Martin Keown accuses old enemy Ruud van Nistelrooy of waiting for Manchester United to sack Erik ten Hag

Ten Hag is under pressure to turn around United’s dismal start to the season and Keown has questioned the motives of assistant coach Van Nistelrooy

Martin Keown has accused his old enemy Ruud van Nistelrooy of waiting in the wings for Manchester United to sack Erik ten Hag.

Ten Hag is coming under increasing pressure as the manager at Old Trafford after a poor start to the season, underlined by the weekend’s 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur.

Van Nistelrooy, who was brought in by fellow Dutchman Ten Hag as an assistant coach over the summer, has been reported as a possible interim solution to take charge of the team should the club move to sack the manager.

Keown and Van Nistelrooy infamously clashed on the pitch 20 years ago when the Arsenal defender mocked the Manchester United striker for missing a penalty. Keown was handed a three-game ban and fined £20,000.

It was the culmination of a long-running feud, during which Keown claims that a stamp by Van Nistelrooy caused a foot injury which consequently denied him a place in the England squad at the 2002 World Cup.

And Keown has taken aim at Van Nistelrooy once more, asking: “Is he giving everything to the manager?”

Keown said on TalkSport: “This manager looks very lonely on the sideline. Is Van Nistelrooy waiting to take over? Because it looks as if there’s going to be change taking place there.

“Is everyone adding to the group? I’m not seeing that from Van Nistelrooy. Ten Hag is just sitting there, nothing going on, no conversation. Pep [Guardiola] goes back and speaks to the gurus next to him. Is everybody looking in the mirror at themselves giving their best? It doesn’t look like the players are committed, it doesn't look like the staff are particularly committed. It’s a lone man in the dugout.”

Ruud van Nistelrooy and Martin Keown infamously clashed in September 2003 (Getty Images)

United’s Ineos ownership looked for alternatives in the summer but eventually decided to retain Ten Hag, handing the manager a new contract after he led the team to a shock FA Cup win over Manchester City.

But three defeats in their opening six games of the season have seen United slump to the 13th in the table, and Ten Hag is now the favourite to be sacked among Premier League managers.

Keown added: “You could look at it and say, ‘well, OK, the management team that’s in there, if they allowed him to lose that many games last year, then no wonder he’s going to be allowed to carry on’. But I’m not sure that’s the right way to go with this current manager. I think it’s time now [for change].”