Manchester United can respect their success with Sir Alex Ferguson, but football’s progression means they had to cut ties.
That’s the view of Troy Deeney, who also admitted that he wouldn’t keep Ruud van Nistelrooy if he was manager to give new owners INEOS a ‘clean slate’.
United have announced that Ruben Amorim will become their new head coach on November 11 to permanently replace Erik ten Hag.
Club legend Van Nistelrooy, who will remain in interim charge until then, was tipped by many to take the job from Ten Hag full-time.
However, Amorim has been the man chosen to lead United forward, and if Deeney was in his position, he’d want to see the Dutchman go.
When asked by talkSPORT if the club had disrespected Van Nistelrooy by not considering him, Deeney said: “Absolutely not, they shouldn’t have considered him as an option.
“I think Ruud van Nistelrooy’s profile and what he was doing as a manager last year, while it was good, no one touting him to get one of the big jobs.
“And secondly, he’s gone in there as an assistant which has boosted his profile, it’s raised his profile, he’s not been hit with any of the Erik ten Hag negativity, style of play etc.
“Now he’s got a couple of games, other than Chelsea, he should win, he should have an attacking impetus and to showcase what he can do. So if anything it’s a perfect situation. If it was me that was going in as a new manager, I wouldn’t want him around either.
“Not for anything he’s done, I’d want it to be a clean slate, especially now with Sir Alex being moved along, shall we say?
“And with him being a head coach as opposed to a manager, I’d want as much footballing control and as much of it about me and my team and the work we’re doing, as opposed to anything else. So, I don’t think he’s been disrespected at all.
“I think if anything they’ve helped him out with a profile and the things he’s getting done. Ruud will be fine because people will start losing their job over this time and he’ll definitely be in a much better position than he once was.”
Earlier in the month, it was revealed that legendary boss Ferguson’s paid ambassadorial role will be terminated at the end of the season.
The Scotsman won 38 trophies during his glittering 27-year stint so will forever be held in high regard at Old Trafford, but Deeney believes the club must adapt and not linger on his past success.
“I think when you have dynastic managers like Sir Alex Ferguson, like Arsene Wenger, you see… Even Liverpool when you go back to the 80’s, when you see how long it took those guys to get rid of everyone.
“Because what happens is everyone tries to be the next Sir Alex, tries to rebuild it how Sir Alex did or how Arsene did it, or Bill Paisley did it, everyone tries to recreate that timeline.
“If you look, it took Arsenal, what, four managers, five managers to get someone in [Mikel] Arteta who went, ‘Nah, bang, this is how we do it.’ What are Man U on now, fourth, fifth, sixth manager?
“You need at some point to cut the ties and just be like, ‘That history, we can respect it and we can appreciate it, but we’re now going in a different direction because football’s moved forward and we have to.
“I hate giving them credit but look at Aston Villa, they were going down a direction of travel with Steven Gerrard. Before that, you look and probably say they’ll do English managers.
“They tried to do it that way. Didn’t work, bang, go and get the big dog in Unai Emery, ‘This is how we do things now and this is what it’s going to be.’ And you can see the change instantly.”
Amorim will arrive from Sporting Lisbon and take over a United side who currently sit 14th in the Premier League with just three wins this term.
Many believe that a large chunk of their squad continue to fall below expectations and Deeney has listed the players that he feels have to prove themselves under their new head coach.
He said: “I always start with the captain, so Bruno Fernandes, always. I like Bruno as well but I think with your captain, there’s an expectation, there’s a pressure that you have to learn deliver, so he’ll have to lead, for example.
“Marcus [Rashford], 100 per cent. He’s 27 next week and we keep hearing he’s a talent and he’s got potential, at some point you have to start delivering on that and, you know, everyone wants him to so this isn’t a Marcus Rashford slagging off session by any stretch.
“Who else? Casemiro. An excellent player, had an excellent career, but you were brought in to help nurture and create an environment which clearly, I don’t know whether that’s because the manager didn’t allow you and you had your legs taken from beneath you, or you’ve not been doing that, but here’s your opportunity now.
“And you’re supposed to be teaching Kobbie Mainoo the ropes and how it’s supposed to be done and at the minute, for the last year anyway, it’s been the other way round. Mainoo’s been teaching you how to run around and get after it.
“And then, from a defensive point of view, I’d say all the back four.”
But there’s one player in particular Deeney pointed to.
He continued: “The biggest one that no one ever talks about will be Luke Shaw.
“It’s either get him fit and up to scratch, or stop giving him contracts and, with great respect, get rid of him.
“He’s an unbelievable talent and a great football player, but if you keep paying him to not play, you may as well give me and you the money, do you know what I mean? He’s never fit. He got fit for the Euros, played what, a game and a bit?
“And has not seen a football pitch since, it must be horrible for him, horrible, and I genuinely feel sorry for him.
“But if you’re talking business at Man United now, you’ve got to go and sign a left-back, or a left wing-back if they’re going to play a 3-4-3, that can deliver that. You have to move him on and it’s not personal, it’s business.”
