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Ruud van Nistelrooy, wearing glasses, and his Dutch compatriot Nathan Ake paused for a long conversation as they walked to their respective team buses to leave Wembley Stadium.
The two looked relaxed as they chatted, with Van Nistelrooy at one point wearing a sleek Manchester United Coach uniform, with a warm smile.
Maybe Ake mentioned Manchester City He stopped playing, otherwise Pep Guardiola They face a fourth consecutive Community Shield defeat.
Van Nistelrooy made 219 appearances for Manchester United between 2001 and 2006, scoring 150 goals. He returned to Old Trafford this summer. Eric ten Haag He was given extensive duties as an assistant.
However, Manchester United performed very poorly in Saturday’s game. Marcus Rashford One particular culprit will surely force Van Nistelrooy to spend the next few days coaching on his specialist subject – how to put the ball in the net – ahead of Friday’s game. Premier League Opening Game Fulham.
Ruud van Nistelrooy watched as Manchester United struggled in the Community Shield
The Dutchman will be looking to improve United’s scoring rate, as they only managed 57 Premier League goals last season.
While City looked a more complete team worthy of last season’s champions, finishing 31 points clear of their neighbours, United had by far the best chance and if Rashford had finished like Ruud van Nistelrooy in his prime instead of missing two shots in front of goal, FA Cup champions United would have lifted another trophy before City drew 1-1 and won on penalties.
Driven by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is in charge of football affairs, Manchester United have been busy in the transfer market in recent days, bringing in two high-profile international defenders, Matthijs de Ligt and Nusser Mazraoui, from Bayern Munich.
But it is at the other end of the spectrum that most worries United fans returning north.
No team in the top half of the Premier League scored fewer goals than Manchester United last season, who netted 57 times in 38 league games, and the latest evidence suggests their fitness is not good either.
Rasmus Hojlund is out for six weeks through injury, Joshua Kirkzee has yet to play a game following his £36m move from Bologna after missing the US tour, while Bruno Fernandes was nowhere near as good as he was in the FA Cup final as a false nine.
Rashford, who scored seven goals in 33 games last season, was hoping for a rest this summer after being left out of England’s European Championship squad, but that hope seems unlikely.
He looked unhurt but twice sent shots off target when he was in front of goal without a City defender nearby, prompting loud complaints from United fans.
Rashford buried his head in his hands after missing his second penalty, and seemed to feel mercy when ten Hag replaced him in the dying minutes of the game, sparing him the ordeal of taking a penalty.
Manchester United had two great chances to score at Wembley
Marcus Rashford missed from close range and the game went to penalties
Although the manager tried to be kind afterwards: “I’m glad he’s getting those spots,” he said of Rashford, it was worrying, not least because no one else seemed to be taking on the responsibility of scoring goals.
Amad Diallo was excellent outside the box but when the goal was in his hands he chose to pass it instead of shooting from a good position.
Mason Mount was the intended target but he didn’t get into the six-yard box quickly enough and missed his chance.
United had just two shots on target all afternoon. Fernandes’ shot was easily saved by Ederson. Although substitute Alejandro Ganacho scored a goal, the Argentine tended to only score occasional high-quality goals rather than providing enough scoring opportunities for United.
It’s rare that top players need technical training when they reach Premier League level, but this appears to be the exception.
Rashford and others will directly benefit from Van Nistelrooy’s expertise in staying calm and confident in pressure situations in front of goal and choosing the right shot.
It’s as if their entire attacking line needs a bit of the selfishness and ruthlessness that Ruud van Nistelrooy possesses as a world-class centre-forward.
United’s current crop of forwards would benefit from developing the ruthless efficiency that Van Nistelrooy was so beloved for at Old Trafford.
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes agreed, believing Van Nistelrooy to be the best striker he had ever worked with, even better than Andy Cole and Wayne Rooney: “From the first day I saw him in training I thought wow, what an amazing player he is. He lives to score goals.” This was his evaluation.
Ten Hag has sought to make it clear that he does not believe his compatriot – the former PSV head coach – has only one trick up his sleeve, but given United’s current predicament it would be foolish not to utilise Van Nistelrooy’s special talents.
“He will work in different areas but I think the striker will definitely benefit from it. He will have an impact,” agreed the United manager.
The fact that Ten Hag is even leading the team into the new season is surprising considering United’s 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace at the end of last season.
However, with Dan Ashworth and the rest of the executives watching closely from the posh seats of Wembley, improved results and performances need to happen quickly.
Ten Hag said he was satisfied with the narrow 7-6 penalty shootout defeat to Manchester City, especially as Euro 2024 finalist Luke Shaw was unavailable, forcing Lisandro Martinez and Facundo Pellistri to play as makeshift full-backs at different times.
Ten Hag’s side were without Luke Shaw, with Lisandro Martinez deployed as a makeshift full-back
The manager is well aware of United’s poor start to last season, with four losses in their opening six games, and the two wins at home to Wolves and Nottingham Forest were close and lucky.
“We still have a few days to prepare for the game against Fulham. We have to use this time well and put in a lot of effort,” warned ten Hag. Van Nistelrooy needs to get his shooting boots back on and show Rashford some tricks.
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