Van Nistelrooy tipped for shock Premier League management return just days after being let go by Amorim

Amidst such turbulent periods for a handful of Premier League clubs dipping in and out of the relegation zone, the prospect of an up-and-coming head coach like Ruud van Nistelrooy will be growing increasingly tempting.

The former prolific goalscorer was called upon to steady the ship at Old Trafford after INEOS chiefs finally conceded defeat that Erik ten Hag was not the man to sit at the helm long-term. As a result, his tenure was cut short after two-and-a-half years, and Van Nistelrooy, who had returned to Manchester in the summer as an assistant coach, took the reins on an interim basis.

It was clear from the get-go that Van Nistelrooy, unlike Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, would not be given the job permanently. Manchester United’s key decision-makers had already begun targeting Ruben Amorim a matter of hours after Ten Hag’s dismissal was announced, and negotiations developed quickly after he accepted their initial proposal of taking the hot seat in M16.

Van Nistelrooy tipped to make Premier League return

When it was mutually agreed that Amorim would remain with Sporting Lisbon until November 11, the ex-Netherlands international knew he had only four games to make a statement in the dugout – and that he did.

In only his first game, a 5-2 Carabao Cup win over Leicester City, United managed to do something they had failed to do throughout the entirety of Ten Hag’s tenure stay: score five+ goals against Premier League opposition. That night, it took them only 59 minutes to do so. 

A 1-1 draw with an in-form Chelsea side followed, as well as two subsequent wins – and clean sheets – against PAOK and the Foxes, during which they scored five goals in total.

While fans had hoped Van Nistelrooy would’ve been able to stick around in some capacity for at least the remainder of the campaign, it was mostly expected that he’d be relieved of his duties when Amorim arrived. Indeed, that turned out to be the case, and he departed Carrington at the beginning of the week – not without putting himself ‘firmly in the shop window’ on the managerial market, though.

iSport’s Michael Hincks believes the 48-year-old, who also took charge of PSV Eindhoven for one season, will have undoubtedly caught the eye of the likes of West Ham, Crystal Palace and even Southampton. The trio of clubs are at risk of dropping down to the Championship unless their situations drastically improve in the coming gameweeks, prompting widespread uncertainty over their current managers’ futures.