It’s been 11 years since Sir Alex Ferguson left the helm at Manchester United, and since then, the Red Devils have stopped being a serious contender for the two most important trophies – the Premier League and the Champions League. Old Trafford has seen David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Ralf Rangnick, and Erik ten Hag come and go. Except for Mourinho, who managed to win three trophies during his tenure, the other United managers of the past decade will mainly be remembered for excessive spending and results well below the club’s prestigious standards.Two Africans key players in United‘s victory over PAOKFans of the three-time European champions are hoping that Monday’s official introduction of Ruben Amorim as the new head coach will mark the beginning of a new era – one that brings long-term improvement to the club. In recent weeks, club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy has been serving as interim manager. The Dutchman was on the sidelines last night for United’s 2-0 Europa League win over PAOK, and at the post-match press conference, he made it clear that he would love to become United’s head coach.“Of course, I’d love to become Manchester United’s head coach one day. I started dreaming about it as soon as I became an assistant. I will be United’s manager one day, but I fully understand the decision not to make it happen right now. What’s most important to me is that the club gets back on its feet and is strong again, more than my personal professional ambitions. With two more years as an assistant, I hope to gain valuable experience and eventually take over United,” Van Nistelrooy has already started positioning himself as a candidate to succeed Amorim, who hasn’t even officially taken his seat yet.##NAJAVA_MECA_8486585##Van Nistelrooy played for United from 2001 to 2006, scoring 150 goals in 219 matches for the club. With the 48-year-old on the bench, United has played three games, drawing 1-1 with Chelsea, defeating Leicester 5-2, and securing a 2-0 win over PAOK.“I enjoyed it; it gave me a lot of energy, and the players’ response was outstanding. I think I was already quite close to the players as an assistant. I’ve spent a lot of time with them over the last three months, getting to know them well both as people and as footballers, seeing where they are in their development and how I can help them. I have a connection with the players; I feel their strong support. But I think the desire to further develop the club outweighs my ambition to immediately become United’s head coach.”So far, Van Nistelrooy has only had one solo managerial stint, leading PSV in the 2022/23 season, during which the Philips team won the Dutch Cup and finished second in the Eredivisie behind Ajax.Revisiting Manchester United’s quest for a post-Ferguson successor
