Upon his arrival at Carrington, new Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim made a swift decision regarding Ruud van Nistelrooy’s role within the club. Opting to bring in his own coaching staff, Amorim chose not to retain the Dutchman, sparking reactions from a club legend.

Rio Ferdinand, who shared a locker room with Van Nistelrooy during some of United’s most successful years under Sir Alex Ferguson, expressed his thoughts on the matter. Speaking on his Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel, the former defender praised Van Nistelrooy’s impact during his brief tenure as interim coach and questioned Amorim’s decision to part ways with him.

“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,” Ferdinand stated.

Ferdinand emphasized the stability Van Nistelrooy brought during a turbulent period for the club. “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,” he said. “And the new manager comes in – and you always get that bounce – but this seemed a bit different from a bounce,” he added.

Criticizing Amorim’s decision, Ferdinand continued: “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? The biggest sticking point and question mark will be the manager. It’s his decision to decide whether he keeps Ruud or not.

Ferdinand also acknowledged the pressure Amorim will face following his choice. “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,” he ended.

Van Nistelrooy’s record as interim coach

Van Nistelrooy returned to Manchester United over the summer, initially as part of Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff. Following Ten Hag’s dismissal on October 28, the Dutchman stepped into the interim role, producing impressive results in a short period.

Under Van Nistelrooy, United secured a 5-2 victory against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup, a 1-1 Premier League draw against Chelsea, a 2-0 Europa League win over PAOK, and another commanding 3-0 Premier League win over Leicester. This gave him an exceptional 83% points-per-game ratio, one of the best in the club’s history, even though he was in an interim position.