Ruud van Nistelrooy dismisses criticism of two Man Utd new boys

Manchester United’s interim head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy has defended summer signings Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee, who have both been criticised for their performances since arriving at Old Trafford.

United’s slow and ponderous start to the 2024/25 season has cost Erik ten Hag his job as manager, leaving Van Nistelrooy in temporary charge until new head coach Ruben Amorim starts work on November 11.

Ugarte and Zirkzee were two high-profile signings for United over the summer, along with centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, but both have been targeted by disgruntled supporters and the media as the club’s struggles continue.

The Red Devils sit 13th in the Premier League table heading into Sunday’s clash with Chelsea, with Van Nistelrooy preparing to preside over his first league game in charge – the Dutchman recorded an impressive 5-2 win over Leicester City in midweek to advance United to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Speaking ahead of the game, Van Nistelrooy took the opportunity to defend both Ugarte and Zirkzee, who are likely to be on the bench for the visit of Enzo Maresca’s high-flying Chelsea.

“I am convinced about Manuel that he will be a great player for United,” Van Nistelrooy said. “He had a very good performance yesterday and against Fenerbahce he had a good performance. I think of course, getting players in an early conclusion, players who are here for two or three months, we should be careful with that I think.

“It’s a great signing, he is a very good player, professional, he has very specific qualities in midfield when he gets in between players and recover the ball for us to get us in attacking positions. Also on the ball, very decent, so I mean that he will be a very good player for this club. He wants to do well for this club and is very motivated to do so.”

As for Zirkzee, he scored the winning goal for United against Fulham on the opening day of the Premier League season, but hasn’t added to that tally in the 13 games that have followed.

“Josh is a similar answer to Manuel Ugarte’s situation. Josh came in and he is a young player with a lot of potential,” Van Nistelrooy remarked of his fellow countryman. “He’s a different type [of striker] to Rasmus [Hojlund], because Rasmus is more of a No.9 who plays high up the pitch and he’s getting in the backs of defenders.

“Josh is more of a player who is coming towards the ball and gets the team playing. In the Crystal Palace game, I thought he was excellent and showed one of his best performances.

“Another one with a lot of talent, he’s a good age and has a lot of potential to develop.”