Ruud Van Nistelrooy appreciation thread

[Dobba]

My first United away game was the FA Cup tie against Villa where he came off the bench to score 2 in what felt like 30 seconds. By the time the celebrations of his second had ended, I wasn't even in the same stand I started in, nevermind seat or row.

Having him up front was like a cheat code.

 

[AltiUn]

My all time favourite player by quite some distance too, they just don't make strikers like Ruud anymore. All my earliest United memories revolve around Ruud, he's the best player I've ever seen live at OT even ahead of Ronnie personally he just oozed class and if the ball fell to him in the box you just got this sense that something was going to happen. Shame he left the way he did and that he didn't win more with us but such is life.

 

[mitchmouse]

possibly the most natural goal scorer we've ever had (along with Ole). the season we almost bought him but he got injured, I likened him to Van Basten and said we must wait for him to recover. a lot of people I played football with laughed at me (but, then they were scousers)

 

[Reiver]

One of my all time favourites. I respect him even more for the way he kept his head when that moron Keown was in his face after that penalty miss.

 

[RedFish]

One of my all time favourites. I respect him even more for the way he kept his head when that moron Keown was in his face after that penalty miss.

Yep, he didn't give a shit about Keown, all that mattered to him was that he missed the penalty.

 

[Chairman Woodie]

I will never forget Van Nistelrooy's goal against Basel in 2002.

 

[Jericholyte2]

This, for me, encapsulates all that RvN was (even the naughty elbow to free himself at the start). I also loved how this goal came at the height of the Henry / Ruud arguments when everyone said Ruud could never score 'an Henry goal'...then he did this.

 

[Chairman Steve]

He was ridiculously good and it’s a shame his medal count didn’t match it. He’s the only player I’ve seen who’d be the closest to dead cert to score if the ball was near him in the penalty box and almost dead cert if in the six yard box.

Giggs gave him the cutbacks from the left, Beckham gave him crosses to head from the right and Scholes gave him defence splitting through balls up the middle and he’d convert those chances 90% of the time.

He had some epic service and the dynamic duo of Yorke & Cole was an afterthought. Also
Ruud is proof that you can come back well from an anterior cruciate ligament injury and still have a long, prolific career.

 

[Sandikan]

Cole scored a lot, but RVN came in and utterly shattered his numbers.
Incredible player, pretty much the one focal point of the whole attack.

Would take one heck of a player to keep him out of my "Best" United team from 1990 on.

Just watching his goal clips back, and you almost forget not only how incredible a finisher he was, but how many great sources of assists he had round him.

 

[#07]

'You live in the past'--Louis Van Gaal

Yes, Louis, thanks to you and a few others the past is all I've got.

F-k me Ruud was amazing.

 

[TRUERED89]

Yes, Louis, thanks to you and a few others the past is all I've got.

F-k me Ruud was amazing.

Ahh this is brilliant, YouTube removed this at one point, glad someone else reuploaded it.

On another note: Who here thinks RVN would struggle in this current United team ? He used to get into rage's over Rooney and Ronaldo for not passing the ball on time, what would he be saying to James, Andreas, Lingard and co?

 

[ifightdragons]

Most clinical and natural goal scorer we've ever had. Absolute favorite.

Comparing Rashford to him really elevates how big of a difference there is between what we consider top quality today. They're leagues apart.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Absolutely fecking fantastic player.

 

[KirkDuyt]

Ahh this is brilliant, YouTube removed this at one point, glad someone else reuploaded it.

On another note: Who here thinks RVN would struggle in this current United team ? He used to get into rage's over Rooney and Ronaldo for not passing the ball on time, what would he be saying to James, Andreas, Lingard and co?

I think Ruud is / was dependant on service as much as the next guy, but I think he could at least shout some fighting spirit in to this lot. He was a notoriously bad loser in a good way.

 

[#07]

Ahh this is brilliant, YouTube removed this at one point, glad someone else reuploaded it.

On another note: Who here thinks RVN would struggle in this current United team ? He used to get into rage's over Rooney and Ronaldo for not passing the ball on time, what would he be saying to James, Andreas, Lingard and co?

So many crosses this season have flashed across the box with nobody to tap them in. Van Nistlerooy would have us firmly in the top four. One thing is for damned sure and that is he wouldn't be lurking around the edge of the box waiting for a cutback when the ball is in wide areas.

 

[TRUERED89]

So many crosses this season have flashed across the box with nobody to tap them in. Van Nistlerooy would have us firmly in the top four. One thing is for damned sure and that is he wouldn't be lurking around the edge of the box waiting for a cutback when the ball is in wide areas.

Fair point, but looking at the Wolves game I only remember the Dalot chance as a half decent cross. The rest were just hit and hope and mostly went over everyone's head. RVN had Beckham and Giggs, two of the best crossers ever seen. It's an interesting topic nonetheless.

 

[Adcuth]

Is there anyone currently that compares to him? How we could use a player like him now

 

[TsuWave]

got into an argument with another United fan at work because he rated Anelka higher than RvN as best strikers in the prem. I nearly lost it

 

[KirkDuyt]

Is there anyone currently that compares to him? How we could use a player like him now

Very early days, but if he keeps this up, Haaland?

 

[TRUERED89]

got into an argument with another United fan at work because he rated Anelka higher than RvN as best strikers in the prem. I nearly lost it

He's a United fan, really? Maybe you should show him both players mins/goals ratio.. What an idiot.

 

[The Cat]

He was bloody great. Not every player can do everything but some can do particular things better than anyone else.

 

[mancan92]

Just watch some of those goals. The first touch to put himself in a position to easily finish is just ridiculous. I remember at the time even though we had a great team it felt that Ruud was essentially carrying us for parts of the 02/03 season.

 

[#07]

got into an argument with another United fan at work because he rated Anelka higher than RvN as best strikers in the prem. I nearly lost it

A United fan? How old was he? 12?

Fair point, but looking at the Wolves game I only remember the Dalot chance as a half decent cross. The rest were just hit and hope and mostly went over everyone's head. RVN had Beckham and Giggs, two of the best crossers ever seen. It's an interesting topic nonetheless.

Wolves the crosses were mostly bad. Still, there were a few that someone should have made a near post run for. The difference a Striker like Van Nistlerooy makes is that they force defenders to make decisions. If you see a cross coming in and you know Van Nistlerooy's making a run in behind you have to react. You might give away a corner, you might make a mistake. That's what good movement in the box creates. As it happens everything we put into the box against Wolves was easy for them to deal with, cos our forwards were making no runs and were pretty much all waiting for ball to feet. Put Van Nistlerooy on that pitch and we probably get twice as many corners and, I imagine, twice as many unforced errors from Wolves defenders leading to chances. That's what happens when you introduce fear into an opposing defence. Van Nistlerooy's presence alone would create chances.

 

[Van Piorsing]

He had eyes on back of his head and control in oppo's box was always giving him chance to score.

Scholes, Veron and especially Becks could put a blind pass and chances were Ruud was already there waiting to finish another opponent off.

 

[anant]

I think Ruud is / was dependant on service as much as the next guy, but I think he could at least shout some fighting spirit in to this lot. He was a notoriously bad loser in a good way.

I think we do put in a decent number of crosses that just fly across the face of the goal because there is no one to attack them. Add to that, each of our striker (as much as I love Rashy) has been profligate in front of the goal.
Additionally, RVN's movement was absolutely fantastic - whether our players would have been able to deliver the ball is an interesting debate (I believe Mata plays well when there is good movement around him). Lastly, RVN was a great at hold up play as well - something that is severely lacking in our game. Even if he didn't get the best of deliveries, he managed to create space for himself and others. He'd be an asset to any side that is not the greatest in front of goal, let alone this side

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

Most clinical and natural goal scorer we've ever had. Absolute favorite.

Comparing Rashford to him really elevates how big of a difference there is between what we consider top quality today. They're leagues apart.

In my lifetime definitely. I put him in my AT XI.

 

[Stacks]

The best hold up play I have seen of a United striker. even better than Rooney, Yorke etc. His chest control, touch and upper body strength made it impossible for defenders to disposes him. one of the best 1st touches I have seen too.

 

[Siorac]

A United fan? How old was he? 12?

A 12-year-old probably has no idea who the feck Anelka is.

 

[pacifictheme]

Cole scored a lot, but RVN came in and utterly shattered his numbers.
Incredible player, pretty much the one focal point of the whole attack.

Would take one heck of a player to keep him out of my "Best" United team from 1990 on.

Just watching his goal clips back, and you almost forget not only how incredible a finisher he was, but how many great sources of assists he had round him.

Isn't cole still the fastest player to 50 premier league goals?

 

[Copa Mundial]

An outrageously great striker. An absolute predator in the box. My favourite Utd striker ever!

 

[Hughie77]

Top draw the guy, what a striker, probably our best out and out front man we've had. I used to bet on him 1st goal scorer , all the time very rarely left me down. I would have loved him to win a European cup with us. Ohh what I'd give for Ruud in this team.

 

[kettledrumhamster]

Watching Haaland reminds me of RVN, with a touch of Rooney added. It's the way he seems to move and set himself up to finish. Thick shins and the way his shoulders hunch when he runs.

I absolutely loved Ruud. It's so incredible to have a player who you have the utmost confidence in to score when they're through on goal. We had it with Ronaldo and probably Rooney too, Nani as well actually. But since then, I always assume the player is going to miss. Especially Rashford.

 

[Kentish]

My favourite player growing up. Pure class

 

[alexthelion]

Yes, Louis, thanks to you and a few others the past is all I've got.

F-k me Ruud was amazing.

Oh, to have a CF like that now.

 

[pascell]

Absolutely unreal finisher, that video just epitomizes where we're going wrong at the moment, there's no cohesion with the players in the attacking phases. Everyone whether it was Beckham, Scholes, Giggs, Park or even Silvestre, they knew where he'd be. He knew he wasn't lightning fast but he was so clever in his positioning and movement in the box that it didn't matter. Also, he didn't have the biggest frame but he could hold defenders off and you'd be damned if any of them were getting to a ball before him in the box without a fight!

The only striker I'd liken him to, not in style but positioning, movement, touch and finishing is Kane. Neither have/had great pace but are very clever in where they are positioned and how they move.

I miss Ruud, the most natural finisher I've seen at United, although RvP is a close 2nd.

 

[Cee90]

He would probably be a £80-100 million striker in today’s market surely?

Quality striker in his day.

 

[kettledrumhamster]

He would probably be a £80-100 million striker in today’s market surely?

Quality striker in his day.

£80-£100 Million? That doesn't even buy you a Richarlison these days.

Peak Ruud would be upwards of £150m in today's market.

 

[Tony247]

I still remember days when he used to terrorise every defense so much that teams started deploying two markers on him in and around the box. Most dangerous poacher in the box. Huge fan.

 

[Tony247]

If one asks me to choose between peak Henry or RVN, I will choose RVN.

 

[Tony247]

He knew he wasn't lightning fast but he was so clever in his positioning and movement in the box that it didn't matter.

Many top class poachers were not quick. Klose, RVN, Viery, Drogba, D Costa... none of them are lightening quick. Their first touch and sense of position were out of this world.