Man. Utd target Amorim as caretaker boss Van Nistelrooy says ‘I’m here to help’

Manchester United caretaker boss Ruud Van Nistelrooy says he will help “as long as he is needed” as reports suggest the club’s target to succeed Erik ten Hag, Ruben Amorim, will not take up the post until next month.

A United legend as a player, Van Nistelrooy enjoyed a winning start as interim manager with United beating Leicester 5-2 to reach the League Cup quarter finals on Wednesday – 48 hours after Ten Hag’s dismissal.

United pulled the plug on Ten Hag’s two-year reign as manager on Monday after a 2-1 defeat by West Ham left them 14th in the Premier League.

Sporting Lisbon manager Amorim quickly emerged as United’s number one option to take over the hot seat.

"I'm here to help the club as long as I'm needed" 💬

Ruud van Nistelrooy says he is happy to remain as interim manager and he would like to stay at Man United going forwards 🔴pic.twitter.com/q5ps3BfvqI

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 30, 2024

Sporting issued a statement to the Lisbon stock exchange on Tuesday confirming United were willing to meet his 10-million-euro ($10.8 million) release clause.

Negotiations are ongoing with the Portuguese champions to agree compensation for the 39-year-old.

According to reports in Portugal, Amorim will remain at Sporting for the next three matches before completing his move during the November international break.

That leaves Van Nistelrooy in charge at least for this weekend’s visit by Chelsea, the Europa League home match to PAOK, and another clash with Leicester.

“I came here as an assistant to help the club. I’m helping as long as I’m needed and in the future, in any capacity, I’m here to help the club build towards the future,” Van Nistelrooy said after Wednesday’s stirring win at Old Trafford.

He added: “The reaction of the players was excellent. They deserve the credit for a good win and I’m happy the crowd goes home with a nice night of football.”

Sky Sports on Wednesday quoted a source at Sporting saying Amorim’s move at Old Trafford was a “done deal”, but the club remained tightlipped.

Amorim was guarded when asked after Sporting’s League Cup win against Nacional on Tuesday if it was his last match with the club.

“Nobody knows whether this was my farewell match. Nothing is decided yet,” he said.

Despite spending heavily in the transfer market in the summer, Ten Hag paid the price for United’s poor start to the season.

They have won just one of their last eight games in all competitions.

Amorim is considered one of the most promising young coaches in Europe. The former Portugal international midfielder has won two Portuguese titles with Sporting since joining the club in March 2020.

He was briefly linked with the manager’s role at Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp announced he was leaving and went as far as holding talks with West Ham this year, before they appointed former Spain coach Julen Lopetegui.

‘Age doesn’t matter’

Amorim would be one of the youngest managers in the Premier League if appointed by United.

But Pep Guardiola, who has guided United’s UAE-backed neighbours Manchester City to an unprecedented four successive Premier League titles, insisted Amorim’s age was not an issue.

“Why is it a problem?” said City manager Guardiola. “I started at Barcelona, at 37 years old, coming into the fourth division. 

“Knowledge is knowledge. If you are able, it doesn’t matter…What’s important is talent. If you are good, age doesn’t matter,” the Spaniard added.

Whoever the new United manager is, they will inherit a squad largely built by Ten Hag that includes several players who have proven to be expensive failures.

The most glaring example is Antony, the Brazilian forward signed for nearly £90 million from Ten Hag’s former club Ajax in 2022, who has scored just 12 goals in 87 appearances.

United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe reviewed Ten Hag’s progress in the summer after the club finished eighth in the league but won the FA Cup with a shock victory over Manchester City. 

The club were also believed to have spoken to other potential managers but decided to retain Ten Hag and handed him millions for new players.

But Ten Hag was sacked because United, who last won the Premier League in 2013, have shown little improvement this season.

The former Ajax coach, who joined United in May 2022, argued in his final days in charge he deserved respect for winning the League Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup a year later.

Since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 after leading United to a record 20th league title, five full-time managers have come and gone at Old Trafford.