Rio Ferdinand has suggested Ruben Amorim may have made a mistake in not keeping Ruud van Nistelrooy on at Manchester United.
Amorim touched down in Manchester on Monday to officially take the reins at Old Trafford having been named Erik ten Hag’s permanent replacement at the start of the month.
The 39-year-old arrives from Sporting Lisbon with his trusted backroom team in tow, with assistants Carlos Fernandes, Adelio Candido and Emanuel Ferro, goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital and sports scientist Paulo Barreira also arriving at Carrington.
It means there is no room for van Nistelrooy in the dugout with United confirming the departure of their club legend on Monday. The Dutchman served as interim manager for four games with United unbeaten in that run, winning three and drawing one.
Van Nistelrooy, who signed a two-year contract after returning to Old Trafford to join Ten Hag’s staff in the summer, had expressed his desire to stay on and work with Amorim.
And Ferdinand, who played alongside van Nistelrooy under Sir Alex Ferguson, believes the former striker ‘passed his audition’.
Speaking just before confirmation of van Nistelrooy’s departure, Ferdinand told Rio Reacts: ‘His audition couldn’t have gone any better and I think, knowing him, there was a steely determination underneath that said “I’m going to put myself in the best position, either to stay at the club in some capacity or someone else is going to say we need you as a manager”. He looked the part and he produced.
‘The players needed that. We’re in a time where there was a lot of turbulence, the manager’s relationships with some players seemed fractured and irreversible and the fans seemed to have made their minds up that that was it. And the new manager comes in – and you always get that bounce – but this seemed a bit different from a bounce.
‘The players had grown to really like him, they appreciated how he informed them of different bits and pieces – tactically, individually, as a team – and there was a genuine “we want to do well for this guy”.’
Ferdinand admitted van Nistelrooy’s continued presence could have proven to be a ‘distraction’ for Amorim and his new team but questioned the logic in doing away with a figure who has a ‘connection’ with the players.
‘We’ve been sitting here waiting for a manager to connect with the players. We have one right now. Why are you going to get rid of him?’ he continued.
‘The biggest sticking point and question mark will be the manager. It’ll be his decision to decide whether he keeps Ruud or not.
‘It’s a hard decision, because you’re going to need a massive personality and character and confidence in what you do to say ‘I don’t care who’s next to me, I can do this’. You’ve got to work out if he’s going to be added value or a distraction.’
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