Ruud van Nistelrooy reveals Man Utd gamers’ response to Erik ten Hag’s exit

Interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy has revealed Manchester United’s players were given time to process their emotions following Erik ten Hag’s departure ahead of their Carabao Cup clash with Leicester City at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag was sacked by United on Monday morning, less than 24 hours after a 2-1 loss to West Ham United at the London Stadium.

Van Nistelrooy, who took temporary charge, aims to boost the mood at Old Trafford after a run of one win in eight matches. A fan favourite, Van Nistelrooy returned to the club in the summer as part of Ten Hag’s coaching team overhaul.

He now focuses on leading the team to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. Speaking to MUTV pre-match, Van Nistelrooy said: “We had to deal with a day like yesterday and give the players some space to get their heads around things and their emotions.”

“Then they needed to switch their mindsets to performing and that is what we did today. We wanted to focus on seeing an energetic, an attack-minded performance, having a lot of the ball, and attempting to give the crowd a great night.”

“It has been a couple of days of mixed feelings,” Van Nistelrooy added, reports the Manchester Evening News.

“When you see a colleague go, it is a big disappointment. Erik brought me in and in the first conversation we had, what struck me most was the passion he had for Man United, and I experienced that with him. He was really fighting for this club, for the supporters, and that was what brought us together.”