Manchester United have bad news regarding veteran coach Fred Rutten. Incoming manager Erik Ten Hag has already started preparing for life at Old Trafford. The 52-year-old looks set to inherit Chris Armas and Sascha Lense, appointed by Ralf Rangnick this season. Mitchell Van der Gaag, currently Ten Hag’s assistant at Ajax is also set to join United. However, Manchester United are yet to finalise deals for the rest of Ten Hag’s backroom staff.
However, Fred Rutten has rejected the opportunity to join Ten Hag’s backroom staff. The 59-year-old has instead opted to remain in the Netherlands. He is expected to join PSV Eindhoven as a part of former United star Ruud van Nistelrooy’s staff.
Fred Rutten is currently a member of the Supervisory Board of the Dutch club NEC Nijmegen. He has held this position since August 2021. Rutten served as assistant manager of Twente FC between 1993-1999. He also served as assistant manager to Gus Hiddink at PSV between 2002-2006.
In an expansive career spanning over 13 years, Rutten has managed various Dutch clubs including Twente FC, PSV, Vitesse, and Feyenoord. Outside the Netherlands, the 59-year-old has also handled German club Schalke, Israeli side Maccabi Haifa and Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Shabab. His last managerial role was with Belgian side Anderlecht in 2019. He won the KNVB Cup with Twente in 2001. In the 2009-10 season, Rutten’s PSV side recorded a 39-game unbeaten streak.
On a personal level, Rutten was the recipient of the Rinus Michel Manager of the Year award in 2008. In 473 games as a manager, the Dutchman has registered 244 wins and 121 draws, with a win% of 51.58 (stats via transfermarkt). His best stint came at PSV, where Rutten managed 91 wins and 33 draws in 142 games.
Speaking to ESPN, Rutten revealed that he had turned down the chance to be a part of Erik Ten Hag’s project.
“I have a family, I have grandchildren. I want to see them every now and then,
At Manchester United you get on a train and you can’t get off it. I want to feel comfortable in something you step into. That is the case with PSV.
It’s nice when you have grandchildren, who you see every now and then and who can play ball with.”
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Rutten, who has worked with Ten Hag in the past, also spoke about joining PSV:
“Of course I spoke extensively with Ruud van Nistelrooy,
He triggered me to give up the slightly freer life that I now have. He sat in the room with me and we talked for two hours about football and other things. And when talking about those other things in life, he also triggered me.
I think Ruud already has some experience, he has already trained a number of teams, at Jong PSV and their under-18s.
He has also acquired experience from the Dutch national team. Ruud is ready, that’s what it seems to me. I am positively critical.
For me, PSV stands for a Champions League club. Everything you do should serve that thought.”
Ten Hag has a huge task at hand. Manchester United is broken. They got dismantled and schooled by a mid-team club. He will have to plug in the gaps being left by outgoing players. He will then need to address certain key positions on the pitch that need major reinforcements. The United fans have never been through such a gloomy period and they are hoping Erik Ten Hag will bring back the glory days.
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