Bruno Fernandes has thrown a shadow of uncertainty over Ruud van Nistelrooy’s managerial future at Manchester United.
Van Nistelrooy passed the baton to his successor Ruben Amorim, boasting three wins from his final four games across all competitions. It was deja vu for Leicester City who once again tasted defeat to United, following a thumping 5-2 loss in the Carabao Cup with a solid 3-0 drubbing in the Premier League.
On the pitch, Fernandes took charge, netting the opener and influencing the second goal, which ended up being recorded as an own goal by Victor Kristiansen. Super sub Alejandro Garnacho put the icing on the cake, leaping off the bench to secure the victory for United.
Post-match, Van Nistelrooy’s parting gesture saw him salute the United faithful that had lingered in the stands. Reflecting on van Nistelrooy’s stint at the helm post-victory, Fernandes acknowledged his contribution but hinted at change.
He said: “It was a long time that I wasn’t scoring and now goals are coming in the last few games. Another clean sheet was important for us to bring back the fortress we had here. We have to keep doing that and we have to improve.
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“Ruud van Nistelrooy fills the club, he loves the club, he wants to bring joy to the players. He brought everyone with a smile to the games, he just wanted us to enjoy it. We wanted to say goodbye as a manager for him properly because he did good things for us,” reports the Mirror.
However, casting doubt on whether Van Nistelrooy has a future at Old Trafford, he added: “It’s a new era, a new manager means everything changes but what hasn’t changed is that this club has to get back to where it belongs.
At the time of writing, no decision has been made on Van Nistelrooy’s longer-term future, but new boss Amorim is due to bring members of his coaching staff when he takes over on Monday.
United remain 13th after the win, but end the weekend just four points off the Champions League places in a crowded table. Amorim will take charge after leading current club Sporting Lisbon out for one last time against Braga on Sunday evening, and things are looking up after a tough start under previous boss Erik ten Hag.