November 11th 2024.
Ruud van Nistelrooy ended his temporary stint as Manchester United's interim manager with a bang, securing a 3-0 victory over Leicester City on Sunday. However, his time at the club may be coming to an end as he is expected to step down and make way for Ruben Amorim, who officially takes over the reins today after signing a two-and-a-half year deal with the Premier League giants.
Van Nistelrooy, a club legend, had returned to Manchester in the summer to serve as part of Erik ten Hag's backroom staff. This move raised some eyebrows, considering he had previously been the first-team manager at PSV Eindhoven. Despite expressing his desire to stay on at Old Trafford, it seems that Amorim will bring in his own team, leaving van Nistelrooy's future uncertain.
Jaap Stam, a former teammate of van Nistelrooy's, believes that the Dutchman may choose to seek a new challenge once Amorim and his staff arrive. Stam, who briefly played alongside van Nistelrooy at United and also for the Netherlands national team, is well aware of the striker's status at the club and believes he deserves a more prominent role.
"A man like Ruud, coming in as the legend he is, he needs to have a certain position within the club, where people look up to him and where he can make a difference," Stam stated in an interview with Metro.
He also pointed out that Amorim will most likely want to bring in his own assistants, which may not leave room for van Nistelrooy to have a significant impact. Stam feels that van Nistelrooy has more to offer than just being one of the coaches at United and believes it would be a shame to see him in that position.
Van Nistelrooy may remain in charge for three more games before stepping aside for Amorim. He has already had a successful spell, with United putting five past Leicester in the Carabao Cup and drawing against Chelsea before securing their first European win in a year against PAOK in the Europa League.
Stam acknowledges that the club has made their decision, but he hopes that van Nistelrooy can end his time as interim manager on a high note by securing a win against Chelsea on Sunday. He also believes that van Nistelrooy has the potential to become a great manager, based on his success in Holland.
"He did well in Holland and has the potential to become a great one," Stam said, adding that he would like to see van Nistelrooy have more than just a couple of games leading the team.
But with the club already moving in a different direction, it seems that van Nistelrooy's time as interim manager may come to an end. However, Stam jokes that perhaps the club should offer him a contract after his unbeaten record in charge.
"Maybe they should give him a contract!" Stam laughs. "It would be great for Ruud to win them all. The club do appear to be going in a different way with the new manager, but it gives Ruud the chance to do something with the group in the short-term."
As a spokesperson for BetMGM, Stam encourages fans to play their new £1million Golden Goals game by predicting Premier League scores correctly. He also emphasizes that van Nistelrooy's departure would be a shame, but ultimately the club has made their decision.
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