Ruud van Nistelrooy believes momentum is beginning to change for the better at Manchester United and cannot afford to go off track against Leicester in his final match as interim manager.
Parachuted into the hotseat following Erik ten Hag’s exit, the popular former striker oversaw a 5-2 win against the Foxes as the Red Devils progressed to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
A 1-1 league draw with Chelsea followed before Thursday’s 2-0 Europa League victory against PAOK, with his four-match stint in the Old Trafford hotseat coming to an end on Sunday.
Ruben Amorim is taking over as head coach the following day and Van Nistelrooy wants to hand over fresh from securing another victory against Leicester, this time in the Premier League.
“It’s a results game in the end and I think the last three results were OK,” said the caretaker boss, who is keen to work under the 39-year-old Portuguese having returned to United in the summer as an assistant.
“We’re through in the Carabao Cup, we’re in the quarter-finals there.
“It was a good point against Chelsea where we felt we deserved more, and also an important win in the Europa League to get us settled higher up in that table to go through to the next round in January hopefully.
“So, I think that momentum is changing a little bit, but of course Sunday is also a competition where we need to do better than we’re doing.
“So, as in the Carabao, where we needed to go to the next round, and do good business in the Europa League with a win, that’s Sunday and that game is very important in that sentiment I think overall.
“It was very important after I took over to stabilise the ship with results, and all of a sudden we’re three games further in that and it passes so quickly.
“The last one, yeah, that’s the one also where it will mean a lot.”
Sunday could end up being Van Nistelrooy’s second Old Trafford send off, but he is keen to stay on with a club he would one day like to manage on a permanent basis.
The 48-year-old says he has gained a lot from his time in temporary charge, building on his solitary season at PSV that ended with the 2022-23 Dutch Cup and a second-placed Eredivisie finish.
“I’ve enjoyed it,” Van Nistelrooy said. “It gave a lot of energy.
“I think the reaction of the players was outstanding. I think also as an assistant you are quite close to players.
“So, the past three months I spent a lot of time with the players and got to know them very well, as human beings but also as football players, where they are in their development and how I can help.
“And I think that relationship is helping now, that we are together and we want to achieve something together, so that bond is there.
“That’s what I feel, very supported, so that gives a lot of energy and the support of the fans obviously was amazing.
“That gives also lots of confidence and energy. So far so good.”