to see how the dominoes may fall if his colleague is shown the door.

He would be the fourth Sir Alex Ferguson understudy to move into the role since the Scot himself retired in 2013, with Ryan Giggs, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick all previously taking over for stints of various lengths.

Like Solskjaer, Van Nistelrooy would bring the fans back on side instantly. He’d also have more esteemed silverware to boast about than Solskjaer did. In his first season in management, he won the Dutch cup and Johan Cruyff Shield at PSV.

It’s perhaps why Ten Hag said his countryman would "have an impact on the strikers, but he will also work in other areas.” However, Van Nistelrooy might not even be the most coach-readied caretaker candidate on the United bench.

Rene Hake arrived as another assistant alongside Van Nistelrooy this summer. The 52-year-old, a close friend of Ten Hag, has been the manager of five Dutch clubs, including Twente and FC Utrecht and last season guided minnows Go Ahead Eagles to their highest finish (ninth) in 15 years.

He has more than 330 senior games of management under his belt, which dwarfs that of Van Nistelrooy, who only has 50. He boasts a similar playing philosophy to Ten Hag and has worked under regimes similar to that of United.

Without context, he would be the more obvious assistant to be appointed as caretaker manager than Van Nistelrooy. But even besides the fan factor, that he is akin to Ten Hag is one reason why United may steer clear of asking him to be interim.

Dig a little deeper and more cracks appear. Hake has never achieved more than a 40 per cent win ratio at any club, neither at minnows Cambuur or the bigger Twente. He’s also been sacked twice and has no senior silverware to boast about.

In contrast, Van Nistelrooy earned a 64.7 percent ratio at PSV and came second in the Eredivisie before walking away in May 2023 after not feeling backed by the board. He would have no such problem at United.

Van Nistelrooy is still a risk given he only has 50 senior games under his belt and formerly won just 11 of his 36 games as youth team coach at PSV. Neither assistant coach would likely be long-term options.

Hake seems the most manager-ready and is less of a radical transition, making him the most obvious caretaker choice. But fan opinion and on-paper numbers matter.

Hake has the experience, but Van Nistelrooy appears to have the expertise. It is no surprise Van Nistelrooy is the bookies’ favourite.