Looking back at every season at Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to retire in 2013 ended an era. The legendary manager’s exit was the moment Manchester United fans feared, and the ensuing years have been worse than anybody predicted.
Ferguson won 13 titles during his time at United, and to date, the Red Devils have failed to add another one since.
The post-Ferguson era has seen multiple manager changes, more than £1.5 billion spent on players, with occasional cup success. It has been full of drama.
Following on from our all-encompassing breakdown of the Ferguson era from 1986 to 2013, here is our look back at everything to happen since…
David Moyes unveils Marouane Fellaini
Photo credit should read ANDREW YATES/AFP via Getty Images
2013/14
Incomings: Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata
Outgoings: Paul Scholes (retired), Fabio da Silva
David Moyes was welcomed by Manchester United fans with a ‘Chosen One’ banner, after being handed a six-year contract. He was handpicked by Sir Alex Ferguson, who pleaded with fans to get behind his replacement.
Moyes was not helped by the double-blow of Ferguson’s exit being combined with David Gill‘s departure as chief executive. Ed Woodward was Gill’s replacement, and he was a total novice in the football world.
A disastrous summer transfer window ensued, with United failing to sign targets Gareth Bale, Cesc Fabregas, Thiago Alcantara, and many others, before settling for Marouane Fellaini at the deadline.
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Meanwhile Moyes did not help himself by removing large parts of Ferguson’s coaching staff, and failing to grasp just how difficult the job at hand was. Several veteran stars were coming towards the end of their careers, and United struggled.
After finishing inside the top three for every season in the Premier League era until now, United finished in seventh place and Moyes did not even complete the season. He was fired and Ryan Giggs was placed in caretaker charge.
United did reach the Champions League quarter-finals, the furthest we have gone in the competition since Ferguson’s retirement, later matched five years on. A memorable second-round clash against Olympiakos saw Robin van Persie score a hat-trick to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 aggregate win.
Moyes later claimed he had lined up a move to sign Toni Kroos in 2014, which United did not complete. It might have been tempting in hindsight to have kept him on for this reason alone.
Veteran stars Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra all departed after the season, while Ryan Giggs’ retirement was confirmed. This was an unhappy season and rude awakening for a fanbase spoiled by Sir Alex Ferguson’s consistent success. There was a hope that this could be put down to a ‘freak season’ and quickly turned around with smart recruitment and a new world class manager.
Manager(s): David Moyes, Ryan Giggs (caretaker)
Position: 7th
FA Cup: Third round (Eliminated by Swansea City)
League Cup: Semi-finals (Eliminated by Sunderland)
Europe: Champions League quarter-finals (Eliminated by Bayern Munich)
Top scorer: Wayne Rooney (19)
Most appearances: David de Gea (47)
Points vs League average: 1.68 PPG vs 1.38
Trophy: Community Shield win vs Wigan
Season Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos
2013/14 38 19 7 12 64 43 64 7th
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Angel di Maria Press Conference after signing for Manchester United.
Photo by John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images
2014/15
Incomings: Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Angel di Maria, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Radamel Falcao (loan), Victor Valdes
Outgoings: Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Danny Welbeck, Anderson, Federico Macheda, Shinji Kagawa, Bebe, Wilfried Zaha, Alexander Buttner, Michael Keane
Louis van Gaal was appointed as David Moyes’ replacement, and he ticked all the boxes, as a manager with a proven track record of winning titles in multiple European leagues. Expectations rose sharply as his reputation rose with the Netherlands’ World Cup performances, and Van Gaal then came in to lead United to a 100 per cent win record in pre-season.
It was an active summer of comings and goings with Van Gaal putting his stamp on the squad, with Ed Woodward eager to make up for 2013 and make a splash in the transfer market. United broke a British transfer record with the signing of Angel di Maria.
The excitement and positivity was sapped with United losing 1-0 at home to Swansea City on the opening day of the season. A subsequent 4-0 defeat to MK Dons in the League Cup was a crushing low point, showing Van Gaal had a lot to learn about English football.
This early season result sped up activity in the transfer market, with United taking a punt on Radamel Falcao on loan and selling Danny Welbeck to Arsenal. Welbeck later scored a goal to knock Van Gaal’s United out of the FA Cup, and has continued to haunt United since.
United fans were impressed as the new signings clicked into gear with a strong away display to go 3-1 up against Leicester City, before a shock collapse to lose 5-3.
A rocky season ensued but there were signs of progress as Van Gaal rode a storm of injury problems by leaning on the academy, and went on to lead United to fourth place, qualifying for the Champions League.
Manager: Louis van Gaal
Position: 4th
FA Cup: Quarter-finals (Eliminated by Arsenal)
League Cup: Second round (Eliminated by MK Dons)
Europe: N/A (Did not qualify)
Top Scorer: Wayne Rooney (14)
Most Appearances: David de Gea (43)
Points vs. League average: 1.84 PPG vs 1.38
Season Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos
2014/15 38 20 10 8 62 37 70 4th
With Sir Alex Ferguson watching, David de Gea hands the FA Cup trophy to Louis van Gaal during the presentation ceremony after the Emirates FA Cup final match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium in 2016 in London, England.
Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images
2015/16
Incomings: Anthony Martial, Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin, Matteo Darmian, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sergio Romero
Outgoings: Angel di Maria, Nani, Jonny Evans, Rafael da Silva, Ander Lindegaard, Saidy Janko, Robin van Persie, Tom Cleverley
After doing the hard work in 2014/15 and qualifying for the Champions League, Louis van Gaal wasted the opportunity. United were dumped out in the group stages despite landing a fairly soft group with PSV, CSKA Moscow and Wolfsburg.
The campaign began badly with Luke Shaw sustaining a horrific leg break in the loss to PSV. United were finally eliminated with a 3-2 defeat to Wolfsburg. Van Gaal made the peculiar decision to give a rare chance to Nick Powell as a substitute to try to salvage the game.
United’s early Champions League elimination effectively sealed Van Gaal’s fate. United’s board began evaluating alternative options in late 2015 to prepare a managerial change at the end of the season.
It was a shame as 2015/16 had started promisingly. United did the domestic double over Liverpool, sparked by Anthony Martial’s electric goalscoring debut at Old Trafford.
United’s third place Champions League group finish gained us an exit route into the Europa League, where we faced Danish side FC Midtjylland. The tie is remembered for the second leg when an injury crisis prompted Van Gaal to give Marcus Rashford his debut. The teenager scored twice and launched a promising career.
Rashford netted two goals against Arsenal on his Premier League debut days later. Van Gaal’s willingness to turn to youth was one of his positive attributes.
The youngster also scored a winner away at City, but United finished in fifth place, outside of the Champions League places.
The Europa League adventure ended early too, with a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Liverpool.
There was more positive news with an FA Cup run, where Anthony Martial scored a dramatic last minute winner in the semi-final against Everton. United went on to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 in the Final after extra-time, with Jesse Lingard scoring the winner.
Winning the first trophy of the post-Ferguson era was not enough to save Van Gaal from the sack. But embarrassingly for United, Ed Woodward fired him hours after the Final.
Manager: Louis van Gaal
Position: 5th
FA Cup: Winners (Beat Crystal Palace 2–1 in the Final)
League Cup: Fourth round (Eliminated by Middlesbrough)
Europe: Champions League Group Stage / Europa League (Round of 16)
Top Scorer: Anthony Martial (17)
Most Appearances: Daley Blind (56)
Points vs. League average: 1.74 PPG vs 1.38
Season Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos
2015/16 38 19 9 10 49 35 66 5th
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UEFA Europa League"Ajax v Manchester United"
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2016/17
Incomings: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Outgoings: Morgan Schneiderlin, Memphis Depay, Will Keane, Paddy McNair, Donald Love
Another new era began with the appointment of Jose Mourinho, the manager who ran down the Old Trafford touchline with Porto 12 years earlier. A former rival with Chelsea, Mourinho finally had his chance to take on the biggest job in football.
Mourinho’s first signing was the spectacular free agent addition of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, while United broke the transfer record to re-sign former academy talent Paul Pogba for £89 million.
The results in Mourinho’s first month were impressive. It really looked like United had struck gold, starting off with three consecutive wins. His first defeat came against his old La Liga rival Pep Guardiola, slipping to a 2-1 home loss to City.
The wheels began to fall off with a dismal attacking performance in October in a 0-0 draw at Liverpool. Mourinho was heavily criticised for his style of football, while Pogba came under intense scrutiny from the media for a slow start.
United’s European adventure took a toll on the Premier League campaign. By the end, Mourinho had fully focused on qualifying for the Champions League by winning the Europa League. It was a gamble that paid off, with a 2-0 win over Ajax in the Final.
This was the second of two trophies United won in 2016/17 – although Mourinho will also claim that the Community Shield counts too. He led United to win the League Cup, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic powering the team to victory in the Final.
Zlatan was a big hit, scoring 28 goals before his season and United spell was ultimately cut short with a torn ACL. Wayne Rooney enjoyed a happy final season, breaking Sir Bobby Charlton’s goalscoring record and signing off with a trophy.
Manager: Jose Mourinho
Position: 6th
FA Cup: Quarter-finals (Eliminated by Chelsea)
League Cup: Winners (Beat Southampton 3–2 in the final)
Europe: Europa League Winners (Beat Ajax 2–0 in the final)
Top Scorer: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (28)
Most Appearances: Marcus Rashford (53)
Points vs. League average: 1.82 PPG vs. 1.41
Season Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos
2016/17 38 18 15 5 54 29 69 6th
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - Premier League
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2017/18
Incomings: Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matic, Victor Lindelof, Alexis Sanchez
Outgoings: Wayne Rooney, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Josh Harrop, Guillermo Varela, Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Wayne Rooney left United in summer of 2017, while Manchester United won a dramatic transfer chase to beat Chelsea to Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian made an instant impact. United won six of the first seven Premier League games, drawing the other.
United ended the season with the club’s highest points tally of the post-Ferguson era, 81 points, winning 25 of 36 games. The problem was that this was still nowhere near close enough to City, who were near faultless with 100 points, winning 32 of 38.
Mourinho’s league record looks better with history than it felt at the time. The real story of the season was the letdown in cup competitions.
United were dumped out of the Champions League at home to Sevilla at Old Trafford. The League Cup saw an embarrassing exit to Bristol City. There was a chance to salvage it all with the FA Cup Final, but United lost 1-0 to Chelsea.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was allowed to leave mid-season to join LA Galaxy after returning from injury. United would have been better off keeping him until the end of the season, especially with Lukaku not fit enough to start.
United gambled mid-season by signing Alexis Sanchez. It was supposed to be a transformative signing, but the Chilean looked lost from day one. It was unclear where he fitted in, and wherever he played, he struggled to perform.
Manager: Jose Mourinho
Position: 2nd
FA Cup: Runners-up (Lost 1–0 to Chelsea in the Final)
League Cup: Fifth Round (Eliminated by Bristol City)
Europe: Champions League (Round of 16) / UEFA Super Cup Runners-up
Top Scorer: Romelu Lukaku (27)
Most Appearances: David de Gea (46)
Points vs. League Average 2.13 PPG vs 1.41 PPG
Season Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos
2017/18 38 25 6 7 68 28 81 2nd
Paris Saint-Germain v Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: Second Leg
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2018/19
Incomings: Fred, Diogo Dalot, Lee Grant
Outgoings: Daley Blind, Sam Johnstone, Marouane Fellaini
After a promising second placed finish, United had a platform to build from. A disastrous summer transfer window left fans irritated and Jose Mourinho absolutely furious, with Fred and Diogo Dalot the two main additions to the squad. Mourinho’s unhappiness was evident during an ill-tempered pre-season tour.
Mourinho fell out with newly-crowned World Cup winner Paul Pogba, and it was a kind of mini-miracle that he survived until mid-December, eventually fired.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was a shock temporary replacement. He won his first eight Premier League games in a row, bringing an excitement back to the club that had been missing from large parts of the Mourinho era.
Following a stunning Champions League away goal victory against Paris Saint-Germain, Solskjaer was appointed on a permanent basis in March.
It was at this point that results began to trail off. The 4-0 defeat to Everton was a low point, while United were thrashed by the same scoreline against Barcelona on aggregate in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Manager(s): Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Interim, then permanent)
Position: 6th
FA Cup: Quarter-finals (Eliminated by Wolves)
League Cup: Third round (Eliminated by Derby County)
Europe: Champions League Quarter-finals (Eliminated by Barcelona)
Top Scorer: Paul Pogba (16)
Most Appearances: David de Gea (47)
Points vs. League Average 1.74 PPG vs. 1.38 PPG
Season Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos
2018/19 38 19 9 10 65 54 66 6th
Bruno Fernandes runs with the ball for Manchester United, 2020
Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
2019/20
Incomings: Dan James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Odion Ighalo, Nathan Bishop, Hannibal Mejbri
Outgoings: Romelu Lukaku, Matteo Darmian, Ander Herrera, Antonio Valencia, James Wilson
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was given a chance to reconstruct the squad in the summer and bought British, signing Dan James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire.
Mourinho had wanted to sign Maguire 12 months earlier but did not get his way. This time Ed Woodward splashed a staggering £80 million to make it happen. Maguire was instantly given the captaincy and impressed on his debut in a 4-0 win over Chelsea, in which James also scored.
United were competitive under Solskjaer but an injury to Paul Pogba in September left the team short on creativity. This was highlighted in a League Cup semi-final defeat to City. The club pushed to sign Bruno Fernandes from Sporting in January, who proved to be a shrewd addition.
Erling Haaland had also been targeted, but Woodward could not close the deal. The striker signed with Dortmund instead, and without a back-up plan, United ended up signing Odion Ighalo on loan.
Ighalo actually had a promising start along with Fernandes, before the season was halted in early March due to Covid, just after United had beaten City 2-0 at Old Trafford.
The season did not resume until June and continued through until August. By the time the league restarted, Pogba was fit again and struck up an impressive partnership with Fernandes. Another highlight saw Anthony Martial become the first United player to score a hat-trick since Van Persie in 2014.
The front three of Martial, Rashford and Greenwood scored 62 goals in all competitions, more than Liverpool’s trio of Mane, Salah and Firmino. United went on to finish in third place and seal a Champions League place.
Despite this positivity, it was a season of near-misses, with United losing two more semi-finals. Sergio Romero was the unluckiest player in the squad, dropped for all three cup exits, after having helped United get to that stage in three competitions.
Manager: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Position: 3rd (Qualified for Champions League)
FA Cup: Semi-finals (Eliminated by Chelsea)
League Cup: Semi-finals (Eliminated by Manchester City)
Europe: Europa League semi-finals (Eliminated by Sevilla)
Top Scorer: Anthony Martial (23)
Most Appearances: Harry Maguire (55)
Points vs. League Average: 1.74 PPG vs. League average 1.38 PPG
Season Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos
2019/20 38 18 12 8 66 36 66 3rd
AS Roma v Manchester United - UEFA Europa League Semi Final: Leg Two
Photo by Tullio Puglia – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
2020/21
Incomings: Donny van de Beek, Alex Telles, Amad, Facundo Pellistri, Edinson Cavani, Willy Kambwala
Outgoings: Chris Smalling, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Ashley Young, Angel Gomes, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Marcos Rojo, Alexis Sanchez
The 2020/21 season got off to an awful start, with United losing 3-1 at home to Crystal Palace and 6-1 to Tottenham. This sparked a late flurry of deadline day activity, as the only signing prior to then had been Donny van de Beek. A free agent pick-up of Edinson Cavani played a key role in turning the season around.
By mid-January, United had reached the top of the Premier League, a brief moment of hope, which was quickly popped with a 2-1 loss at home to Sheffield United.
The Champions League campaign was a big disappointment despite a perfect start with a 2-1 win away at PSG and a 5-0 win over RB Leipzig. United then lost three of the next four games including an away defeat to minnows Istanbul Basaksehir, with some farcical defending.
In the league United did manage to finish in second place, with a 9-0 win over Southampton a highlight.
United were not helped by the club’s intent to join the European Super League, sparking fan protests that saw an outpouring of anger towards the Glazers. This saw the fixture against Liverpool postponed, while Ed Woodward resigned in the wake of the shameful saga.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finally shook off his semi-final curse with a spectacular two-legged Europa League win over Roma that set up a final against Villarreal. United were favourites to win the trophy and blew it, drawing 1-1, leading to penalties.
The shootout was a disaster despite the fact United scored 10 straight penalties. David de Gea conceded 11, and then missed his own. It was a low moment, with the defeat making it four consecutive seasons without silverware.
Manager: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Position: 2nd
FA Cup: Quarter-finals (Eliminated by Leicester City)
League Cup: Semi-finals (Eliminated by Manchester City)
Europe: Champions League Group stage / Europa League Runners-up (Lost on penalties to Villarreal)
Top Scorer: Bruno Fernandes (28)
Most Appearances: Bruno Fernandes (58)
Points vs. League average: 1.95 PPG vs. 1.38
Season Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos
2020/21 38 21 11 6 73 44 74 2nd
Atalanta v Manchester United: Group F - UEFA Champions League
Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images
2021/22
Incomings: Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane, Tom Heaton, Cristiano Ronaldo
Outgoings: Dan James, Joel Pereira, Sergio Romero
Manchester United entered the 2021/22 season with a plan to compete for the title and began the transfer window with a big move for Jadon Sancho. A subsequent deal for Raphael Varane raised expectations, and the team began the season with a crushing 5-1 win over Leeds, with Bruno Fernandes scoring a hat-trick.
United’s plans were thrown through a loop amid claims Cristiano Ronaldo was close to joining City. The club acted swiftly to hijack the deal and seal a spectacular homecoming for the former Ballon d’Or winning who left the club for a record fee in 2009.
Ronaldo scored on his second debut in a 4-1 win over Newcastle on a memorable day at Old Trafford. It felt like the start of a new era.
The season fell apart soon after, despite late Ronaldo winners in the Champions League against Villarreal and Atalanta.
A poor run of domestic form saw United lose 2-0 at home to City and 5-0 to Liverpool, and a 4-1 defeat to Watford was the final straw. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired, with United failing to live up to expectations.
The problems were blamed on Ronaldo unsettling the squad and while there was truth to that, new signing Jadon Sancho was totally ineffective and the money would have been far better spent on a central midfielder. United were destined to fail under Solskjaer, with Ronaldo just speeding up the process.
After an impressive three-game caretaker stretch from Michael Carrick, German coach Ralf Rangnick was hired on an interim basis until the end of the season, amid a plan for him to become a strategic consultant for the club afterwards.
Rangnick struggled to deal with a disengaged squad that struggled to adapt to his coaches and playing style. United decided not to invest in the transfer window despite Rangnick suggesting multiple targets.
Mason Greenwood’s arrest cast a cloud over the team, while United were subsequently knocked out of the FA Cup and Champions League with limp home defeats to Middlesbrough and Atletico Madrid.
The team limped to the end of the season with some awful results including a 4-0 loss away at Brighton.
A clearout followed at the end of the season, with Rangnick leaving the club to take up a managerial role with Austria, with plans for a consultancy role cut short.
Manager(s): Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick (caretaker), Ralf Rangnick (interim)
Position: 6th
FA Cup: Fourth Round (Eliminated by Middlesbrough)
League Cup: Third Round (Eliminated by West Ham)
Europe: Champions League (Round of 16)
Top Scorer: Cristiano Ronaldo (24)
Most Appearances: David de Gea and Bruno Fernandes (46)
Points vs. League average: 1.53 PPG vs. 1.38
Season Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos
2021/22 38 16 10 12 57 57 58 6th
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Cristiano Ronaldo 2021/22 graphic
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Manchester United v Newcastle United - Carabao Cup Final
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2022/23
Incomings: Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen, Casemiro, Antony, Martin Dubravka (loan), Jack Butland (loan), Wout Weghorst (loan), Marcel Sabitzer (loan)
Outgoings: Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Lee Grant, Nemanja Matic, Dylan Levitt, James Garner, Tahith Chong, Andreas Pereira
Erik ten Hag was hired from Ajax, and he inherited an unhappy Cristiano Ronaldo, who did not travel on pre-season tour and expressed a desire to leave the club. United decided to keep him around.
The season began disastrously with a 2-1 loss to Brighton and a 4-0 hammering at Brentford. United then began to turn it around with a 2-1 win over Liverpool.
2022/23 was a season with major highs and crushing lows. New signing Casemiro made a big impact as United picked up form ahead of the World Cup break in November, with young talent Alejandro Garnacho also beginning to break through.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract was terminated by mutual consent in November after he expressed his frustrations with the club in a tell-all interview.
After the World Cup, United went on a nine-game win streak that included a home victory over City. A spectacular February saw United knock Barcelona out of the Europa League, and win the Carabao Cup with a 2-0 win over Newcastle. It was the club’s first trophy in six years.
United came crashing back down with a bang with a humiliating 7-0 loss away at Liverpool. Injuries began to stack up as the team were eliminated from the Europa League by Sevilla, and lost the FA Cup Final to City, with a mistake from David de Gea becoming his final act for the club.
Manager: Erik ten Hag
Position: 3rd
FA Cup: Runners-up (Lost 2–1 to City in the Final)
League Cup: Winners (Beat Newcastle 2–0 in the Final)
Europe: Europa League Quarter-finals (Eliminated by Sevilla)
Top Scorer: Marcus Rashford (30)
Most Appearances: Bruno Fernandes (59)
Points vs. League average 1.97 PPG vs. 1.38 PPG
Season Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos
2022/23 38 23 6 9 58 43 75 3rd
Manchester City v Manchester United - Emirates FA Cup Final
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2023/24
Incomings: Mason Mount, Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund, Altay Bayindir, Sofyan Amrabat (loan), Sergio Reguilon (loan)
Outgoings: David de Gea, Zidane Iqbal, Nathan Bishop, Ethan Laird, Fred, Anthony Elanga, Alex Telles, Matej Kovar, Dean Henderson, Noam Emeran, Eric Bailly, Marc Jurado
Erik ten Hag continued to put his own stamp on the squad with a transfer window that is now regarded as a waste of £120 million.
While the decision to remove David de Gea was correct, and quite badly handled, Andre Onana was a terrible choice of replacement. United overpaid for Rasmus Hojlund and Mason Mount has struggled with injuries ever since joining.
Onana’s mistake-laden form saw him almost single-handedly eliminate United in the Champions League group stages. His errors against Bayern Munich and in both games against Galatasaray led to United finishing bottom of the group.
There were positive moments in the campaign, with Alejandro Garnacho’s spectacular bicycle kick against Everton going on to win the Puskas Award. The same game saw Kobbie Mainoo make his first ever Premier League start, bouncing back from an injury sustained against Real Madrid in pre-season.
Mainoo was a necessary beacon of positivity in United’s midfield with Casemiro enduring an awful second season at the club. Ten Hag clashed with Jadon Sancho early in the season, effectively ending the winger’s United career. And after a promising debut season, big money signing Antony also struggled with issues on and off the pitch.
The real tale of the 2023/24 season was injuries, with the defence particularly badly hit. United played the entire season without a proper left-back, with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia missing most of the campaign. At centre-back United lined up with Casemiro and a re-signed Jonny Evans against Crystal Palace, and were hammered 4-0.
The FA Cup was United’s saving grace. In the semi-finals United blew a 3-0 lead against Coventry City, who forced penalties. Coventry scored an extra-time winner but it was ruled out due to VAR. United went through in the shootout, a rare bright spot for Andre Onana.
In the Final, United were underdogs against City, and went on to win 2-1. Early goals from youngsters Garnacho and Mainoo led a memorable victory, with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane returning from injury just in time.
It made up for a dour league campaign where United finished in eighth place, the lowest placing in the post-Ferguson era, so far.
Off the pitch, new investors Ineos took over football operations in December 2023 after winning a lengthy ‘takeover’ battle that had dragged on for 13 months.
Manager: Erik ten Hag
Position: 8th
FA Cup: Winners (Beat City 2–1 in the final)
League Cup: Fourth Round (Eliminated by Newcastle)
Europe: Champions League Group Stage
Top Scorer: Rasmus Hojlund (16)
Most Appearances: Andre Onana (51)
Points vs. League average: 1.58 PPG vs. 1.38
Season Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos
2023/24 38 18 6 14 57 58 60 8th
Ruben Amorim, the head coach of Manchester United, looks dejected at the end of the 2024/2025 Europa League final football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at San Mames Stadium.
Photo by Cesare Purini/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images
2024/25
Incomings: Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Sekou Kone, Patrick Dorgu, Chido Obi, Ayden Heaven
Outgoings: Anthony Martial, Raphael Varane, Brandon Williams, Charlie McNeill, Willy Kambwala, Alvaro Fernandez, Mason Greenwood, Donny van de Beek, Maxi Oyedele, Will Fish, Facundo Pellistri, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Hannibal Mejbri
Ineos debated sacking Erik ten Hag after the FA Cup Final, having been tipped to do so if United lost. The win gave him a reprieve, backed by two trophies in two seasons. It was time to see what the Dutchman could do with Ineos’ help.
Early into the 2024/25 season nothing had changed for the better, and Erik ten Hag was fired in late October with United in the bottom half of the Premier League table. Ruud van Nistelrooy took over for a four-game interim spell, winning three and drawing one.
Ineos decided to appoint Sporting boss Ruben Amorim, persuading him to join mid-season. It was a choice that exposed some splits in the boardroom, and newly appointed director of football Dan Ashworth departed his role after just five months.
Amorim brought a new way of playing with his 3-4-2-1 formation. It required a big re-adjustment and the players struggled right away. Amorim began with a 1-1 draw against relegation-bound Ipswich, before losing six games in all competitions in December alone.
He fell out with Marcus Rashford almost immediately, who was sent on loan to Aston Villa. Alejandro Garnacho endured a slower fall from grace, unable to fit properly into Amorim’s system despite making more appearances than any other player. He was given a chance but failed to produce.
United finished the league in an embarrassing new low, finishing in 15th place, averaging just 1.11 points per game. Each and every week became a tougher watch.
The exception was the Europa League, where United were the only team to make it through the new group phase with an unbeaten record. In the knockouts, United swept aside all opposition, with Fernandes bagging a hat-trick against Real Sociedad.
The highlight was a dramatic 5-4 comeback win over Lyon that saw Harry Maguire send Old Trafford wild with a winner in the 120th minute.
A semi-final win over Athletic Club set up a final against Tottenham, who had already beaten Ruben Amorim twice. The head coach’s struggles against English opposition continued as United lost the Final with a 1-0 defeat, delivering a flat performance to miss out on a trophy and Champions League qualification. Silverware could have offset the poor league record, but the defeat meant this was the worst season for United in recent memory.
Manager: Erik ten Hag / Ruud van Nistelrooy (caretaker) / Ruben Amorim
Position: 15th
FA Cup: Fifth Round (Eliminated by Fulham on penalties)
League Cup: Quarter-finals (Eliminated by Tottenham)
Europe: Europa League runners-up (Lost 1–0 to Tottenham in the Final)
Top Scorer: Bruno Fernandes (19)
Most Appearances: Alejandro Garnacho (58)
Points vs. League average: 1.11 PPG vs. 1.38
Season Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos
2024/25 38 11 9 18 44 54 42 15th
Who is Manchester United’s best manager since Sir Alex Ferguson?
2025/26
Another season, another managerial change. Ruben Amorim was fired in January 2026 and replaced with Michael Carrick until the end of the season.
Full round-up to come at the end of the current season.
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