‘I write this with a huge mix of emotions,’ says Ruud van Nistelrooy ahead of replacing Ten Hag as Man Utd interim
RUUD VAN NISTELROOY admits he is experiencing a “huge mix of emotions” after replacing Erik ten Hag.
Manchester United sacked Ten Hag on Monday following the 2-1 defeat at West Ham.
His No2 Van Nistelrooy – who was brought in as assistant in the summer – was placed in interim charge while the club searches for a permanent successor.
And he will take his first match in charge of United when they host Leicester tonight in the Carabao Cup.
Van Nistelrooy, who scored 150 goals in 219 games for the Red Devils between 2001 and 2006, broke his silence on his appointment and Ten Hag’s exit.
Writing his manager’s notes in the club’s official matchday programme for the Foxes clash at Old Trafford, he expressed his gratitude to his departed compatriot and addressed the fans.
Van Nistelrooy said: “As I am sure everyone can imagine, I am writing these notes with a huge amount of mixed emotions.
“Erik ten Hag brought me back to Manchester United in the summer and, while I have only been part of the coaching staff here for a few months, I will always be grateful to him for giving me the opportunity, and I am saddened to see him leave.
“Even on an interim basis, it is a great honour to manage the club I love for however long I am asked to do so.
“I can promise that I will continue to give my all, in whatever capacity, to try to turn around our fortunes.
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“Despite our results, I am loving being back at Old Trafford and working with the team and staff every day.
“We’ve seen the squad’s potential at times this season, but clearly not often enough.
“Now is the time for everyone at the club to work together, give everything and turn this season around while we have time.
“From my experiences as both a player and a coach here, I can say for sure that when players, staff and supporters pull together, Manchester United can be unstoppable.”
Van Nistelrooy went on to reference the visit of Steve Cooper’s newly-promoted side – who sit just one place and two points behind United in the Premier League table.
And the interim gaffer insisted this was the ideal chance to return to winning ways.
He added: “Thankfully, we have time on our side and with fixtures coming so regularly now, we also have plenty of opportunities to build up some positive momentum, starting with tonight’s visit of Steve Cooper and Leicester City in the Carabao Cup.
“It will not be easy, of course. Leicester are Premier League opposition and they will also be highly motivated by the prospect of moving into the quarter-finals.
“However, every game we play is also an opportunity for us to remind everyone – ourselves included – of what this great club stands for.
“When I returned in the summer as Erik’s assistant, it was because I believe that Manchester United can climb back to the levels that I knew here as a player.
“I still have that belief, but it will take time and a lot of hard work.
“The first step is to restore the winning habit, starting at Old Trafford this evening.
“I know first-hand the positive effect that our wonderful fans can have on the team, so please get behind the players as we fight together to move a step closer to Wembley.”
Van Nistelrooy was touted as a possible permanent appointment when the news of his interim role was first confirmed.
However, it has become clear very quickly that Ruben Amorim is United’s No1 choice.
His current club Sporting announced on Tuesday that the Red Devils had made contact and were ready to trigger his £8.3million release clause.
Ruben Amorim is ‘Mourinho 2.0’ who turned Sporting from ‘walking dead’ into Portuguese champs… he can revive Man Utd
WHEN Ruben Amorim took charge of Sporting Lisbon in March 2020, one club official compared their situation to the “walking dead”, writes Jordan Davies.
Optimism and hope was at an all-time low.
But the Amorim-effect was almost instantaneous, guiding the Portuguese sleeping giants to their first league title for 19 years in 2020/21, losing just once and only conceding 20 goals.
Since then, Sporting have lifted another league title in 2023/24 – as well as two League Cups – and currently sit top with nine wins from nine this term.
He may be young, but Amorim already has an eye for rebuilding and revitalising fallen super powers with his infectious charisma and intense tactical philosophy that hardly ever wavers.
The “walking dead” at Manchester United must be praying for a similar sort of revival.
And they may just get it from one of the most talented young coaches on the continent – a man accustomed to breathing new life back into crumbling institutions such as Old Trafford.
Amorim has spent the last decade dreaming of one day gracing England’s Premier League, such was his admiration for an ex-United boss in Jose Mourinho growing up.
Often nicknamed ‘Mourinho 2.0’, Amorim spent a week with his coaching idol in an internship capacity at United’s Carrington training base in 2018, going on to cite him as his “reference point”.
United should not be expecting a mini-Mourinho, as Amorim said himself: “Mourinho is one of a kind. There won’t be another Mourinho. Mourinho is unique.”
And yet, you cannot help but compare the two.
For all the mismanagement in the Old Trafford hot seats over the years, this would be a real get – finally a slap in the face United’s Prem rivals have no answer for.
Talks are understood to have begun and Amorim is expected to fly to Manchester to finalise a deal – which will also include his backroom staff.
Amorim oversaw a 3-1 Taca da Liga win over Nacional in Lisbon last night in what many expected to be his farewell match.
But after the game, the manager remained tight-lipped on his future – but fielded various questions about a possible move to Old Trafford.
Amorim said: “There is interest from Manchester United, there is the payment of a clause and then, when I have something more concrete, I will come here and take over the situation, because it is always my choice.
“As long as you don’t have everything decided, for one side or the other, it’s not worth saying anything, it’s just going to create noise.
“I just say that I will take on whatever I want to do, as I have always done.
“What I control is the decision that takes place from now on. And I will be here to tell you what I want to do and how it will be done. At this time, no decision has been made.
“There is an intention of the club. They are in talks with Sporting. Then, it will also be my decision.
“But everything is time and I will explain everything that happens next. To be talking now is just creating noise and confusion even more for the situation.”
If a deal is not done this week, Van Nistelrooy will remain in the dugout for Sunday when United take on Chelsea at home.
It remains unclear whether or not the former Dutch international striker will be kept on as a coach at United if and when Amorim arrives.
Ruben Amorim leaves Sporting on a high
By Charlie Wyett
RUBEN AMORIM would have preferred to leave Lisbon in a blaze of glory after winning a third Primeira Liga title.
Yet football does not work like that. And in what was surely his final game before taking charge of Manchester United, Amorim prepared to say his goodbyes at a half-empty Estadio Jose Alvalade in a League Cup quarter-final against Nacional.
Sporting won 3-1 thanks to second-half goals by captain Morten Hjulmand and Viktor Gyokeres, who scored two.
Luis Esteves pulled back for Madeira-based Nacional.
The stadium will be a good deal more lively on Tuesday when Manchester City are here for a Champions League match — although Amorim should by then have his feet firmly under his desk at Old Trafford.
Liverpool and Aston Villa were both interested in Europe’s most sought-after coach. Even City could have been a possible destination post-Pep Guardiola.
Yet the United job is one Amorim, 39, could not turn down — even if not everyone saw it that way at Sporting last night.
There is clearly a huge split in the Portuguese club’s fan base over their coach leaving at this stage of the season with many believing he should have seen the job through.
Yet Amorim, along with the three-man coaching team who are expected to follow him, leaves a club in a much better state than when he arrived here in 2020.
Inside the stadium, there was applause — albeit muted — when his name was read out before the game along with the line-ups.
And there did not appear to be any jeers when Amorim shuffled out from the tunnel awkwardly towards the dugout.
So, while his departure is hard to take for some, none of the fans will forget his legacy.
This is a club which is back as the dominant force in Portugal. Even this term, Sporting have won their first nine league games, scoring 30 goals and conceding just two.
They are also eighth in the Champions League table, which is one hell of an effort.
In contrast, Lisbon was not exactly hit by League Cup fever last night.
Amorim made lots of changes, which saw Sporting’s star man Gyokeres, the former Coventry striker, start on the bench.
There was, however, a first appearance in six weeks for former Tottenham winger Marcus Edwards.
He is certainly one player who has been transformed by Amorim since arriving at the club from Vitoria in 2022 and will be sorry to see the coach leave.
While he changed his team, Amorim stuck with his tried and trusted formation of a back three.
It will certainly be something Manchester United’s fans will have to get used to over the coming months.
But looking at the Premier League table, none of them will be complaining about the change.