Ruud van Nistelrooy might make U-turn after Man Utd axe as membership weighs up determination
Burnley may make another attempt to secure Ruud van Nistelrooy as their new manager despite the Dutchman previously rejecting them in favour of Manchester United.
Van Nistelrooy, 48, was let go from his duties at Old Trafford on Monday when new manager Ruben Amorim decided to bring in his own coaching team. The former Red Devils striker – who scored 150 goals for United between 2001 and 2006 – had been in charge of their last four games before the international break as caretaker manager, securing three wins and one draw.
This followed Erik ten Hag‘s decision to bring him back to United as an assistant coach in July, before being sacked by the club last month after United’s woeful start to the Premier League season. Now, Van Nistelrooy is on the hunt for his next role, having only previously managed PSV Eindhoven’s reserves and senior side.
The ex-PSV and Real Madrid striker had discussions with Burnley in June after Vincent Kompany left for Bayern Munich. At the time, the Daily Mirror reported Van Nistelrooy had two meetings with chairman Alan Pace, following Burnley’s relegation to the Championship.
After choosing to return to United, Pace turned to former Fulham, Bournemouth and Club Brugge boss Scott Parker to lead the Clarets back to the Premier League. Parker started well, winning his first two games with a combined score of 9-1, reports the Mirror.
(Image: Gary Oakley/Getty Images)
However, Burnley’s form has dipped recently, with just one win in their last five games and only two goals, leaving them fourth in the table and the prospect of gaining automatic promotion back to the Premier League in doubt.
The Turf Moor faithful are growing increasingly frustrated with Parker’s style of play, with some supporters even calling for the 44 year old manager to be sacked – a possibility Burnley are seemingly not dismissing. The Sun reported Van Nistelrooy still has fans in East Lancashire and the Clarets are keeping an eye on him following his departure from United.
It’s been suggested Pace is likely to stick with Parker – who has twice won promotion from the Championship as a manager – for the foreseeable future, having backed Kompany to the hilt last season. However, if results continue to disappoint, the American may be forced to act.
Nine goals in their last 13 games isn’t what fans were hoping for, but Burnley did manage to secure a much-needed 1-0 win at home against Swansea City on Saturday. A 94th-minute penalty from Jay Rodriguez helped alleviate some of the pressure on Parker ahead of the international break.
