What can fans expect from Ruud van Nistelrooy's Manchester United?

Van Nistelrooy isn't intended as a permanent hire; names likes Thomas Frank and Gareth Southgate have been tossed around as long-term replacements for ten Hag. But the last time United brought in a club legend as an interim hire was when Ole Gunnar Solksjaer filled in for the departing Jose Mourinho in 2018 ... and he wound up staying in charge for three seasons.

If van Nistelrooy's appointment goes the way of Solksjaer's, what can United fans expect from his tenure?

A focus on growth: Marcel van der Kraan, sports editor at the respected Dutch newspaper "De Telegraaf," followed van Nistelrooy closely when he coached PSV Eindhoven to second place in the Dutch league in 2023. 

"To sum him up as a coach, he probably got more joy out of improving players than of winning trophies," Van der Kraan told BBC Sport. 

Ex-PSV youth star Xavi Simons, now on loan at RB Leipzig from Paris Saint Germain, said van Nistelrooy taught him 'everything'."

That's good news for United: the team is miles away from trophies and saddled with expensive, underperforming signings. If the players are willing to listen to Van Nistelrooy — and they should be, considering his charmed playing career—he might be able to mold them into a sharper side.

Struggles in midfield: The hallmark of van Nistelrooy's PSV side was its midfield: deep-lying Ibrahim Sangare, ball carriers Guus Til and Joey Veerman and wingers Cody Gakpo and Ismael Saibari combined to make the team's center tick. 

Much of PSV's success under Van Nistelrooy came through these five; his team wasn't known for a rock-solid defense and didn't leverage a traditional striker. (The aforementioned Xavi Simons often played in the striker position, but operated more like a winger in practice.)

That's all well and good, but United's existing midfield isn't set up to support that system. It's lacking a deep-lying playmaker like Sangare — Casemiro, Mount and Eriksen come closest, but none are consistent — and its wingers are used to serving strikers like Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee instead of finding goals themselves. 

If van Nistelrooy intends to replicate his PSV midfield at United, there are bound to be growing pains ... and Højlund and Zirkzee, two players with a combined $138.4M — may find themselves ancillary to Van Nistelrooy's requirements along the way.

Front office fallout: Van Nistelrooy lasted just one season at PSV; he resigned in the spring of 2023. 

"A head coach needs to be aligned with the board and the directors, and to know about plans for the future," he said after his exit. "When you're not, it's impossible to continue."

That attitude doesn't bode well for van Nistelrooy at United, whose recent takeover gave its board and directors carte blanche to cut costs around the club. With United's commercial interests far outstripping its playing interests — it remains one of the most popular clubs in the world despite its poor run of form — it's the front office that runs the show, not the coach. 

Van Nistelrooy could find himself on a collision course with United's leadership in no time if he doesn't understand that.

Van Nistelrooy's first game in charge of United will come on Wednesday when the club faces Leicester City in the Carabao Cup. His Premier League debut will come this Sunday at home against Chelsea.