Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes has said Ruud van Nistelrooy brought joy back to training sessions during his time as interim manager. The Portuguese playmaker said the light-hearted training sessions worked well, as they helped lift the players’ mood and energy levels after Erik ten Hag’s dismissal.
Bruno Fernandes Says Ruud van Nistelrooy Made Manchester United Training Sessions Fun
Taking the reins after Ten Hag’s dismissal on October 28, interim assistant-turned-interim manager Nistelrooy had a massive task on his hands. With Manchester United toiling in 14th place in the Premier League and without a win in the UEFA Europa League, he needed to find a way to restore the players’ energy levels and reignite their desire to win.
According to captain Fernandes, the Dutchman successfully managed that by bumping up the fun quotient in training sessions. Speaking with MUTV, Fernandes said (via Manchester Evening News):
“Results, everything that succeeded with the manager. He understood that the momentum of the players is not great. The mood was down, the confidence was down, so everything he did every day in training, it was trying to bring joy to the training.
“You know, like trying to bring smiles, trying to be involved, tried to make everyone enjoy it, and make it look a little bit loose, the training. And he brought a lot of energy from that, you know, he brought people fighting, training, running, trying duels and lots of small games, competitions, and that.”
He added:
“Probably going forward, you needed to do more tactics and whatever,” he added. “For him, in the moment, [it] was just he did it, to be honest, and the training has been really enjoyable. Everyone is feeling like they enjoying the training because he was just bringing that extra joy to the training.
“And I like [that], with small things with small games, just to bring the energy back. And he did it. He did it well. And we said it before the game, we don’t know what’s going to happen to Ruud and the rest of the staff.”
Ruud van Nistelrooy Enjoyed A Successful Interim Run
When Nistelrooy came on, he did not officially know how much time he would have in the dugout. But United always maintained the stance that they would give the permanent job to someone else. Shortly after Nistelrooy’s promotion, United appointed Ruben Amorim as the permanent coach, revealing he would take charge of the club from November 11.
Over two weeks, Nistelrooy only got to oversee four games at Manchester United. He started with a 5-2 win over Leicester City in the Carabao Cup before drawing 1-1 with Chelsea in the Premier League. In his third game, the former United striker took the club to a 2-0 win over PAOK in the UEFA Europa League, thus ending their winless run. Finally, in his last match as interim boss, Nistelrooy oversaw a 3-0 win over Leicester City in the Premier League.
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