It might not last long, but the Ruud van Nistelrooy ‘era’ at Manchester United got the best possible start with a 5-2 vs Leicester City at Old Trafford and the fans have made a major request.
The team that couldn’t hit the water while sitting on a boat in the sea was hitting screamers from outside the box. Spent luck returned with opposition errors and lucky deflections and smiles were back on faces.
Bruno Fernandes broke his club-scoring duck with two goals, Casemiro helped himself to a first-half brace and Alejandro Garnacho continued his breakout season.
The goodwill from Van Nistelrooy’s presence made Old Trafford a much happier place to be and the players leveraged it towards a good performance.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s perfect start as Man Utd manager
From missing an open goal at the weekend vs West Ham to scoring from outside the box, this Man Utd squad separated themselves from the calamitous season so far with their very first goal.
Casemiro set the ball rolling which would not stop for the whole 90 as United ran riot, taking their chances with composure, pressing well, and forcing mistakes.
Pretty much every box was ticked, as Amad came off the bench for a nice cameo, Ethan Wheatley got his first senior appearance of the season, Bruno Fernandes played himself back into form, and the crowd was awake again after suffering through some dire games.
Of course, this was a rotated Leicester side in a cup game and Chelsea at the weekend will provide a much more stern test, but the interim manager couldn’t have asked for a better start.
Man Utd fans on Van Nistelrooy’s managerial debut
This win will go down extremely well with the fans but there is perhaps a bittersweet feeling involved at the same time.
That is because his future is uncertain at Old Trafford due to Ruben Amorim’s pending arrival and the fact that Amorim will bring some of his staff too.
Van Nistelrooy was a Ten Hag hire and despite his club legend credentials, might not be wanted by Amorim at the club as he tries to put his own stamp on things.
Man Utd fans, however, praised the impact the Dutchman made in his short time at the helm which should force United to rethink their position if they intend to get rid of him.
“I hope he can stay at United in some capacity after Ruben comes in,” one fan said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Another fan went a step further and said: “Maybe you should’ve just let him try the rest of the season as another agreed, saying, “Give him the job”.
“The passion and desire to win from the touchline are on another level. Just love it,” said a fourth, pointing out the qualities that would make Van Nistelrooy a great addition to the new coaching staff.
Another said it would be a ‘shame’ if Van Nistelrooy is on his exit route already: “Would be a massive shame if this is it and Ruud goes on his way already. But this man is very capable and ready to have his own team. Unforgettable player and a highly rated coach with good reason.”
A sixth fan noted that Ruud “understands the weight of the club” and is “United through and through”.
One fan summed up the current sentiment perfectly, saying, “Thank you for putting smiles on our faces again.”
It remains to be seen if Van Nistelrooy will also be smiling as a United staff member after Amorim’s arrival but he’s not doing his prospects any harm if the team keeps performing like this.
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