It was obvious, wasn’t it?

Ruud van Nistelrooy returned to Manchester United in the summer to become Erik ten Hag’s assistant. He felt it was almost inevitable that he would be named as some form of interim, caretaker or stand-in manager at Old Trafford this season.

This transition came earlier than expected Manchester Utd‘s terrible start to the 2024/25 season has forced INEOS to make a decision it must confirm in the summer as Ten Hag’s long-term death sentence ends.

Wary of another Ole Gunnar Solskjaer situation, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co moved quickly and decisively to appoint Ruben Amorim, who had a big job on his hands and is reportedly currently trying to address two ‘resounding failures’.

Interim boss as Amorim’s start date postponed to international break Van Nistelrooy He was given the reins of four matches and won three of them. He was fortunate that two of the matches were against Leicester City, but he displayed composure and his natural leadership skills came in handy as he managed to steady the ship.

Van Nistelrooy is much loved at Man Utd and There is love for him in the team too. But Amorim was unlikely to keep a man with clear management ambitions from the previous failed regime on board, and the Dutchman’s departure was confirmed shortly after Ten Hag’s replacement stepped off the plane from Portugal on Monday.

Former Man Utd assistant close to joining Burnley He could only get a job in the Premier League before his former club lured him away in the summer After passing his short-term tryouts at Old Trafford and there are five potential next moves for the 48-year-old…

wolves
Gary O’Neil was damned by his premature association with the Man Utd job; Gary O’Neil quickly fell from the next big thing to the big scam as Wolves took just 11 points from a possible 63.

Wolves fared better after the October international break as they drew against Brighton and Crystal Palace following their unfortunate 2-1 defeat against Manchester City. Then at the weekend Wolves *finally* won their first Premier League game of the season, beating Southampton 2-0.

The famous Michael Owen meme comes to mind when a team beats Southampton and O’Neil in the Premier League – Who are among the favorites to be the next manager to be sacked? – With 19th-placed Wolves in trouble, it would be good to still have a job by the end of the festive fixtures.

Wolves’ squad is not at ‘too good to drop’ level, but their current ceiling is higher than 19th and Van Nistelrooy will certainly be at the front of the table if O’Neil leaves the team.

TO READ: Amorim Man Utd honeymoon ends with ‘concerns raised’ as Tuchel wastes ‘precious time’

Crystal Palace
Dr Tottenham’s welcome visit gives Palace a much-needed boostbut Oliver Glasner’s side went down immediately in their 2-0 home defeat against Fulham on Saturday.

Glasner entered this season as one of the Premier League’s safest managers, as his team held the dizzying heights of finishing in the first half as a seemingly realistic target. But it appears the end of last season came at the worst possible time for Palace, who were left without help from a difficult summer transfer window.

Like O’Neil, Glasner has gone from being linked with a move to European giants Bayern Munich to being at risk of being sacked by relative scoundrels as Palace revert to type after their spectacular encounter efficiency has defied all logic.

If Palace don’t suddenly rise from the relegation table to mid-table, Steve Parish may be forced to hit the panic button and look for another new manager. As with Wolves, appointing Van Nistelrooy could be risky given fears of relegation, but the bold call would be in line with decisions made in the past by the ambitious board comprising Glasner and Patrick Vieira.

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Everton
A terrible start to the season for Everton, similar to Man Utd It has sparked calls for change as a ‘sensational comeback’ is likelybut he did things to Sean Dyche against Palace and Ipswich Town as the pressure eased after those two big wins.

But more misery is always on the cards for Everton, who enter this international break on a three-match winless run.

You have to imagine his final season at Goodison Park was full of extreme lows and odd highs, ultimately resulting in a 17th-place finish.

Everton need to at least survive before the stadium move and expected takeover escalate further. Dyche is likely to rescue the Toffees before abandoning his pragmatic approach and turning to a forward-thinking manager, as he so often does, at the start of a bright new era for this long-suffering football club. Ruud would fit the bill…

West Ham United
The goalless draw between West Ham and Everton was a chore for everyone, but the result certainly suited Dyche better than Julen Lopetegui. who is definitely getting closer to the sack.

His summer appointment following the departure of David Moyes was underwhelming. One negative manager replaced another and it was difficult to foresee a scenario in which Lopetegui would give disappointed West Ham fans the excitement they craved at the end of the Scot’s reign.

Lopetegui was boosted by West Ham making some positive signings – at least on paper – in the summer. But this huge investment is not paying off as Lopetegui tries to get something out of his talented but underachieving squad.

West Ham sit just five points above the bottom three. Premier League table And assuming Lopetegui’s replacement isn’t another like-minded manager, Van Nistelrooy or another successor could do a great job given the quality of the squad he has available.

TO READ: Premier League winners and losers: Liverpool strengthen grip as Dr Tottenham saves another patient

Tottenham Hotspur
Dr Tottenham was particularly generous with his time earlier this season as he handed Palace and Ipswich Town their first wins of the season.

It’s as funny as it is absurd that this spell also included wins over Manchester City and Aston Villa, with Tottenham falling short due to their infuriating inconsistency.

The once amiable Australian manager grew increasingly fed up as he began to crumble under the weight of Tottenham’s incompetence. This fueled speculation about Ange Postecoglou’s future, but The fans’ anger must be directed at Daniel Levy because his head coach is the latest in a long list of victims the Spurs have dragged down.

While Levy must be shown the door first, Postecoglou will be sacked long before the chairman is running out of ideas trying to put an end to Tottenham’s long-running trophy drought.

How about a Manchester United legend from the long-heralded Sir Alex Ferguson era, frequently mentioned in The Overlap? ‘Guys, this is Tottenham’, we know. But this is one of the few options left for a failing and increasingly despondent Levy.