With the end of the football season, clubs around the world will start to focus on the transfer market, trying to sign the best players. However, in the summer some clubs will want to hire managers for their football clubs. While a manager can be appointed or fired at any time during the season, it is during the summer when football is on hiatus that major changes are made to the man in the dugout. Ruud van Nistelrooy will be wanted under these circumstances.
The Dutch legend left PSV Eindhoven citing “lack of support from the club”. Van Nistelrooy performed brilliantly in just one season, helping the club win the KNVB Cup and the Johan Cruyff Shield. And with one match left, PSV only needs one point to consolidate their second place finish against Ajax.
His departure comes just days before the club and the manager was due to sign a new deal that will significantly increase his salary and keep him at the club for a longer period of time. So how did Ruud van Nistelrooy fare in his coaching career? we explain.
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Who is Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy is one of the best Dutch footballers ever. In his prolific career, the prolific striker played for PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United and Real Madrid, representing his nation 70 times. Van Nistelrooy has won numerous honors, including championship titles in the Netherlands, England and Spain.
Van Nistelrooy summed up his career at the end of the 2011-12 season before going straight into coaching. After retiring from football, Van Nistelrooy returned to his former club PSV to take charge of the under-17 team in June 2013.
However, a year later a better opportunity presented itself and he quit his job to join Guus Hiddink, the newly appointed Netherlands manager as an assistant. He was able to spend two years in the role before returning to PSV as an under-18 coach.
Van Nistelrooy was also part of the Netherlands national team’s backroom staff when Ronald Koeman was manager. However, his first senior managerial career would not come until March 2022, when he was appointed manager of PSV to replace the departing Roger Schmidt.
Ruud van Nistelrooy resigned as PSV coach 🇳🇱 a day before the end of the 22/23 Eredivisie season. On the horizon, one of the most important matches of the campaign, the Dutch coach has stepped aside. The statement reads that Ruud… pic.twitter.com/DwuFNloV2z
– Julio Rodriguez (@julioordz10) May 24, 2023
Tactics and playing style of Ruud van Nistelrooy
In his first season at PSV, Ruud van Nistelrooy switched from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 depending on the position, and also used a 4-4-2 a few times. After taking charge of the team, van Nistelrooy chose a team with a stable defense that used pace and subterfuge to devour the opposition.
And this is where his tactical genius came into play. With the ball, the team tries to move the ball forward in two ways, either through the gaps between the defense and midfield, or using the wings. It ended up being the latter, so they had 122 successful crosses, second in the league. The manager also knew that in Xavi, Simons was his best player. So rather than limiting him to a specific position, van Nistelrooy gave him complete freedom to explore gaps in the attacking third position. Its popularity map z Sofa score proves it.
But without the ball, van Nistelrooy sets up his defense to avoid the same opponent weaknesses he exploits, the gaps between the lines. Instead, his tactics forced the opponent to go to the wings, where the only opportunity was to cross the ball. And that’s where the impressive duo of centre-backs Andre Ramalho and Jarrad Branthwaite come in. Branthwaite in particular makes good use of its 1.95m frame.
The team also relies on quick passing to move the ball forward, with dribbling duties mostly falling to Xavi Simmons. The change was also largely driven by the departure of Cody Gakpo to Liverpool, who is still the league’s second-best player in terms of assists despite playing less than half a season at the club.
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Why Ruud van Nistelrooy could be a good fit for Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham are looking not only for a manager, but for the entire hierarchy. The English team has already tried to lure technical director Brentford to the team. Nevertheless, the manager remains the top priority for now. However, the club does not attract big names, and in such circumstances Ruud van Nistelrooy could be the perfect choice.
The Dutchman prefers an attacking philosophy, something Tottenham surpassed under Mauricio Pochettino when they reached the Champions League final. His tactics also work to the advantage of the Tottenham side, who have two brilliant forwards in Harry Kane and Son Heung Min. The club also lacks the quality of top-flight clubs and will greatly benefit from his defensive tactics against much better teams.
