Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired as Manchester United manager in 2013, seven men have had a crack at replacing the legendary manager.
Ferguson won 38 major trophies during his 27 years at the club, a tally that dwarfs the five won in the subsequent 12-year period.
With that in mind, we look at the statistics for United’s most recent managers, before delving deeper into how they performed at the club.
Dates P W D L Win % Trophies
David Moyes Jun 13 – Apr 14 51 27 9 15 52.9% 0
Louis van Gaal May 14 – May 16 103 54 25 24 52.4% 1
Jose Mourinho May 16 – Dec 18 144 84 32 28 58.3% 2
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Dec 18 – Nov 21 168 91 37 40 54.2% 0
Ralf Rangnick Dec 21 – May 22 29 11 10 8 37.9% 0
Erik ten Hag Jul 22 – Nov 24 128 70 23 35 54.7% 2
Ruben Amorim Nov 24 – present 42 17 8 17 40.5% 0
Ferguson hand-picked David Moyes as his ideal successor at Old Trafford, but he lasted just ten months in the role despite being handed a six-year contract.
Following in his compatriot’s footsteps was never going to be an easy task, and it can be argued that she should have been given more time by the club.
Moyes ultimately paid the price for United’s failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1995. Ryan Giggs served as player/manager for the final four games.
The former Everton manager’s 52.9 percent win percentage did not stack up well against the 59.7% Ferguson recorded while he was in charge.
Moyes was scarred by his short tenure with United, and subsequently failed to deliver what was expected while in charge of Real Sociedad and Sunderland.
However, he eventually restored his reputation at West Ham United, guiding them to the 2022/23 Europa League Conference title.
Moyes has since returned for a second stint at Everton and helped the club surge clear of the relegation zone with an impressive run of form in the second half of last season.
Louis van Gaal was an unusual choice of manager for a club renowned for its swashbuckling style of play under Ferguson and previous managers.
The Dutchman won the FA Cup in his second and final season with the club, but missing out on Champions League qualification forced the club to act.
Van Gaal had gradually become more pragmatic during his managerial career, and the style of football he implemented at United was turgid.
The Red Devils scored just 49 Premier League goals in his second season, just one more than Blackburn Rovers netted when they were relegated in 2011/12.
They recorded a negative goal difference away from home in each of his two seasons in charge, a record which attracted criticism from numerous pundits.
Several former players claimed the squad were afraid to express themselves under Van Gaal, who seemed unwilling to embrace the entertainment culture at United.
Van Gaal’s win percentage was marginally worse than Moyes’ record, and his dismissal in May 2016 was unsurprising despite the team’s FA Cup success.
Jose Mourinho’s defensive style also made him a questionable choice for United, but he ultimately delivered a modicum of success at the club.
The Portuguese manager had previously built up a reputation for success during spells with Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
He guided the team to a League Cup and Europa League double in 2016/17, before securing a second-place finish in the Premier League in his second season.
Many fans were unenamoured with his style of play, while his abrasive personality inevitably triggered issues behind the scenes at Old Trafford.
An inevitable fall-out with midfielder Paul Pogba did not help matters, although subsequent developments have shown that Mourinho was on the right side of the argument.
Mourinho was sacked in December 2018 after two and a half years in charge, with the Red Devils sixth in the Premier League, 19 points behind leaders Liverpool.
However, he was undoubtedly the best manager United have had since Ferguson’s retirement and may well have turned things around if he had been given the chance.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lifted the mood at Old Trafford after initially taking charge on a caretaker basis, winning 14 out of 19 games to earn the job permanently.
United finished third in 2019/20 and second the following year, sparking talk that Solskjaer could become the first United manager to win the league title since Ferguson.
However, the Norwegian was sacked in November 2021 with the club seventh in the table, 12 points behind leaders Chelsea.
Dismal defeats against Liverpool and Manchester City did not help Solskjaer’s cause, while doubts about his lack of tactical acumen were also concerning.
Ex-United captain Roy Keane blamed the players for his former teammate’s sacking, saying they ‘threw him under the bus’ due to their lack of effort.
He had previously predicted the players would cost Solskjaer his job, and his prophecy came true after a dismal 4-1 defeat at Watford.
Many of the problems highlighted by Keane have persisted under United’s next three managers, each of whom has failed to resolve the underlying issues.
Ralf Rangnick was appointed as interim boss with the intention of transitioning into a two-year consultancy role, but things did not go according to plan.
He guided the club to a sixth-place finish with their lowest Premier League points tally of 58 (at the time), before exiting to focus on his new role as Austria manager.
His previous work with the Red Bull group and Hoffenheim established Rangnick’s reputation as a forward-thinking coach, but he failed badly at United.
The German gave too much leeway to Cristiano Ronaldo, who was unable to fulfil his high-intensity tactical demands in the twilight of his career.
One of the most significant plus points from the German’s time in charge was his willingness to be transparent about the size of the task at United.
He was open with the media about problems behind the scenes, and his views ultimately vindicated the fans who had become increasingly unhappy with the club’s direction.
A record of just 11 wins in 29 games was not good enough for United, but Rangnick’s comments ultimately sparked change at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag’s appointment by United in 2022 looked to be a shrewd move given the success he enjoyed with Ajax in the Eredivisie.
He ended the club’s six-year wait for a major trophy when they lifted the Carabao Cup in his first season and followed up by winning the FA Cup in his second year in charge.
However, injuries scuppered United’s hopes in the Premier League, while an early exit from the Champions League sparked concern around the club.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival as co-owner in 2024 ramped up speculation about Ten Hag’s future, but the club decided to stick with him after he guided them to a second trophy.
However, the Red Devils made a dismal start to the 2024/25 campaign and were 14th in the Premier League when Ten Hag was eventually sacked.
Ruben Amorim was United’s seventh permanent managerial appointment after Ferguson’s retirement when he arrived in November 2024, and things have not gone according to plan.
After establishing Sporting CP as one of the most attractive teams in Europe, Amorim was tasked with implementing his style of play at United.
Despite having a squad which was unsuited to his 3-4-1-2 system, the Portuguese manager stayed true to his principles throughout last season.
Results in the Premier League failed to improve, and the Red Devils ultimately posted their worst ever finish since the English top flight rebranded in 1992.
Amorim had more success in the Europa League, guiding United to the final in Bilbao. However, they came up short against Tottenham Hotspur.
United are now in the midst of assembling a squad capable of implementing Amorim’s tactical demands and firing the club back up the standings.
The former Sporting boss has taken a ruthless approach with several underperforming players, who have been told they are no longer wanted at Old Trafford.
Mattheus Cunha’s arrival from Wolverhampton Wanderers was an early statement of intent, and more new signings are on the cards this summer.
The club will not tolerate another mediocre season, and Amorim needs his 3-4-2-1 set-up to deliver the goods from the outset this season.
Amorim has shown similar steely-eyed traits to Ferguson during his first few months in charge and will be desperate for his methods to pay dividends.
There is a sense that United are not far away from having a team that can return to the upper echelons of the Premier League.
However, that would only be the first step along the road to redemption for a club that had become accustomed to sustained success under Ferguson.