Man United already been told Ruud van Nistelrooy's tactical approach and what to expect

Former Ajax and Netherlands star Ronald de Boer has already told Manchester United fans to expect fluid and efficient football from Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The legendary United forward has been put in temporary charge after Erik ten Hag was sacked on Monday. However, his reign may only last one match due to the Red Devils agreeing a deal with Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim.

Nevertheless, Van Nistelrooy will want to demonstrate his playing style and beliefs, even if his time in charge does not extend beyond the League Cup clash against Leicester City on Wednesday. United fans may know what to expect as De Boer provided an insight on his friend's playing style when he was still managing PSV Eindhoven.

READ MORE: Try MUFC Pro for FREE for our best Manchester United coverage

READ MORE: Manchester United next manager LIVE - Amorim agreement, Sporting wait, Silva approach

In an interview with the Herald, De Boer was asked about Van Nistelrooy's playing philosophy. He said: "I like Ruud as a person and I like how he conducts himself.

"But what I really like about Van Nistelrooy is that he is not naïve. He knows that if his team is not as strong as their opponent then they have to make sure they make it difficult for them.

"If you can’t win, don’t lose. Ruud is searching for the best team to play with the philosophy that he has.

Sign up to our United newsletter so you never miss an update from Old Trafford this season.

"He will always want his side to play attractive football and try to dominate the game. But if that is not possible he is realistic.”

Van Nistelrooy also provided a demonstration of his tactical nous in a video on the Coaches Voice earlier this year. He explained how he managed to overcome Ajax in the 2023 Dutch Cup final by playing a 3-4-3 formation and using two No.10 attacking midfielders to cut through the middle of the Amsterdam giants.

Due to the limited time he will have to prepare, it's unlikely he will try anything too ambitious with the Red Devils. However, he has already been urged by the likes of former United captain Gary Neville to set the team up in a completely different way.

Neville recently said to Sky Sports: "He can set the team up differently. That's something that could happen, he could make the make-up of the team slightly different. But he's been on the bench with Erik ten Hag so I'd be amazed if there was something drastic in the next few games.

"I believe that ultimately there needs to be quite a lot of work done with those players because at this moment in time they are desperately struggling. Ruud van Nistelrooy will do his very best. I have thought for a number of months that, looking at the players that United have that they'd maybe be better suited to going three at the back.

"Just purely because of the lack of a centre-back pairing and the full-backs look better going forward than they do defensively, so maybe that could happen. Maybe that might give them a bit more comfort because it would give them an extra body at the back and players would be in a system where they got more support."