"Give Craig Bellamy a chance" - Next steps for Burnley after Ruud van Nistelrooy snub | OneFootball

Burnley's search for a new manager has taken another twist after it was revealed that Ruud van Nistelrooy is set for a coaching role with Man Utd.

Burnley’s lengthy managerial search took another twist as it was revealed that candidate Ruud van Nistelrooy looks set to join the Man Utd coaching staff.

The Clarets were relegated from the Premier League last season, but the board had planned to keep faith with boss Vincent Kompany, who has won promotion from the Championship in the past.

Yet, in a move that shocked the football world, the former Man City player was named as the Bayern Munich head coach, leaving Burnley in a position where they need to find his successor.

Ruud van Nistelrooy poised to join Man Utd

A host of names have been linked with the vacancy in recent weeks, and reports have claimed that van Nistelrooy was a target for Burnley.

The Dutchman has been out of work since leaving PSV, where he won a cup, and he was a contender to land the top job at Turf Moor.

But, he is now expected to link up with Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, with Fabrizio Romano stating that talks are ‘advancing fast’ between the parties.

Burnley should turn to Craig Bellamy

That’s a blow for Burnley, and it means they have to look elsewhere for the next manager. So, who should they appoint? Here our writers share their thoughts…

Chris Gallagher

I think they should give Craig Bellamy a chance.

On paper, he doesn’t have the CV of someone like Carlos Corberan, who has taken two teams to a play-off final, with limited resources. So, I understand why some fans would prefer the club to take a safer route with someone like the Spaniard.

However, the one advantage that Bellamy has over all of his competitors for this job is that he knows the players, having spent the past two years with them.

Furthermore, they were on the right path under Vincent Kompany. Yes, relegation was a disappointment, and there’s no doubt that the Belgian made some mistakes.

But, in terms of the overall approach, Burnley have done a lot right under Kompany. They’ve built a young, exciting squad, who have a clear way of playing - so it’s not like they need to rip it all up and to start again.

And, Bellamy has been part of that, and he shares a similar outlook on how the game should be played to Kompany, so it would be a natural transition.

As well as that, it feels like the right time for the ex-Liverpool player. He will be desperate to prove himself as the main man, and he has the hunger and determination to succeed.

Of course, it would be a risky move due to his lack of experience as a manager, but I think it’s one that would bring some continuity, and to build on the positive strides that have been made in the past few years.

Alfie Burns

Burnley should be looking to give Bellamy the job of building on the foundations that Kompany has laid at Turf Moor.

You can understand Burnley chasing a "name" or someone with EFL promotion experience ahead of their Championship return, yet there's a lot to be said for continuity at a football club and Bellamy can offer the Clarets that.

He was part of Kompany's coaching staff during a largely successful period and the club should be looking to chip into that to avoid a complete restart back in the Championship.

There are good coaches still kicking around at Burnley that can support Bellamy internally, given his lack of experience.

Burnley can probably afford to take a little bit of a risk, too. They are going to have a really strong squad at the start of the season and, if by October, things aren't working out, it's not too late to make a change and target a new man. The Championship is unforgiving, but so early in the season, there would be time to turn things around still.

It's a risk in some ways, but in so many other ways it makes complete sense just to turn to Kompany's assistant and give Bellamy a shot. The players are familiar with him, there can be a transition post-Kompany with little disruption and, as an individual, he's clearly very highly motivated to be a success.