‘Hopefully Ruud will do this’ - Jaap Stam urges Van Nistelrooy to challenge Man Utd manager

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag added Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake to his backroom staff a few weeks ago.

Hake resigned as the manager of Eredivisie club Go Ahead Eagles earlier this month after working as a first-team coach with Utrecht, Jong Utrecht, Cambuur and Twente Enschede.

Van Nistelrooy is back in a job after resigning as PSV Eindhoven manager last May.

The Dutchmen will be working as Ten Hag’s assistants, and Jaap Stam wants them to tell the boss their thoughts whenever they do not agree with some of his plans.

“Managers want to work with people who they know, people who will bring something different to their managerial team and I can see that in Erik’s appointments, especially this year,” the former Red Devils star told The Athletic.

“As a manager, you need people who will go against you and challenge you and hopefully Ruud (Van Nistelrooy) and Rene (Hake) will do this. Ruud, of course, is a legend for the club.

“At United now, Ruud can hopefully bring some quality to the strikers in coaching and make the players better as individuals. He’s been a manager himself, too, so that should help. I like the appointment.”

Man United now have two former first-team bosses helping Ten Hag, which should come as a huge advantage for their manager as he knows what they bring to the table.

Van Nistelrooy and Hake are unlikely to be afraid to air their views to their boss regardless of how he will feel, and the Red Devils should have a better campaign in 2024-25 than they did last term.

Man United had a very poor season by every standard in 2023-24 despite winning the FA Cup, but the recent additions of Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee to their squad should give them a much-needed boost.

They also plan to sign another centre-back, a midfielder and a full-back, and Ten Hag will hope there are fewer injuries next season after they ravaged his squad last term.