Football
Ruud van Nistelrooy handed favourable run in Manchester United’s next five fixtures
Joe Lyons is a sports writer with years of experience on reputable sports and gambling websites. Joe has also been published by Nottingham Forest, working with the academy and senior teams to produce content on matchdays. He formerly covered the Premier League and EFL as an on-site reporter during the 2020/21 season for Prost International. He is an expert in a range of sports including soccer, basketball, horse racing and American football. Joe specialises in long form content alongside news, tips and betting. Joe has a keen eye for the sports betting industry in the USA which covers the NBA and NFL, tracking and analysing the market as it changes throughout the season.
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Ruud van Nistelrooy will be hoping to get off to a positive start as Manchester United manager – and his first five fixtures give him a great chance.
Erik ten Hag was finally dismissed as Red Devils boss on Monday after another defeat in the Premier League to West Ham at the weekend, paving the way for Van Nistelrooy to step into an interim role.
The man who became a club legend as a player is now in the hot seat, eerily reminiscing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replacing Jose Mourinho almost six years ago.
Van Nistelrooy‘s only previous experience as a head coach at senior level is with Dutch outfit PSV for a year, where he won the Johann Cruyff Shield and KNVB Cup.
According to the best football betting sites, the two-time Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year is a best-price 5/2 to secure the job on a permanent basis.
Manchester United Next 5 Fixtures
- vs Leicester City (H) – Carabao Cup, 30 October
- vs Chelsea (H) – Premier League, 3rd November
- vs PAOK (H) – Europa League, 7th November
- vs Leicester City (H) – Premier League, 10th November
- vs Ipswich Town (A) – Premier League, 24th November
Van Nistelrooy, who was appointed as Ten Hag’s assistant on a two-year deal in July, is tasked with turning around a simply average and uninspired Manchester United side.
His first challenge comes in the form of Leicester City, who will visit Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday.
The Dutchman will be pleased to see four straight home fixtures on the calendar to begin his tenure, but the in-form Chelsea could cause problems on Sunday in the Premier League.
The following Thursday, United will look to grab the first win of their Europa League campaign against Greek side PAOK who are also yet to put a win on the board.
Leicester are back at the Theatre of Dreams that weekend, in the league this time, offering Van Nistelrooy what should be a golden opportunity to grab three points.
After the international break in November, Van Nistelrooy’s fifth game in charge is a trip to Portman Road to face Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town in the league.