Man Utd: David Moyes and Nigel Reo-Coker on Ruud van Nistelrooy

Former Manchester United manager David Moyes and former Premier League midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker spoke to the BBC’s Football Daily podcast about United’s two performances under interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy since the departure of Erik ten Hag.

Reo-Coker: “Even though it’s only been two matches, I see a big improvement in the players’ performance under Ten Hag. They’re running more, they’re showing a greater desire to win.

“Just his body language, the way Ruud hugged the players and the players with him after the game, tells you a much bigger, deeper story than just a feel-good factor in the moment.”

Moyes: “I come from the other side of it; if the players suddenly put in a few good performances for the new manager, it would be wrong. “That tells you more about the players than the manager they just lost.

“United have had some of the best managers in the world recently like Van Gaal and Mourinho, Ten Hag had a great history too. I think United were very loyal to Erik and gave him every opportunity to get it right. But I’m someone else I hate the idea that players suddenly start performing better because he took over.

“The scrutiny at United is incredible and the manager bears the brunt of that, as it does at all football clubs, but at a club like United the players are an important part of it. “Hopefully the players have stepped up that a bit in the last week or two but it had nothing to do with the manager. “

Reo-Coker: “Ruud hasn’t changed anything too drastically, so you can say it’s probably down to the players. “He started with the formation that still has Ten Hag, but the appetite the players are showing is different.

“It’s unfortunate because United were very loyal to Ten Hag, but since the change happened you can see a different energy in the players. In terms of formation and tactics, nothing has changed.”

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