- The incoming Man United manager will hold talks with Ruud Van Nistelrooy
- Ruben Amorim will start work as United’s new permanent manager on Monday
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Incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim will hold crunch talks with Ruud Van Nistelrooy on Monday about the Dutchman’s future at the club.
The Portuguese oversaw his final match as Sporting Lisbon coach on Sunday – doing so in style with a comeback 4-2 win over Braga – and will now fly to Manchester to take on one of the biggest jobs in world football.
One of his first tasks will be to form his backroom team and Van Nistelrooy’s future requires priority status with the club legend wanting to stay but the decision being Amorim’s to make.
Van Nistelrooy took interim charge at Old Trafford in the wake of Erik ten Hag’s sacking at the end of October and oversaw an unbeaten run of four games – winning three times and drawing just once.
The United icon who previously earned legendary status with 150 goals as a player during Sir Alex Ferguson’s trophy-laden reign has expressed a desire to stay on in a coaching capacity but admitted the decision is not his to make.
Ruben Amorim has revealed he will hold talks with Ruud Van Nistelrooy when he begins at Man United on Monday
Van Nistelrooy has overseen an unbeaten run of four games since stepping in as interim boss at Old Trafford
Van Nistelrooy was brought back to the club he starred at as a player by former boss Erik ten Hag in the summer
Now, Amorim has hailed Van Nistelrooy for improving United ahead of his arrival and claimed the situation will become clear when the pair speak in person for the first time on Monday.
Commenting on Van Nistelrooy’s position, Amorim told reporters after his final game as Sporting boss: ‘About a legend of the club. He did a great job. I have to talk with him tomorrow (Monday).
‘Then I will explain everything. I am very clear and I will tell you like it is. Let’s wait until tomorrow,’ he added.
Meanwhile, Van Nistelrooy was given an emotional farewell by United supporters at Old Trafford on Sunday with some in Stretford End left with tears in their eyes following the 3-0 win over Leicester.
The general consensus amongst United fans is that they want Van Nistelrooy to be kept on and the 48-year-old – who recently outlined his ambitions to become head coach in the future – hopes that is the case.
He has remained tight-lipped as to whether he will become part of the furniture under incoming boss Amorim and when pressed on Sunday about what comes next, wouldn’t be drawn.
‘I can only describe that moment, how I felt and as a closure of this block of four games, it felt like a closure for that period and the future is open,’ he said.
‘That is the way I felt it. It was a beautiful moment to be able to share that with the supporters and, yeah, it was special.’
Amorim (right) wants to hold talks with Van Nistelrooy (left) about potential options on Monday
Van Nistelrooy has struck up a strong bond with United players and fans across four games in charge
Van Nistelrooy was given an emotional sendoff by supporters at Old Trafford on Sunday
Should Van Nistelrooy be kept on then he will have to fit into a new technical team having only been brought to the club by former boss Ten Hag in the summer and subsequently replacing him.
Amorim has already expressed a desire to bring Sporting assistants Emanuel Ferro, Adelio Candido, and Carlos Fernandes with him to Manchester after working closely with them in Portugal.
The trio understand how to help instill Amorim’s preferred 3-4-3 system that has seen the 39-year-old win two Portuguese titles at Sporting and he has outlined that United will play in the same style in Premier League.
Speaking following his final game in Lisbon, Amorim said: ‘I know how I am going to play in the beginning, because you have to start with a structure that you know.
‘Then you will adapt with the players that you have, some injuries, or no injuries, what kind of players have the abilities to defend, attack, I will discover that in the next few weeks.
‘We don’t have a lot of time to train, so I have to show something that I know very well. You can take whatever you want from that.’
Amorim will work with a limited amount of United players not selected by their national teams during the international break before taking charge of his first match in a Premier League clash against Ipswich on Sunday November 24.