As Peter Bankes blew the final whistle to bring the match to a close at Old Trafford, Ruud Van Nistelrooy shook hands with his opposite number before going round the stadium with his players to applaud the fans. From the way the fans clapped him back, their appreciation of the work he has done since being named acting manager was quite clear.
And why not? Four games played, three wins, one draw, eleven goals scored and three conceded, the club legend brought some joy back to the fans after the last few gloomy weeks of Erik Ten Hag’s tenure. It was a brief reign at the helm of affairs for RVN, but it was one the United faithful won't forget in a hurry.
An emphatic 3-0 win was enough to make the headlines for RVN, but more than the result or the scoreline, it was the manner in which the win was obtained that caught the eye. It was a comfortable victory, and for a team that had struggled to put teams away in recent games, United barely broke sweat.
A New Start For Manchester United Players
After a quick exchange of passes from Amad Diallo, Club captain Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a wonderful strike from the edge of the box. The Portuguese midfield maestro made it a 250th club appearance to remember when his shot was deflected into the Leicester goal by Victor Kristiansen just before the break.
The Red devils picked up where they left off after the break, controlling the game quite well before substitute Alejandro Garnacho curled a Goal of the Season contender into the net with 8 minutes of normal time left to play. Garnacho’s celebration was a little muted for someone who just scored a worldie but on the touchline, his manager, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, cut the figure of a man who was perfectly content with the work he had done.
New head coach Ruben Amorim will take over as the club looks forward to a new era. However, Van Nistelrooy’s successful interim stint has left many wondering if he could find a permanent place in Manchester United’s coaching hierarchy.
Under Van Nistelrooy, Fernandes’ worrying form improved and most importantly, he found his scoring touch, something he had struggled with towards the end of Erik ten Hag’s management. In an emotional post-match interview, Fernandes expressed his relief at finally rediscovering his scoring touch, saying, “It was a long time that I wasn’t scoring, and now goals are coming in the last few games.”
What's Next For Van Nistelrooy?
Despite these successes, Van Nistelrooy’s future at the club remains unclear. Amorim’s arrival from Sporting Lisbon signals a new direction, with reports indicating that Amorim plans to bring in his own coaching staff, leaving Van Nistelrooy’s role uncertain.
Van Nistelrooy shared his gratitude with fans, who chanted his name as he went around applauding them after the match.
Looking back on his time as interim manager, he said, “After this block of four games, it felt like closure for that period, and the future is open. It was a beautiful moment to be able to share with the supporters.” The Manchester United legend also said he would love to continue in his role as a member of the coaching staff and that he was looking forward to getting clarification from the ownership as soon as possible.
Ruben Amorin, on his part, said he would speak to Van Nistelrooy as soon as he arrived at the club. United will hope the start of Amorim’s tenure will bring some long awaited stability and success to Old Trafford. The club will show trust in the young Portuguese as they showed to Erik Ten Hag.