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How Michael Carrick's Man Utd Record Compares to Ruben Amorim's

Were things ever this bad under the former manager?
Michael Carrick is succumbing to the poisoned chalice.
Michael Carrick is succumbing to the poisoned chalice. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Manchester United are in the midst of an all-too-familiar cycle with Michael Carrick at the helm.

The former Red Devils midfielder, who worked wonders during his interim spell in charge, looks set to become the latest to succumb to the poisoned chalice that is the Theatre of Dreams. Carrick could do no wrong a few months ago, inspiring United to a third-place finish and returning the club to the Champions League in the process.

But as is often the case in a post-Sir Alex Ferguson world, initial optimism has made way for bleak, murky waters. Supporters continue to back the man at the helm, aiming their fury elsewhere, but the manager is so often the man who takes the fall for the incompetence of others.

Ruben Amorim knew that all too well, even if his faults were more glaring than the current incumbent. The Portuguese boss is now enjoying life in Milan, aiming to restore his reputation after escaping the clutches of Old Trafford at the start of the year.

Amorim left the club boasting one of the worst managerial records in United’s modern history, but does the club’s plight under Carrick mean the Englishman is at risk of slipping below the low bar set by his predecessor?

Let’s compare their respective records.


Ruben Amorim vs. Michael Carrick: Overall Man Utd Records

Statistic

Ruben Amorim

Michael Carrick

Games managed

63

33

Wins

25

16

Draws

15

8

Losses

23

9

+/-

122:114

56:45

Win percentage

39.7%

48.5%

Amorim lasted 14 months in the red side of Manchester, managing 63 games in total. Of these, the Portuguese oversaw just 25 victories and 23 defeats.

His 39.7% win rate ranks the second-lowest among United managers since the Premier League’s inception, with only interim manager Ralf Rangnick (37.9%) performing worse across all competitions. Amorim’s record was poorer in the Premier League, though, winning just 15 of his 47 games at the helm. His win rate dropped to 31.9% in this competition, considerably worse than Rangnick’s 41.7%.

The Portuguese coach was aided by United’s progression to the 2025 Europa League final, impressively defeating Athletic Club in the last four. However, they were beaten by none other than Tottenham Hotspur in the final, capping the bleakest campaign in the club’s Premier League history.

Before taking the job on an interim basis earlier this year, Carrick was also in caretaker charge for three matches in late 2021 after Ole Gunnar Solskjær received his marching orders. He won two of these games, drawing the other.

Then, after collecting Amorim’s mess in January, no team picked up more points from the moment Carrick returned to the Old Trafford touchline until the end of the season than the Red Devils. United won 12 of their 17 games, but their woes this season mean Carrick’s win rate has nosedived.

It now stands at 48.5%. Still better than Amorim’s, but trending in completely the wrong direction.


How 2026–27 Carrick Compares to 2025–26 Amorim

Ruben Amorim
Amorim was sacked after falling out with Director of Football Jason Wilcox. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

While United underwhelmed on-field during Amorim’s second season in charge, it was the manager‘s relationship breakdown with Director of Football Jason Wilcox that ultimately sparked his demise.

Amorim left the Red Devils sixth in the Premier League table, winning 38% of his games. It was merely mediocre, yet United supporters would bite your arm off for such indifference now.

Things are as bad as they‘ve ever been at the start of the 2026–27 season. While plenty were keen to praise the club’s apparent astuteness for rebuilding their midfield without breaking the bank, it‘s become eveident that nowhere near enough was done to prepare the Red Devils for a more demanding campaign.

United have won just two of their 13 games so far, with those wins coming against newly promoted Ipswich Town and Champions League debutants Sabah. Carrick’s win rate this season is down to 15.4%, and their goal difference is -7 after losing by a combined eight goals in their three most recent defeats.

Those who looked at the underlying data during the second half of last season would suggest that United’s collapse this term is no surprise. According to The Guardian, United earned 12.7 more points than expected while Carrick was in charge. Only Napoli (nine) recorded more victories by a one-goal margin than Carrick’s United (eight).

It pointed toward being unsustainable, and ultimately, not enough was done in the summer to mask potential flaws within Carrick’s framework. They’ve instead been exacerbated.

Statistic

2025–26 Amorim

2026–27 Carrick

Games managed

21

13

Wins

8

2

Draws

7

4

Losses

6

7

+/-

47:44

17:24

Win percentage

38%

15.4%


Did Man Utd Ever Go Nine Games Without a Win Under Amorim?

Michael Carrick
Carrick has overseen Man Utd’s worst winless run since 1988. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

Some may wonder: Have things ever been this bad? I mean, this is Manchester United Football Club we’re talking about here.

A 2–0 defeat to Chelsea, which showcased initial promise and then the very worst of Carrick’s Red Devils, saw them extend their winless run across all competitions to nine games. It’s their worst run without a win since October and November 1988, when Sir Alex Ferguson oversaw eight draws and a defeat to Norwich City in succession. United would finish 11th in the First Division that season.

So no, things never got quite this bad under Amorim, but the Portuguese boss did come close. At the end of the 2024–25 season, United went eight games without a Premier League win. They languished in 16th, but they did have the Europa League.

During their barren domestic run, which included a battering at Newcastle United and a meek home defeat to West Ham United, the Red Devils dramatically beat Lyon over two legs as well as Athletic Club to reach the competition’s showpiece event.


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James Cormack
JAMES CORMACK

James Cormack is a writer for SI FC. Opting against a football coaching undergraduate degree at the last minute, he instead decided to take on a six-month internship with 90min in 2019 and hasn't looked back. Cormack's current SEO focus means he tends to venture to the land of match previews and predicted lineups, but he also has a wealth of experience in news and feature writing. A passion for soccer's history and the European game often takes his work beyond the familiarity of the Premier League, but it's with Tottenham Hotspur where his strongest allegiance lies.