Chelsea concern, Amorim delay - Man United's clear Ruud van Nistelrooy interim verdict delivered

Manchester United are close to appointing Ruben Amorim as their new head coach to replace Erik ten Hag.

The Portuguese coach was swiftly identified as United's first-choice candidate following the decision to part ways with Ten Hag. The Red have agreed a deal with Sporting CP to appoint Amorim, although the 39-year-old won't move to England immediately.

As part of the agreement with Sporting, Amorim will take charge of Sporting's two league games with Estrela Amadora and Braga as well as the Champions League clash with Manchester City.

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The delay in his official move to Old Trafford means Ruud van Nistelrooy will continue in interim charge. The Dutchman, who re-joined the club in the summer, took charge of Wednesday night's 5-2 Carabao Cup win over Leicester City.

Van Nistelrooy will oversee Sunday's Premier League game with Chelsea, Thursday night's Europa League game with PAOK and another home game with Leicester on November 10.

The long-term future of Van Nistelrooy continues to remain unclear after joining Ten Hag's coaching staff in the summer. The 48-year-old admitted he would stay at the club if they wanted to retain his services but there could be clubs sniffing around for his services as a No.1.

Here, The Manchester Evening News writers have had their say on what the best course of action is for Van Nistelrooy and whether United are making the right decision in keeping him in interim charge.

Josh Holland

The performance and result at Old Trafford on Wednesday night was not surprising. When Jose Mourinho was sacked and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came in on an interim basis, they battered Cardiff City 5-1.

Under Van Nistelrooy, United players turned on the style and showed glimpses of what they simply failed to produce under Ten Hag. The Red Devils played with pace, confidence and with a point-to-prove against Leicester, albeit against their B team.

Van Nistelrooy did enough to warrant staying in interim charge. It mustn't be forgotten that Ruud was a head coach at PSV Eindhoven and was close to a return to management in the summer. For the Chelsea, PAOK and Leicester games, Van Nistelrooy has the opportunity to add value to his CV as a No.1.

Either way, I think it's a win-win for the Dutchman. If Amorim comes in and decides he doesn't want to retain his services, four wins in four in this short period could earn him his next permanent job.

Tom Doyle

The reception Van Nistelrooy was afforded against Leicester shows he has the fanbase onside, as was to be expected. The squad doesn't need more disruption when morale and form is so delicate: there's even an argument to suggest Van Nistelrooy has a better chance of getting results right now than Amorim would, especially if you were to throw in a formation switch.

Amorim doesn't need to be plunged into a new job in a new country with a squad under pressure before the international break: confirming a deal before seeing out his final weeks at Sporting gives everyone time to breathe after months of whispers and chaos at Old Trafford. It may also grease the wheels if United were to target Amorim's favourite players from Sporting in the January window.

The harsh reality is that United can afford to wait a little longer for Amorim - they're not in the title race. As for Van Nistelrooy, Amorim may benefit from United retaining a familiar face. But if the Dutchman can mastermind much-needed League wins over Chelsea and Leicester before the break, he will be a wanted man in his own right for the next plum Premier League position that pops up - and the United job further down the line. This could end up being be a win-win-win situation for United, Amorim and Van Nistelrooy.

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Bruna Reis

While Man United’s battering of Leicester City in the League Cup might have come as a surprise to some, many will call it ‘new manager bounce.’ However, supporters would have been encouraged by the Reds performance under Van Nistelrooy as it was certainty a step in the right direction ahead of their crunch clash with Chelsea.

Van Nistelrooy overseeing the next four games is not a bad thing after doing such a brilliant job at PSV, winning the Dutch Cup and the Dutch Super Cup despite being in charge for just one season. Prior to returning to Old Trafford, he admitted to being in talks with ‘clubs to manage’ and already had a staff team lined-up.

This shows how much he is already rated as a manager so early on in his career. With reports claiming Amorim will remain in charge of Sporting until the November international break, I believe United have made the right decision to appoint the former Dutch striker as their interim manager for the time being.

He is popular amongst the fans and understands what it’s like to fight for the United shirt and give your all on the pitch. That is something he will no doubt be able to transmit to the players.

Furthermore, I don't think it would be wise to introduce Amorim to the job in the middle of a busy schedule. United can afford to wait a couple more weeks until the international break and that way, Amorim will have more than just a few days to get to know and work with his squad ahead of the game at Ipswich Town.

The decision is a no-brainer for me given United are not competing for the title.

James Quinlan

There is seemingly unending clamour around Ruben Amorim's arrival and understandably so, but we are all forgetting the most important thing if fretting over his arrival later than wanted.

Ruud van Nistelrooy isn't just an assistant who has stepped up to the plate after never managing at an elite level. He has actually worked his way through the youth ranks of PSV Eindhoven, taken over the senior team and in a short time there won both the KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield. The man knows what he is doing.

This was further evidenced on Wednesday night against Leicester, as he drew upon not only his coaching talents but also his deep-lying passion for Man United and the lessons he no doubt will have had from Sir Alex Ferguson as a player back in the day. He gets the club and the Premier League, so can be trusted to take the reins for at least another few matches.

Chelsea is a good enough test - not expected to challenge for the title but like Man United they are aiming to reach that level again.

Furthermore, throwing Amorim into the job to take two day's worth of training before the Blues come to Stamford Bridge - as talented as he is - could backfire drastically. Allow the man to get settled, implement his ideas over the upcoming international break and settle into life in England with a match against Ipswich Town that on paper is much, much easier than Chelsea.

Look at what Unai Emery achieved when he was given the entire time the World Cup was taking place to begin his role at Aston Villa, rather than being rushed into the job beforehand.

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Matty Hewitt

Man United's win over Leicester City told you everything you need to know about Ruud van Nistelrooy's ability to manage the Reds on an interim basis albeit against a newly promoted side. The Reds legend was given quite the reception by the Old Trafford faithful and the performance last night certainly gave United chiefs some breathing space.

Had the result gone against them last night, there would have been questions over their inability to bring Ruben Amorim earlier. That being said, Chelsea will be a sterner test this weekend of United's European credentials, if they are to kick on and aim for a top-six or seventh placed finish.

Van Nistelrooy's status as a player will certainly buy him some time should results not go his way during his interim tenure and it'll allow United time to get Amorim's full backroom team in place. The quicker the Portuguese coach can settle at Old Trafford, the better.

The international break, as pointed out above, also gives Amorim time to get to work on the training ground and get used to his new environment before being thrown into the boiling pot that is the Premier League. I think keeping Van Nistelrooy around would be a smart move from Amorim as get to grips with his new squad and the expectations that come from managing United.