This is the end of Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s short time as manager of Manchester United. The Dutchman did a great job in the short-term role.
As Erik ten Hag’s immediate replacement, he didn’t lose a single game. He led an amazing three wins from four games to improve the mood at Old Trafford, which ended with a simple 3-0 win over Leicester City in the Premier League this weekend.
Finally, Ruben Amorim will take over for good, and he needs to make some important choices, especially about an attack that isn’t working well.
The player Amorim has to block Man Utd’s charge.
Because he played so badly against Leicester on Sunday, winger Marcus Rashford will now be wondering how safe it is for him to start.
Rashford hasn’t been at his best all season. In 11 league games, he has only scored one goal and set up another.
The 27-year-old attacker only played for 57 minutes at the Theatre of Dreams before Van Nistelrooy replaced him with Alejandro Garnacho. Garnacho scored United’s crucial third goal with a great curled finish past Mads Hermansen with seconds left on the clock.
While Garnacho was enjoying all the praise that came his way at the end of the game, Rashford must have been walking off quickly, trying to forget about his afternoon. The Manchester United player had no shots on goal, no key passes, and no accurate crosses while he was on the field.
Rashford also lost the ball 15 times down the left side, which was an expensive mistake, and he only won two of the five duels that came his way.
The fact that Manchester Evening News reporter Samuel Luckhurst gave United’s number ten a low 4/10 match grade after the game isn’t really a surprise; Luckhurst said that Rashford “never got anywhere” when he tried to attack with conviction.
So, his spot on the left is now open, and Amorim is looking at what choices he has down this flank for the future.