Man Utd’s Interim and Caretaker Managers—Ranked

The Red Devils have often looked for temporary help while transitioning between permanent bosses.

Ruud van Nistelrooy and Michael Carrick have both been in temporary charge of Manchester United. / IMAGO/Action Plus, PA Images

Manchester United’s roll call of managers stretches over 130 years, dating back to the club’s formative years as Newton Heath in the 1880s.

That was a time when management was secretarial and team selection was by committee—a complete contrast to how the modern game operates. Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson are the most prominent figures to have been in charge of England’s biggest club, with the latter in particular enjoying phenomenal success during a storied 27-year tenure.

Things haven’t been so straightforward since Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. A raft of managers have been and gone, often sacked after failing to deliver the results expected, and there’s been a steep increase in the appointments of interim or caretaker bosses.

Here, Sports Illustrated ranks the performance of the six to have been put in temporary charge of United, tasked with allowing for the most seamless transition possible to a new dawn.

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6. Ralf Rangnick

Things weren’t set up for Ralf Rangnick to be successful. / Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Games: 29
Win percentage: 38%

Ralf Rangnick joined United in December 2021 with a global reputation as a club builder. He played a huge role in Hoffenheim’s ascent up the German football ladder but was most noted for his role as director of football for both Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig and later head of sport and development for Red Bull’s worldwide football operations—similar to Jürgen Klopp’s role with the energy drink conglomerate.

Rangnick, who subsequently had success with the Austria national team, is credited as the father of modern German gegenpressing, the style of football particularly popularised by Klopp.

But his appointment at Old Trafford, which came with the intention of staying on as a consultant that never happened, was the wrong thing at the wrong time. The coaching veteran didn’t have enough time to implement the kind of methods that he’d previously had success with and inherited a squad not built for it.

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5. Ryan Giggs

Ryan Giggs was placed in charge in April 2014. / Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Games: 4
Win percentage: 50%

Into his 24th season, Ryan Giggs was appointed United’s first player-manager in 87 years when he was put in temporary charge for the final four games of the 2013–14 season after David Moyes was sacked. His team started with a bang against Norwich City, but lost against Sunderland and were later held on the last day of the season by an emerging Southampton.

Giggs' most notable game was against Hull City at Old Trafford in early May. He threw caution to the wind and started with unknown teenagers Tom Lawrence and James Wilson, the latter scoring twice. Giggs also put himself on for the last 20 minutes, which was his 1,027th and final senior career appearance before formally retiring two weeks later.

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4. Ruud van Nistelrooy

Ruud van Nistelrooy steadied the ship after Erik ten Hag was sacked. / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

Games: 4
Win percentage: 75%

After the team’s poor start to 2024–25, United fans were presented Ruud van Nistelrooy as interim manager, replacing Erik ten Hag a few months after being invited back to Old Trafford by his compatriot.

Van Nistelrooy’s time as a United player was relatively brief—five seasons between 2001 and 2006—and ended quite abruptly amid his desire to leave. But the passage of time grew his legendary status and he brought a feel-good factor and positive energy during four games in charge. Two wins over Leicester City, one against PAOK and a draw with Chelsea.

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3. Michael Carrick

Short and sweet describes Michael Carrick's tenure. / Soccrates Images/Getty Images

Games: 3
Win percentage: 67%

Michael Carrick moved straight into a coaching role under the leadership of José Mourinho when he hung up his boots in 2018, effectively co-assistant manager alongside Kieran McKenna. It was a position that both men retained when Ole Gunnar Solskjær was soon appointed.

But when Solskjær was dismissed in November 2021, Carrick found himself called into the hotseat. United won his first game against Villarreal, which secured a place in the Champions League knockout rounds. That was followed up by a Premier League draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and an Old Trafford victory over a rapidly improving Arsenal.

It was only three games, but the results and calibre of opposition made this an impressive run, especially after six defeats in his predecessor’s last 11 matches.

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2. Jimmy Murphy

Jimmy Murphy took Man Utd to the 1958 FA Cup final. / Evening Standard/Getty Images

Games: 22
Win percentage: 23%

It almost doesn’t matter that Jimmy Murphy won only five of his 22 games as caretaker manager from February 1958, because the context of why he was in charge and what he still achieved was more important.

Murphy was famously not on the plane that attempted but failed to take off in the Munich snow and ice due to a commitment as Wales national team boss. Eight players he’d had a major role in nurturing died because of the crash. Two others never played again, while it also claimed the lives of several of his coaching colleagues, other staff and journalists, as well as seriously injuring manager Sir Matt Busby.

Murphy led United into their first game after the disaster only 13 days later, naming a side of emergency signings and reserve team players. Of course, the team won just one more league match in the remainder of 1957–58, seeing their dreams of a third successive First Division title disappear. But the Red Devils rallied in the FA Cup to eventually reach the final, with four Munich survivors—Sir Bobby Charlton, Bill Foulkes, Harry Gregg and Dennis Viollet—playing in the Wembley defeat to Bolton Wanderers.

The Welshman, who passed away in 1989, returned to his previous role the following season once Busby had recovered and was fit enough to work again and, today, is just one of six people immortalised in statue form at Old Trafford.

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1. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s interim tenure was incredible. / Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Games: 19
Win percentage: 74%

Despite his eventual demise due to poor results in his his fourth season, Ole Gunnar Solskjær did a lot right as Manchester United manager. But it all started with a phenomenal record as interim boss between December 2018 and March 2019, after which he was handed a three-year contract—the original plan was for him to return to Molde at the end of that first season, effectively meaning he was on loan at Old Trafford.

Like Giggs, Carrick and Van Nistelrooy, the Norwegian was a club legend and quickly won over players and fans with his chirpy and jovial demeanour. Results on the pitch were instant too, withr Solskjær picking up eight wins straight off the bat and ten in his first 11 games.

Solskjær didn’t lose until facing Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League two months after taking over. Even then, United returned to winning ways domestically and then pulled off a remarkable comeback in the return leg against PSG at Old Trafford to turn the tie on its head.

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