Manchester United interim boss Ruud Van Nistelrooy on his future at the club, injuries and the challenge of facing Leicester
Carrington, Manchester, UK
Carrington, Manchester, UK
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00:00Hi again, Ruben. We've seen images of Luke Shaw returning to training,
00:05with Lenny Yorrow back the other day, Mason Mouwt, all these other players,
00:08it seems like the injuries are easing at just the right time with Ruben coming in.
00:12Yeah, and also for me. I have to say, yesterday we had a lot of benefit
00:17from Christian playing a good 30 minutes for Guardiola,
00:23and obviously Mason making his first minutes again,
00:28that benefitted us as well, so I'm glad that they're back,
00:34and also for the little bit longer future, good that Luke and Lenny are on the pitch.
00:41We asked you last night about Ahmad, how was the assessment, how did it come out?
00:46And looking ahead, Kobi Maino, I don't think we've got an update about him for a while,
00:50how's he doing, his progress?
00:53Yes, Ahmad was assessed, still working on him to get him ready for Sunday,
01:01hopefully it will work.
01:04And Kobi is also progressing in his injury, he's making the right steps,
01:13not yet with the team though, that needs a bit more time.
01:18Ruud, obviously this is your final match in interim charge,
01:23it will be an emotional occasion I'm sure on Sunday,
01:26but for you is it likely to be a second farewell from Manchester United?
01:30Do you know yet what your future holds?
01:32No, first of all, it was a special period, it is still,
01:39I call it an important period because I think it was important
01:44to get through the four games as good as we could,
01:47I think we've done very well so far, the players reacted very well in the games,
01:54so obviously the focus is now to build on that and show that on Sunday,
01:59with a big game ahead and a massive three points that are there to win.
02:06So, yeah, I don't know if it will be very emotional,
02:11I take it very pragmatically as well, although I'm very proud to be able to fulfil this,
02:17but we'll see how that will feel on Sunday.
02:24And other than that, there's not much more news than yesterday evening,
02:29where I think Ruben and I are both in that sense focusing on our teams and our games,
02:37he's focused on Braga and his team, and I'm focused on Leicester with my team,
02:42and see if things can come together in the near future.
02:46It seems like you've enjoyed the role,
02:49would you one day like to think of yourself as a permanent manager of Manchester United?
02:53Yeah, of course I thought this through well when I made the decision to come to United
02:56as an assistant manager or assistant coach, I thought that through,
03:01and I knew that coming to Manchester United was for me a special occasion,
03:08where I felt I wanted to be part of this journey with the club,
03:13and also in an assistant role.
03:16I had clear ambitions to manage, I made the decision to sign a two-year deal as an assistant,
03:22and I'm still in that frame of mind, to be fair, to stay in that capacity.
03:32This whole experience of being the boss, how do you rate it?
03:36Was it stressful? Have you enjoyed it?
03:41No, I've enjoyed it, it gave a lot of energy.
03:46I think the reaction of the players was outstanding.
03:50I think also as an assistant you are quite close to players,
03:54so the past three months I spent a lot of time with the players
03:58and got to know the players very well, as human beings but also as football players,
04:04where they are in their development and how I can help.
04:07And I think that relationship that is helping now,
04:10that we are together and we want to achieve something together,
04:16so that bond is there and that's what I feel very supported.
04:20So that gives a lot of energy and the support of the fans obviously was amazing,
04:25and that gives also lots of confidence and energy.
04:29So far, so good.
04:31As you pass on the reins, what's the best bit of advice you'd give to Ruben Amiri?
04:38That's a good question actually.
04:41It's good to wrap it up after Sunday,
04:44and of course I've been in for the three months in the season and this short spell,
04:51and from there on I think it would be very good to wrap it all up
04:56and have that conversation, yeah.
05:00It's a good question, I'm going to start thinking about it.
05:03Let me know.
05:07Ruben, if you win on Sunday, you'll have the highest win percentage
05:10of any Manchester United manager in history,
05:13you'll go past Michael Carrick.
05:15That was not the question, by the way.
05:18What sort of state is this dressing room at the moment,
05:23what can fans look into it, because obviously it's been a disappointing season overall so far,
05:28do you see optimism for fans?
05:32I think if you look at...
05:36It's a results game in the end, and I think the last three results were OK.
05:46We were through in the Carabao Cup, we were in the quarter-finals there,
05:49it was a good point against Chelsea where we felt that we deserved more,
05:54and also an important win in the Europa League to get us settled higher up in that table
05:59to go through the next round in January, hopefully.
06:05So I think that momentum is changing a little bit,
06:10but of course Sunday is also a competition where we need to do better than we're doing.
06:19So, as in the Carabao, where we needed to go to the next round
06:24and do good business in the Europa League with a win, that's Sunday.
06:29And that game is very important in that sentiment, I think, overall.
06:38Ruud, what has the last eight or nine days taught you
06:42as a coach in your relatively fresh managerial career?
06:50Um...
06:55I didn't really think about this.
06:58I think I'm so focused on getting the best out of the players and the staff members,
07:06and all together we're working on getting United back on track in the short term,
07:13that I'm not really reflected on that, to be fair.
07:17Of course I learn a lot in the time that I'm here,
07:21from other coaches and from players, with the experience there is and with opinions they have.
07:30So I think overall the knowledge about training sessions,
07:33managing individuals and teams, I think overall, now I think about it,
07:38is something that really benefited me as a coach.
07:43Ruud, you did well at PSV and left for other reasons,
07:47and obviously the three games here so far where you have seen a lift in performances,
07:52it must be difficult then to be an assistant and not be all your ideas,
07:58has it not given you the appetite to be your own man again in charge of a club?
08:04Yeah, I think the appetite to build further within this club
08:09is stronger than the other bit.
08:12But not being your own man?
08:14Yeah. So for this moment, and as I said, I made a deliberate decision to step in this role
08:23for two seasons and take it from there, and these four games haven't changed that sentiment.
08:32And that's why I said from the beginning that what my intentions were,
08:36also after my interim job.
08:41Ruud, when you first joined the club, there were Teddy Sheringham, Solskjaer,
08:45York, Cole, proven strikers, goal-scorers.
08:48I know Rasmus and Josh were seen as potential,
08:51but do you accept that this club does need a proven goal-scorer
08:55if it's to get back to where it needs to be?
08:59Yeah, I agree that when you want to be a successful side in the Premier League
09:05and in Europe, and that's what the build is all about,
09:09you're going to need a certain amount of goals.
09:12That is clear, that is a fact in football,
09:17and that's why the best teams in the world have those players.
09:23At the moment we have players that get a certain amount of goals or assists,
09:28but obviously they are in an age where they still have to be developed,
09:33and there's the potential that there will be, and the belief is there that they can.
09:38And that's at this moment where we are.
09:43Yes, hi, Ruud. It's only going to have been two weeks and four games,
09:46but do you think you'll be handing over a group of players higher on confidence
09:52and better than what you inherited only two weeks ago?
09:56I think the results in themselves will make that happen.
10:01It's easier to manage a team that has won two of the last three
10:10and had a decent point at home against a good side.
10:14And the connection with the fans is there,
10:17and there's this kind of short, good feeling that we can turn to,
10:24and we can turn things around, that's what's happening at this moment.
10:28And of course, football being football, and especially in top-flight football,
10:34the results are necessary, and the Sunday game in that is a big one.
10:41I know it's not all about you, but from a personal point of view,
10:45how proud would you be to hand over, having gone unbeaten in those four games,
10:50hopefully winning three and drawing one?
10:53Yeah, especially for the club.
10:55It was very important after I took over to get, I called it,
11:04to stabilise the ship with results, and all of a sudden we're three games further in that,
11:10and it passes so quickly.
11:13And the last one, yeah, that's the one also where it will mean a lot.