'Give me a break': Simon Jordan warns Wolves and Crystal Palace not to hire Prem legend as new manager
11/14/2024 12:15 PM
Surprisingly enough, considering the struggles of Wolves, Crystal Palace and Southampton to name but three, there has been a real shortage of sackings so far in the Premier League.
In fact, the only manager to lose his job at this stage of the season was Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
Gary O’Neil, Oliver Glasner and Russell Martin might have a combined tally of just three top-flight wins between them but, as things stand, the relegation-threatened trio are yet to be greeted by a freshly-printed P45.
This is not to say, of course, that they aren’t under pressure.
TBR understands that Crystal Palace are considering David Moyes and Graham Potter unless Glasner can guide this sinking ship into calmer waters. Moyes is also in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ thinking, TBR have been told, though O’Neil did give himself a stay of execution during Saturday’s 2-0 win over Southampton.
Simon Jordan, the former Crystal Palace chairman, is not surprised to see Moyes’ name in the frame. And he certainly feels that the highly-experienced Scot would be a better bet for any club embroiled in a relegation battle than, say, Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Wolves and Crystal Palace warned off Ruud van Nistelrooy
“If you are Wolves, Palace, Southampton or Leicester and you decide to change your manager, would you look at Ruud van Nistelrooy or would you look at David Moyes?” asks Jordan, who ruled the roost at Selhurst Park for a decade until 2010.
“I couldn’t see any of those clubs realistically going down the Ruud van Nistelrooy route.”
Van Nistelrooy, one of the finest goalscorers of his generation, is now looking to make a name for himself in management.
The Dutchman was close to taking the Burnley job over the summer, before Man United offered him the opportunity to add another chapter to his Old Trafford legacy.
Van Nistelrooy departed Old Trafford this week, following the arrival of Ruben Amorim and his chosen selection of coaches.
And, while Van Nistelrooy does leave with a 75 per cent win ratio as Man United’s interim head coach, Jordan argues that the standard of the opposition, not to mention that all four fixtures came at home, make the former striker’s stats a little misleading.
Simon Jordan not convinced by Van Nistelrooy’s Manchester United spell
“I don’t think he’s done anything at Man United,” Jordan argues. “Three or four games, two of them against Leicester? Against PAOK, in the Europa League? Come on, give me a break.
“I don’t think there is anyone in the Premier League who has got a serious problem is going to turn around and say; ‘You managed to get this [Man United squad] playing decently [so you deserve a chance at another club]’.”
Van Nistelrooy, who has made no secret of his desire to take sole charge of a club again, did enjoy a promising start to his managerial career at Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven.
He guided PSV to victory in the Dutch Cup final back in 2023, while laying the foundations for what would become a title-winning team under his successor Peter Bosz with Ismail Saibari, Johan Bakayoko and more promoted from the youth academy on Van Nistelrooy’s watch.
