• Anirudh Menon

Jan 5, 2026, 02:35 PM

Manchester United have gone through 10 managers, both short-term and permanent, since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson from the helm at Old Trafford.

The most recent, Ruben Amorim, was sacked on Monday after 14 months of poor performances and poorer results.

Club veteran and current Under-18s coach Darren Fletcher will take temporary charge of the team, and while the United board now has to decide on Amorim’s successor, we take a look at how the stints of these ten post-Fergie coaches went:

– Amorim sacked by Man United: Live updates and reaction
– Man United? Amorim barely competent for PL – Jamie Carragher
– Ruben Amorim sacked as Man United head coach

David Moyes (July 1, 2013 – April 22, 2014)

Games managed: 51 (27W 9D 15L)

Win rate: 53.94%

Trophies won: 1 (Community Shield)

‘The Chosen One’ was handpicked by Ferguson as his successor but struggled — big time — as United finished seventh and failed to qualify for Europe for the first time in two decades. He was sacked before the season ended. A tweet from the official account summed up his reign in a way nothing else has: “David Moyes says #mufc must improve in a number of areas, including passing, creating chances and defending.”

Ryan Giggs (caretaker, April 22, 2014 – May 11, 2014)

Games managed: 4 (2W 1D 1L)

Win rate: 50%

Trophies won: 0

Club legend Giggs, United’s appearance record holder (963) stepped up to take charge of the team for the final matches of the season. It was his first major coaching gig, and he’s since managed Wales for two years (2018-2020).

Louis van Gaal (July 16, 2014 – May 23, 2016)

Games managed: 103 (54W 25D 24L)

Win rate: 52.43%

Trophies won: 1 (FA Cup)

Van Gaal’s arrival was greeted with cheers 0- especially after how he and Robin van Persie (then at United) worked so well together in the 2014 World Cup — and his reign was marked with a high level of trust in the club academy’s youngsters (Marcus Rashford, anyone?). His pragmatic possession-based style and obsession with on-field shape and structure raised complaints of ‘boring football’ and some inconsistent football in the league. Despite United’s thrilling FA Cup win, he was sacked two days after lifting the trophy

Jose Mourinho (May 27, 2016 – Dec. 18, 2018)

Games managed: 144 (84W 32D 28L)

Win rate: 58.33%

Trophies Won: 3 (Europa League, League Cup, Community Shield)

‘The Special One’ brought with him that Mourinho winning mentality, and that saw them win the League Cup and the Europa League in his first season.

In his second, he took United to their highest finish in the league since Ferguson’s exit (second) but created the biggest headlines when he went on a 12-minute defence of his record in the Champions League with the club where he emphasised on “football heritage” or the lack thereof at United in the recent past. Also, in typical Mourinho style, things spiraled in the third season and as his relationship with both squad and board broke down, he was sacked after a tame 3-1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield. At that point they were 19 points off the top, their worst start to a season (then) since 1990.

Ole Gunnar Solksjaer (Dec. 19, 2018 – Nov. 21, 2021)

Games managed: 168 (91W 37D 40L)

Win rate: 54.17%

Trophies won: 0

Club legend Solskjaer got appointed as permanent manager after winning 14 of the 19 matches he was in charge as a caretaker for. Brought renewed optimism and hope to the club, with the team playing the best attacking football they’d seen since Ferguson’s departure. His teams scored 64 more goals than Mourinho’s, in just 14 more games. Finished third and second in the league in his two full seasons, reached several semifinals and a Europa League final. In the 2021-22 season, a string of poor results saw him sacked three months in.

Michael Carrick (Nov. 21, 2021 – Dec. 2, 2021)

Games managed: 3 (2W 1D 0L)

Win rate: 66.67%

Trophies won: 0

Part of Solskjaer’s coaching staff, the former United veteran spent two weeks in charge as caretaker where he beat Arsenal and Villarreal and drew against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Since then, he managed Middlesbrough from 2022 – 2025.

Ralf Rangnick (Dec. 3, 2021 – May 22, 2022)

Games managed: 29 (11W 10D 8L)

Win rate: 37.93%

Trophies won: 0

chart visualization

The godfather of ‘high pressing’ football oversaw a short stint marked by increasing dressing room tensions and underwhelming performances. Got sacked after finishing sixth in the league and lost out in the round-of-16 of the Champions League. Famously shot back at the squad by saying the club needed “open-heart surgery” to get back to the perch they’d been so clearly knocked off. (Incidentally, since Rangnick’s statement, United have signed 27 players and the perch has never been further away).

Erik ten Hag (May 23, 2022 – Oct. 28, 2024)

Games managed: 128 (70W 23D 35L)

Win rate: 54.69%

Trophies won: 2 (FA Cup, League Cup)

Ten Hag’s reign was marked with early optimism, with the Dutchman adapting his philosophies to United’s strengths, finishing third in the league and winning the League Cup in his debut season. His second saw him struggle as he became more rigid in his playing style, but a stunning win in the FA Cup final over Manchester City saw him enter a third season, despite finishing eight, their lowest finish (then) since the 1989-90 season. Performances continued dipping, and he was sacked after a string of poor results.

Ruud van Nistelrooy (Oct. 28 2024 – Nov. 10, 2024)

Games managed: 4 (3W 1D)

Win rate: 75%

Trophies won: 0

Another club great like the caretaker managers before him, van Nistelrooy steadied the ship after Ten Hag’s tailspin, as they played a solid 4-2-3-1 system which resulted in wins against PAOK, Leicester (twice, in the league and the League Cup) and a draw against Chelsea.

Went on to manage Leicester City, with whom he had an abysmal record and oversaw their relegation to the Championship.

Ruben Amorim (Nov. 10, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2026)

Games managed: 63 (25 W 15D 23L)

Win rate: 39.6%

Trophies won: 0

Amorim joined United with optimism amongst fans high after his exploits with Sporting Lisbon (including a recent 4-1 thumping of Manchester City), but from the get-go he warned fans that there would be plenty of “suffering”. And was there just. He led United to a 15th placed finish and lost to fellow league strugglers Tottenham Hotspur (17th that season) in the Europa League final. An inconsistent second season saw him maintain a poor win% — his average of 1.23 points per game is the lowest of any United manager on this list. He was sacked a day after an outburst against the management after a dour 1-1 draw with Leeds United.

The stats from his reign are extraordinarily bad, but so is everything else: from his treatment of Rashford to the humiliation of Grimsby.