“He’s done very well in Portugal” - Ruud Van Nistelrooy opens up on working with newly-appointed Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim
Interim Manchester United manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has expressed a desire to work with incoming head coach Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford. The Portuguese manager has already agreed to become Erik ten Hag's permanent replacement and will take charge of the Red Devils on November 11.
Ten Hag lost his job at the end of October following a poor run this campaign. Nistelrooy, who only joined the Premier League giants this summer as assistant manager, will stay in charge until Amorim takes over during the international break.
However, the former striker insisted that he wants to stay at United beyond his interim tenure.
“Like I said on Wednesday, I came here to help as an assistant, as a coach and in this bit as well as an interim for a short spell. Then, again, in any capacity willing to help, so in that sense I’m open for this future," said Nistelrooy (via the Independent).
“We all will be backing him and helping him to get Manchester United to where we all want it to be and I think that spirit is the most important to have. It’s not about individuals, but it’s about the club."
The Dutchman concluded:
“I look forward to getting to know him better. Obviously, he’s done very well in Portugal. He’s very young, a talented coach and did well for a long time over a longer spell in Portugal. As I said, looking forward to keep helping the club [move] forward. That’s my main goal.”
Nistelrooy started his interim tenure with a 5-2 win over Leicester City last week in the fourth round of the EFL Cup. He also managed a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at home in the Premier League over the weekend.
What is Manchester United's position in the Premier League table right now?
Manchester United are currently 13th on the Premier League table after ten games. They have three wins and four defeats so far and are already 13 points behind league leaders Liverpool.
Ruben Amorim may have transformed Sporting CP in recent years but he will certainly have a job on his hands at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have just 12 points this season, which is their worst start to a campaign since the 1986-87 season.
Interestingly, there was a managerial change at Manchester United in November that year as well. Sir Alex Ferguson replaced Ron Atkinson on November 6, 1986, and the rest, as they say, is history.