Amorim can focus on Braga; I’ll keep my focus on Leicester, Ruud van Nistelrooy says
Interim Manchester United manager Ruud van Nistelrooy says he is now focused on preparing the team for their upcoming Premier League match against Leicester City at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Meanwhile, incoming head coach Ruben Amorim will complete his responsibilities with Sporting Lisbon before officially joining United.
United’s recent 2-0 victory over PAOK in the UEFA Europa League boosted them to 15th place as the 36-team league phase reached its midpoint.
Amorim’s first match at Old Trafford will be against Bodo/Glimt, following his final game with Sporting. Before that, the 39-year-old will also oversee a fixture against Ipswich Town immediately after the international break, with Sunday’s Leicester clash being United’s last game before the pause.
In his debut as interim manager, Van Nistelrooy led United to a strong 5-2 win over Leicester in the Carabao Cup and is eager to finish his temporary role with another solid performance this weekend, aiming to leave on a positive note before handing over to Amorim.
“For me, it’s important now to carry on and build on the results of Leicester, of Chelsea and of PAOK,” said Van Nistelrooy.
“I think the second half we can build on, result we can build on.
“First European home win after one year. We addressed that in the dressing room, and it was time to change that.
“The players did very well doing so, and Sunday is a big game for us in the league to get a good performance in again.”
Amorim takes charge of his final Sporting match at former club Braga on Sunday after Van Nistelrooy leads United against Leicester with his role as assistant unclear beyond then.
“I think that Ruben [from] what he’s saying is he focuses on Braga, and I focus on Leicester,” the caretaker boss added.
“I think that’s a great one for now, and that shows that we’re focused on the day by day job and get the maximum out of the team.
“Let him focus on Braga, I’ll focus on Leicester, and we’ll see after that.”
