“In the previous games, we created many chances, even clearer ones, but didn’t score. But suddenly we had a bit of luck, and that made today a great day,” Van Nistelrooy said after the match at Old Trafford.
In their first game since parting ways with coach Erik ten Hag, Man Utd played brilliantly. They had 57% possession, 23 shots with nine on target – compared to Leicester’s 16 and seven.
The home side led 2-0 after 28 minutes thanks to Casemiro’s superb curler into the far corner and Alejandro Garnacho’s tap-in. After Bilal El Khannous had reduced the gap, Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick hit defender James Justin and changed direction, restoring the two-goal lead.
Just three minutes later, Casemiro scored twice, with a header that bounced off the post and then smashed into the roof of Leicester’s net. The visitors pulled one back late in the first half with Conor Coady’s close-range strike, before Fernandes sealed a 5-2 win with a strike into an empty net in the second half.
“Man Utd scored some fantastic goals, with Casemiro’s opener a masterpiece,” said Van Nistelrooy. “But we were also lucky. The ball hit the post twice and fell to Casemiro, and Fernandes converted the free-kick.”
The Dutchman praised the team’s positive response and immediate attack after Leicester reduced the gap each time. The former Dutchman stressed that Man Utd deserved to win and was happy to give fans an evening of football in his first game in charge of the club.
According to Van Nistelrooy, Casemiro has received a lot of criticism since the 3-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Premier League on September 1 and this is unfair. The 48-year-old coach recalled that Casemiro had won five Champions Leagues with Real Madrid, was an example for the whole team, trained hard and played brilliantly against Leicester.
On October 29, the Portuguese club released a statement confirming that Man Utd had approached coach Ruben Amorim and agreed to pay $10.81 million in contract compensation. According to British media, Van Nistelrooy will leave Old Trafford once Amorim becomes the new coach of Man Utd.
But the former Dutch striker denied this news, emphasizing that he is ready to serve the new coach and continue to contribute to Man Utd. “I came here as an assistant to help the club, and now I will be the interim coach when needed,” Van Nistelrooy said. “I am here to help the club continue to build towards the future and that will never change.”
On November 3, Van Nistelrooy and his team will host Chelsea in round 10 of the Premier League and then play PAOK in round four of the Europa League on November 7.