Every Man Utd Manager Since Sir Alex Ferguson—Ranked

Ruben Amorim has some competition for the status of Man Utd’s worst manager since Sir Alex Ferguson.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s shadow continues to loom large over the Old Trafford dugout. / VI Images/Robbie Jay Barratt-AMA/John Peters/Manchester United/James Gill-Danehouse/James Baylis-AMA/Ash Donelon/OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images

Poisoned chalices haven’t come much more toxic than the Manchester United hot seat since the departure of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Chasing the impossible high of replicating the Scotsman’s incredible trophy-laden 26 years at Old Trafford is an unenviable task for any coach. Even emulating a modicum of that success is an almighty challenge and one that has proven too titanic for many of his successors.

Six managers have been permanently appointed to the post since Ferguson’s retirement back in 2013 and none have been unequivocal successes in Manchester. Even the peaks have come with devastating lows as a fallen giant descends deeper into the mire.

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Ruben Amorim is the latest to have suffered in the Old Trafford dugout under the weight of unwavering pressure and strict instructions from the higher-ups. Following his dismissal, the Red Devils find themselves back at square one.

With that in mind, here is a ranking of all United’s managers post-Ferguson—excluding caretakers and interim coaches.

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6. Ruben Amorim

Ruben Amorim endured a disastrous 14-month reign. / MB Media/Getty Images

Games Managed: 63
Win Percentage: 39.68%
Trophies Won: 0

A win rate of just below 40%, a lowest-ever Premier League finish and zero trophies won during his 14-month spell at United says it all really. Ruben Amorim’s tenure was a complete and utter disaster.

Amorim’s tactical inflexibility and outspoken nature ensured that success was essential for supporters to jump on board and while the mess he inherited earned him some sympathy amid the overwhelming struggles, patience eventually wore thin.

Both performances and results were truly woeful under Amorim’s watch and the Portuguese coach can have few complaints over his dismissal. In fact, he probably lasted longer than he should have at Old Trafford.

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5. David Moyes

David Moyes didn’t even last a full season. / CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty Images

Games Managed: 51
Win Percentage: 50.98%
Trophies Won: 1

‘The Chosen One’ was less Anakin Skywalker and more Jar Jar Binks as David Moyes failed to even see out his debut season as Ferguson’s immediate successor. Handpicked by his retiring compatriot after many years of solid service at Everton, things went terribly wrong for Moyes from the get-go.

The Community Shield triumph over Wigan Athletic, then of the Championship, was expected, but it was all downhill from there. A shocking Premier League campaign mixed with disastrous cup exits to Sunderland and Swansea City eventually resulted in the boot for Moyes, who didn’t even make it to May.

Ryan Giggs finished the 2013–14 season as interim boss as United stumbled to a seventh-place Premier League finish—their lowest in the competition’s history at the time.

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4. Erik ten Hag

Erik ten Hag was derided during his tenure. / Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Games Managed: 128
Win Percentage: 56.25%
Trophies Won: 2

Erik ten Hag’s tally of two trophies—the Carabao Cup and FA Cup—make him the second-most successful United manager since Ferguson on paper. However, as goes the common adage, football isn’t played on paper.

A third-place Premier League finish and appearance in both domestic cup finals during his debut season offered hope that the Dutchman could bring long-term success to Manchester, but second-season syndrome obliterated United’s dreams as performances nosedived and results followed.

Surprise success in the FA Cup was the only saving grace for Ten Hag as an eighth-place Premier League finish and horrific European campaign shunted him towards the exit door. Despite surviving the summer, Ten Hag was unceremoniously dumped just a few months into the 2024–25 season.

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3. Louis van Gaal

Louis van Gaal managed over a century of matches for United. / IMAGO/Newscom World

Games Managed: 103
Win Percentage: 52.43%
Trophies Won: 1

Louis van Gaal certainly boasted the experience to carry United to glory when he became their first non-British manager in 2014, but an awful start to his reign hinted at things to come. He won just one of his first five Premier League games and suffered an abysmal 4–0 League Cup second round defeat to MK Dons.

Improvements were made during the remainder of his debut campaign and Van Gaal’s men snuck into fourth spot to clinch their Champions League return, but European performances would become the stick used to beat the Dutchman the following term.

A group-stage exit in which United were outperformed by PSV Eindhoven and Wolfsburg characterised a dreadful season, United also exiting the League Cup early and finishing just fifth in the league. Despite an FA Cup triumph in which United squeezed past Crystal Palace in the final, Van Gaal was unsurprisingly sacked.

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2. Ole Gunnar Solskjær

Ole Gunnar Solskjær remains a United legend. / SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP/Getty Images

Games Managed: 168
Win Percentage: 54.76%
Trophies Won: 0

Vibes have become increasingly important in modern football. The general atmosphere and feeling within a club and its fanbase can be make-or-break for the higher-ups, with United experts at vibe management during the Ole Gunnar Solskjær era. Who needs trophies as long as you’re all having a jolly old time?

There were plenty of stellar moments during the Norwegian’s reign: a famous European comeback at Paris Saint-Germain, several high-profile wins over rivals Manchester City and a record-equalling 9–0 victory over Southampton. But there was always an acceptance that Solskjær would never return United to their perch.

Poor patches of form were never far from view, even if Solskjær’s ability to swing big matches allowed supporters to forget the misery that came before. With the iconic former striker unable to deliver any silverware, he was eventually given his marching orders, but at least there were some great days to balance out the disasters.

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1. José Mourinho

United won two major trophies under José Mourinho. / Plumb Images/Leicester City FC/Getty Images

Games Managed: 144
Win Percentage: 58.33%
Trophies Won: 3

The appointment of José Mourinho marked the arrival of a proven Premier League and Champions League winner whose no-nonsense approach would help remedy United’s issues. While the ex-Real Madrid and Chelsea coach encountered his fair share of problems and subjected Old Trafford to some dire football, he did make good on his promise to deliver titles.

Winning the Community Shield, League Cup and Europa League in his debut season made up for underperformance in the Premier League as United finished sixth, but the pendulum swung in his second term. Disappointment in the cups was contrasted by a second-place Premier League finish behind only centurions Man City, which Mourinho has described as his “greatest achievement”.

However, the fiery Portuguese coach was unable to deliver success on the domestic or European front early in the 2018–19 season and as relationships became increasingly tense, Mourinho was dismissed in December.

Looking back through rose-tinted spectacles, his time at the club wasn’t too bad ... right?

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