Ruud van Nistelrooy has revealed that he wants to remain at Manchester United in ‘any capacity’ once his stint as the interim manager has come to an end. Following Erik ten Hag’s recent dismissal, the former striker was appointed head coach on a temporary basis. Things got off to a solid start, with a 5-2 victory over Leicester City in the League Cup on Wednesday evening.
It was a fine way to make a good first impression as United boss, but it seems no matter what Van Nistelrooy does, it won’t be enough to secure him the gig on a permanent basis, as it’s been reported that Ruben Amorim will become the Red Devils’ manager during the next international break.
While the chances of him becoming the full-time manager at Old Trafford are seemingly very slim, Van Nistelrooy has revealed that he is eager to continue working at the club and is willing to do so in any way. Judging from the reactions of fans online, it’s clear that there is a consensus among supporters about the Dutchman.
United Fans Want Van Nistelrooy to Stick Around
They’d love to keep him at Old Trafford
Shortly after he led United to a 5-2 victory in his first match as interim manager, Van Nistlerooy revealed he wanted to stay at Old Trafford in any capacity going forward. Via quotes from the Daily Mail, he said:
“I came here as an assistant to help the club. Now in this role, I’m helping as long as needed. In the future in any capacity, I’m here to help the club further to build towards the future that’s what I’m here for.”
Even if he won’t be manager, fans have shown how they feel about the prospect of Van Nistelrooy remaining at Old Trafford and the general consensus seems to be that they’re eager to keep hold of the coach. Under a Reddit post revealing his desire to stay, a number of supporters shared their opinions. One fan said: “Personally, I think it’s good if he stays. Good for the players to have someone in a coaching capacity who knows exactly what it’s like to play for the badge.
“Also great for Amorim to have someone in his team who’s already been at the club and knows what non-tactical issues there are (player profiles, attitude in training, things not know to media/general public etc). I think if he’s backing Amorim and fully behind the philosophy, he should have a chance to stay.”
Another supporter echoed that sentiment and posted: “I think we all want Ruud to stay on, in any capacity. Surely at least he can coach the forwards.”
This season, United have had real trouble finding the back of the net and scoring has been a large reason for their disappointing campaign. Multiple fans think keeping Van Nistelrooy around would only benefit the strikers, with one fan saying: “Would be amazing if he could help our finishing from our forwards. Feel like Holjund and Zirkzee could learn a lot from him.”
Van Nistelrooy Has a Few More Matches in Charge
Amorim won’t arrive until the international break
While it looks as though Van Nistelrooy’s time in charge of United will come to an end soon, he’ll still have the chance to coach the side for a few more games. Sporting CP boss Amorim is almost certainly on his way to Old Trafford, but according to reports, he won’t be appointed manager until the next international break in November.
The 39-year-old has coached Sporting to a perfect start this season, with nine wins in nine to kick off the league campaign. He’s done an excellent job leading the club to the top of the Primeira Liga and could be an incredible hire for United. Until he joins, though, Van Nistelrooy has the chance to showcase more of his ability as a top-level coach. It might not be enough to land him the Red Devils job, but it might see another elite football team take an interest in his services.