Amorim distraction, new job, Old Trafford return - Man Utd final Van Nistelrooy decision verdict

Ruben Amorim has already made his first big call at Manchester United after deciding for a clean break from Erik ten Hag's coaching setup at Old Trafford.

Ruud van Nistelrooy is the most notable departure, with the Dutchman steadying the ship on an interim basis after Ten Hag's sacking last month. United were unbeaten during Van Nistelrooy's four-game spell in charge with two wins over Leicester City, a victory over PAOK and a draw against Chelsea.

Amorim will now be tasked with revving the Reds after a decade of struggle since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement and United's last Premier League title in 2013. The 39-year-old's first game in charge will be away at Ipswich Town after the international break on November 24.

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But what now for Van Nistelrooy? The former PSV boss has done his reputation no harm after a positive spell as interim manager as writers from the Manchester Evening News have their say on his next potential move...

Samuel Luckhurst

Van Nistelrooy was a United great before he returned as assistant coach and he’s greater now. Understandable Amorim wants to fully refresh the backroom staff but many United fans will be sad to see Van Nistelrooy go. The next club who appoints him as manager should do well.

George Smith

Van Nistelrooy did a sterling job during his two-week reign, winning three of his four games in charge, drawing one. Furthermore, he also injected a sense of confidence and belief back into both the team and the club as a whole. He wore his heart on his sleeve and that shone through with his goal celebrations on the touchline.

However, as much merit as there would have been in keeping Van Nistelrooy and him helping Amorim and his coaching staff settle into life at Old Trafford, the new United head coach cannot be criticised for wanting to fully refresh the backroom staff.

His arrival, plus that of his coaches, means United's players can completely start afresh, benefitting from different voices and fresh ideas inside the dressing room. It also means United have completely moved on from the Ten Hag era, meaning there are no skeletons in the cupboard for Amorim to have to be mindful of.

Isaac Seelochan

Keeping Van Nistelrooy would have been a distraction Amorim doesn't need. Yes, he could have offered the new permanent manager knowledge and experience from his time at Old Trafford, but the potential negatives outweigh any positives.

What if Amorim get's off to a poor start or United fail to show much improvement? There will be a clamour to get him back in from some people.

You could argue that while he is without a job, those rumours could swirl anyway, but it's very different when he's in the dugout alongside an under-pressure manager. Van Nistelrooy should have no shortage of offers and may even get another Premier League job if one pops up over the next few months, but it wouldn't have been right to keep him on board at United.

Isaac Johnson

It always looked unlikely that Van Nistelrooy would stay on as an assistant, despite his sound efforts as interim boss. Sporting CP assistants Carlos Fernandes and Adelio Candido have been at Amorim's side throughout the whole of his managerial career, virtually.

And Paulo Barreira, Emanuel Ferro, and Jorge Vital - who all flew over from Portugal on Monday - were key backroom components to his success at Sporting. It makes sense to involve them at United, and it thus leaves no room for Van Nistelrooy.

The Dutchman has put himself in the shop window for his next head coach job, which is a position he merits. It would be foolish to rule him out of becoming the United boss one day in the future, having outlined such a desire - though fans will hope not for a good while, with Amorim framed as a long-term revivalist.

James Quinlan

Van Nistelrooy can be applauded for the job he did over the past two weeks at Man United. Ruben Amorim now walks into a dressing that much more confidence - unbeaten in four, through to the next round of the League Cup and with a first Europa League win under their belts.

He is a highly capable coach and should go on to do great things, just elsewhere unfortunately. The club wouldn't exactly be taking a step forwards with him and needed someone like Amorim - one of the continent's next exciting coaches - to come in and truly create a new project.

It is then up to Amorim if he wants to introduce the opinion of a man who understands the past success of Man United, and he has chosen no. That might have its repercussions but on the surface it also looks to be a smart choice as he is trying to build a new Man United, not resting on the stories of yesterday and more focused on building the foundations for tomorrow.

Jack Flintham

Van Nistelrooy has managed to cap his return to United on a high note and while it was short and sweet, it was a therapeutic end to a career which ended underneath a cloud the first time round. While he may well have offered a different perspective to new boss Amorim, there would have been very little space for him once the Portuguese's backroom staff were appointed.

While he will undoubtedly be disappointed, I am sure Van Nistelrooy will eventually be thankful that his time ended with a four-game unbeaten run. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains a legend with United fans but the way his tenure ended was a lot more painful so the Dutchman perhaps can find solace that he did not suffer the same fate.

The only question mark is whether Amorim will be afforded time to settle in. Van Nistelrooy has managed to get this team recording results again and it will be up to the new manager to continue this momentum but it is going to be a big shift and United fans will need to be patient for a little while longer.

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