Manchester United fans have come up with a theory after seeing an interaction between Casemiro and Ruud van Nistelrooy during their side's match against FC Twente.
United drew 1-1 with the Eredivisie side, despite having been clear favourites going into the contest.
Christian Eriksen opened the scoring in the first half for the hosts, but Sam Lammers equalised for Twente after the break.
It was a disappointing night overall for United, who have seven games left to put things right in the new group stage format of the Europa League.
Advert
But the result has put pressure on manager Erik ten Hag among some fan circles, with Gareth Southgate and Van Nistelrooy now priced up as the joint favourites to replace him if the hierarchy is compelled to make a change.
And fans have a theory along those lines after seeing Casemiro interact with Van Nistelrooy, who is currently an assistant coach to Ten Hag, during the Twente clash - although there is, of course, no indication of what the conversation may have been about.
When one United fan posed the question on Twitter about what the pair could be discussing, one fan wrote: "That he's about to be manager in a few weeks."
Another said: "Be ready gaffer, your time is near."
A third added: "The seat's almost vacant."
Van Nistelrooy joined United as an assistant coach in July, reportedly signing a two-year contract.
The club could decide to parachute him into the manager role, however, having had previous with such a decision when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho in 2018.
Van Nistelrooy left his role as PSV manager in May 2023, having won two trophies and finishing as Eredivisie runners-up in his only season in charge.
Topics: Manchester United, Casemiro, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Football, Erik Ten Hag, Europa League, Fan Reactions
Ryan Smart