“The brief, if good, is twice as good,” says the proverb. This has been the time of Ruud van Nistelrooy (Oss, 1976) on the Manchester United bench: brief and good.
“He seems to have something special,” said the legendary Harry Redknapp when referring to the interim role of ‘RVN’ between the departure of Ten Hag and the arrival of Rúben Amorim. The results, of course, support him. He leaves undefeated. He has directed four games with a balance of three wins, one draw, 11 goals for and three against.
United’s results with ‘Van the Man’
Manchester United 5-2 Leicester (League Cup)Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea (Premier)Manchester United 2-0 PAOK (Europa League)Manchester United 3-0 Leicester (Premier)
“I have directed four games, all at home, obtaining good results and scoring good goals. I have enjoyed every second. It has been a short period, but incredible,” acknowledged the former PSV, Real Madrid and Málaga player, who is leaving the club along with Rene Hake, Jelle ten Rouwelaar and Pieter Morel. He leaves, however, a rich base – on and off the field – that Amorim should take advantage of to build the Man United of the future.
I have enjoyed every second. It has been a short period, but incredible
Ruud van Nistelrooy
The legacy that Van Nistelrooy leaves behind:
1. He has united the locker room… and the stands
Manchester United has been going through turbulent times since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. When things went wrong, everything was tension, tension, uncertainty… However, ‘Van the Man’ has become a figure of consensus endorsed by his legendary status: he scored 150 goals in the 219 games he played between 2001 and 2006, before heading to Real Madrid.
“He has done very well in his interim period. He has built a real connection with everyone,” admits former United player Danny Webber. “Ruud loves the club and wanted to bring joy. He came to every game with a smile, he just wanted us to enjoy it,” confesses Bruno Fernandes.
Ruud loves the club and wanted to bring joy, he just wanted us to enjoy
Bruno Fernandes
“The way the fans supported me and the team in difficult moments has been very special,” acknowledges the Dutchman, who had the support of the locker room to continue. “He should continue as assistant. I find him comfortable in that role,” De Ligt pointed out. “He is a great person and a great coach, but it doesn’t depend on us,” Onana lamented. “He is a legend and it has been a pleasure to share these moments with him,” admitted Casemiro.
2. He has returned consistency to the team
“He’s done a great job. He’s achieved what was asked of him… and more. He’s put the ship in order and gotten the results he needed to get,” says Alan Shearer. “He is a legend and has done a great job,” Amorim himself acknowledged.
On the left, the eleven type of Ten Hag. On the right, Van Nistelrooy.Footmob.
To tell the truth, Van Nistelrooy, who arrived with Ten Hag, has not undertaken any ‘revolution’. They have respected the scheme (1-4-2-3-1) and have used a similar eleven. He has managed, however, to restore United’s consistency: he has not lost in any of the 360 minutes he has been in charge of the team. They have been tied at 168 and ahead on the scoreboard at 192.
3. The resurgence of Bruno Fernandes
If there is a player who has shone with his own light in the short-lived reign of ‘RVN’, it has been Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese had just played 13 matches! unmarked with Ten Hag. To make matters worse, he had seen two red ones.
However, he has made good use of the ‘ketchup bottle theory’ that Van Nistelrooy himself coined: “Sometimes the goals don’t come no matter how hard you try and then they all come at once.” In the four games he has played against the former of Real Madrid has scored two goals, provided two assists and created 21 scoring chances!
4. The Casemiro-Ugarte connection
This is, without a doubt, the big difference with its predecessor. Ten Hag only featured the Casemiro-Ugarte duo once in 13 games, in the 7-0 victory over Barnsley. He preferred the pairs formed by Casemiro and Mainoo or Casemiro and Eriksen.
For Van Nistelrooy, on the other hand, it has been immovable. He has used them at the start in all four games, freeing Bruno from certain defensive responsibilities: “I like them. They communicate well with each other. The important thing is that they find the moment to press.”
A ‘chemistry’ that Casemiro himself fuels: “We have a good connection. We complement each other well. When one goes up, the other covers and vice versa.” “Casemiro and Ugarte could be the start of something with Amorim,” says Paul Scholes.
Casemiro and Ugarte could be the beginning of something with Amorim”
Paul Scholes
There is no lack of reason. Ugarte exploded with Amorim at Sporting: “He is a boy with a lot of talent and a lot of room for growth. I am very happy to know that I have him back at Manchester United.”
5. Offensive mentality
Not only Bruno has shone as a scorer with ‘RVN’. Casemiro has scored two goals, while, on the wings, Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho have added two goals and one assist each. “I worked on the finalization with Ruud,” Diallo acknowledged.
“When we have the chance to play and attack, we will do it. It’s what the fans want to see. Furthermore, if you want to be successful in the Premier League and in Europe, you need a certain amount of goals,” he said.
Excuse, however, the (momentary) lack of success of Diallo, Garnacho, Hojlund… “They are at an age where they still need to develop.”
From today, Van Nistelrooy will once again see the ‘bulls from the sidelines’… but he will remain faithful to his colors. “I will support our new coach, Ruben Amorim, and I invite all those who love the club to do the same,” he told his team in farewell. A true gentleman.
