Sir Jim Ratcliffe may risk being thrown a curveball by Ruud van Nistelrooy if he is offered the Manchester United job in the future.
Erik ten Hag has already come under immense criticism at Old Trafford so far this season, with the Red Devils winning just two of their opening six league fixtures.
United's struggles were highlighted further over the weekend when they were put to the sword 3-0 by Tottenham in a dismal performance which saw players aimlessly wandering around the pitch as Spurs' sprightly side relentlessly created chances upon chances.
Speculation is already brewing about who could be in the pipeline to replace Ten Hag, with Simone Inzaghi, Graham Potter and Thomas Tuchel being widely viewed as managers who would be in the frame.
Since his homecoming over the summer as assistant manager, Van Nistelrooy has also been cited as a potential option after making a positive impact on the squad with his style of coaching.
However, Ratcliffe may not be pleased to learn of how highly Van Nistelrooy thinks of Ten Hag and thus the issues that could entail as a result. According to GiveMeSport, the former United striker 'firmly backs' the manager and is not even entertaining the prospect of succeeding the ex-Ajax boss.
Ten Hag retains the faith of his assistant manager, who is said to be 'staying loyal' to his fellow Dutchman. There is also an awareness that Ten Hag was the driving force behind Van Nistelrooy's return to the Theatre of Dreams, which makes him a 'key ally'.
With that in mind, Ratcliffe will be hoping that he does not face any unwillingness from Van Nistelrooy if the INEOS chief attempts to appoint him as interim manager if Ten Hag is sacked, with reports claiming that he has two matches to save his job.
Assistant managers have stood by their boss' on some occasions previously, with Liverpool chiefs learning about how impactful that loyalty can be over the summer. After Jurgen Klopp revealed that he would be leaving the Reds, the higher powers at Anfield quickly shortlisted replacement options.
However, a line was quickly drawn through Pep Lijnders. Klopp's right-hand man spoke openly about how succeeding his manager was not an option that he would entertain, despite him being an option who could have seamlessly taken the reigns of the squad.
"I always said I will finish with Jürgen; the moment I will not assist anyone else, that's the moment I will go and I will manage," said Lijnders. "That was always the case. So when we spoke, it was clear for me: OK, then I go and manage, and we end this project together [that] we started."
