A new era is set to arrive at Manchester United as after their game vs Leicester City, United will be under new management of Ruben Amorim.
Ruud van Nistelrooy will bow out as the Man Utd manager after this clash, his fourth, with his record so far stating two wins and a draw.
The Dutchman has expertly steered the ship into a modicum of stability after chaos under Erik ten Hag, including a win against Leicester which kicked it all off.
United are a much tougher outfit to face than they were three weeks ago due to his influence but a permanent manager having his first game is still much more formidable prospect.
That’s a prospect Steve Cooper will avoid, as Ruben Amorim comes to Old Trafford at the start of the international break.
Steve Cooper on avoiding Ruben Amorim
“New manager bounce” is a common phenomenon in football and Steve Cooper can attest to that too, as he was the first opposition for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s spell.
It would have been an unforgiving prospect if the next time he faced United would again be under new management with players eager to make their mark.
Fortunately for him, that’s not the case. That honour now goes to former United man Kieran McKenna, who will host Amorim’s United for the first time on November 24.
Does Cooper think he has avoided a potential nightmare scenario by facing United before their new man is in place? He was asked that in the buildup to the game.
Cooper said: “You always deal with whatever’s in front of you. It’s been of interest around the world about what’s happening at United. The same as the first game, it’s about us focusing on ourselves. If we want to succeed in any game, it’s on us. It’s a tough game, but a challenge we’re looking forward to.”
Interestingly, Leicester are just two points behind United in the table so for all the focus on their plight, Leicester have a challenge of their own.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 11 |  B’mouthBournemouth | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| 12 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 15 |
| 13 |  Man UtdManchester United | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 12 | -3 | 12 |
| 14 |  West HamWest Ham | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 19 | -6 | 12 |
| 15 |  LeicesterLeicester | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 18 | -4 | 10 |
United dispatched a fairly weakened Foxes squad in the Carabao Cup and with the two teams so close in the table, the stakes are high.
A platform for Amorim
Van Nistelrooy’s interim charge has been an unqualified success for United because not only has he brought in positive results, but the atmosphere around the place seems to have refreshed.
That’s nearly always the case when a manager is sacked but in this case, knowing the interim manager has only four games has helped United.
A lack of uncertainty, combined with his man-management skills to bring players on his side have played a huge role in providing Amorim a platform to build upon.
A win vs Leicester changes the outlook of the season by a lot as Amorim will no longer be taking over a team that has won four in 14, as Van Nistelrooy did.
Instead, he will take over with the team unbeaten in their last four, having won three and some players in the form of their life.
Injury worries are also subsiding at the perfect time, while players like Amad are at the top of their game under new management.
It remains to be seen if Van Nistelrooy is kept on by the new management but he hasn’t done his prospects any harm with his management.
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