Amorim: Ruud is a legend of this club

Manchester United take on Leicester in the fourth round of the FA Cup this evening with Ruud van Nistelrooy in the opposite dug out. Having taken on an interim managerial role following the sacking of Erik ten Hag, our legendary Dutch striker is now the Leicester manager, although he had his eye on sticking around once Ruben Amorim had been announced. However, our new manager couldn’t find a space for Van Nistelrooy at an appropriate level in his coaching staff.

Speaking to the press ahead of tonight’s game, Amorim explained what happened.

It was not a difficult situation, because it was so clear for me. I just had to explain. I think it’s really simple, and he understands. He’s a man of football. He understands this situation. Then I have my team and my staff, and I could keep Ruud, because it was a good thing for me, a popular thing to do. But then I will not put Ruud in front of my guys, no matter what. And then I had to put like a person like Ruud in the end of the hierarchy of my staff. And I think that was not fair for Ruud and to show respect to Ruud, I was really clear with him and I explained that I have my team, I will continue the same way. I will not put a guy like Ruud, a legend of this club, in the end of the hierarchy in the staff. So it was the clear decision. It was really simple to explain and he took it like a class guy, like he is.

Amorim was asked whether he thought it could have been useful to have someone who knows the club inside out on the staff.

No. The most important thing to have as a coach is a staff that understands the way you want to play, the standards that you have. When I say standards, I’m not saying Ruud doesn’t have this. He was a legend in this club. He knows what it takes to win, but I prefer to work with the team that brought me here. It’s clear that that is important for me to understand my ideas, to explain the same thing to the players. So it was that decision. And I’m really comfortable and confident that I know how to win, no matter the club. Of course we are losing, in these moments you need experienced guys. But I’m not lost, or feeling a lack of something in the staff. We just need to improve as a team.