MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 22: Ruben Amorim, Manager of Manchester United, acknowledges the fans prior to the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and AFC Bournemouth at Old Trafford on December 22, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
Ruben Amorim is seeking to extend Manchester United's incredible record on Boxing Day
Ruben Amorim will be hoping to become the seventh successive Manchester United boss to win his first Boxing Day game with the club.
Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag six weeks ago, but has endured a mixed start to his reign. While he recorded a win over fierce rivals Manchester City, United have fallen to a number of awful defeats and sit 13th in the Premier League table.
Following Sunday's dismal defeat to Bournemouth, Amorim has the chance to get his reign back on track when United travel to struggling Wolves on Thursday night. He can also extend an incredible record.
The 39-year-old is the sixth manager to follow in Sir Alex Ferguson's footsteps as United boss. All five previous replacements, plus Ferguson himself, enjoyed impressive success over the festive period.
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In fact, Ferguson started a run that has seen every United boss since he took charge win their first game to be held on Boxing Day. The run started when Ferguson led United to a 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield on 26 December 1986.
Since then, each of Ferguson's replacements have recorded victories on their first 26 December match. They have all also seen their side score three goals, adding to Amorim's challenge to live up to them.
After Ferguson, David Moyes led his Red Devils side to a 3-2 win away at Hull City on Boxing Day in 2013. Wayne Rooney inspired a comeback from two goals down, scoring once and assisting another.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 25: Sir Alex Ferguson looks on before the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 League Phase MD1 match between Manchester United and FC Twente at Old Trafford on September 25, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Sir Alex Ferguson started a run that has seen seven successive United managers win their first Boxing Day games
After Moyes came Louis van Gaal, with Rooney again man of the match as he scored twice and notched an assist in a 3-1 win over Newcastle. Jose Mourinho record a win by the same scoreline against Sunderland on 26 December 2016.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan's scorpion kick goal was the highlight, following strikes from Daley Blind and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Remarkably, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also led United to a 3-1 win on his first Boxing Day in charge in 2018 against Huddersfield Town.
To complete the run so far, Ten Hag led United to a 3-2 win over Aston Villa on his first Boxing Day in which his side played, in 2023. Amorim is now looking to extend the run, something he is confident of doing.
“I just want to win. I don’t care about Christmas, nothing. I’m just focused on we need to win the next match and that’s the only thing. It’s very good for the fans and we adapt," he said.
"We are privileged so we can play on Boxing Day too to give some happiness to the fans, and we want so bad to win another game. We have to solve some problems step by step, finding answers for everything, but it’s a very difficult moment."
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