Fans of Manchester United were excited to see how the club's new Portuguese head coach Ruben Amorim would change the club when he took over. However, in the middle of all the excitement, a crucial decision that could prove costly was the departure of Jelle Ten Rouwelaar, a well-known goalkeeping coach. Van Nistelrooy, a club legend, has pointed out what he considers a significant mistake Manchester United made.
Why Ten Rouwelaar Matters
Jelle ten Rouwelaar's exit from Manchester United has proven to be a costly move for the club. One of the major reasons Ten Rouwelaar's exit was so expensive is his direct impact on the team's goalkeeping position. During his tenure, Andre Onana has emerged as one of the league's top performers, with some exceptional performances. However, when Amorim arrived in Manchester, he was left out. Later, he joined Leicester City.
Van Nistelrooy, who is now in charge of Leicester City, is thrilled to have Ten Rouwelaar on his coaching team. When asked why he chose to bring him to Leicester, he said ( via The Mirror)
"He’s not only improving the goalkeepers and playing out, but the players around the keeper to do better. Of course, you need everyone to be involved in playing out from the back, and that whole process he’s great at."
He added:
"He (Ten Rouwelaar) will make Mads better for sure. He’s worked with young talented goalkeepers and made them improve into the highest level. [Bart] Verbruggen is one of course, who he worked with at Anderlecht. He worked with Onana at United and I think he was in the best form of his life in the months he worked with Jelle."
At United, Ruben Amorim has replaced Ten Rouwelaar with Jorge Vital. Vital has worked with Amorim for a long time, but it's still not clear if his methods fit with United's changing needs. Based on what Van Nistelrooy said, his decision to part ways with Ten Rouwelaar may have been premature.
Since Amorim hired his own coaching staffs, the players will have to quickly get used to the new ways of training. Leicester is getting the benefits of Ten Rouwelaar’s expertise, which may make United fans wonder: did the club lose an essential asset in their search for change?