Ranking Every Manchester United Manager Who Tried to Fill Sir Alex Ferguson's Legendary Boots
Few managerial positions have been as challenging as the Manchester United manager's role following the exit of iconic boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
Attempting to match the extraordinary success of the Scottish legend's remarkable 26-year trophy-filled tenure at Old Trafford represents a daunting prospect for any coach. Even achieving a fraction of that accomplishment presents an enormous obstacle that has overwhelmed numerous subsequent appointments.
Half a dozen managers have been given permanent contracts since Ferguson stepped down in 2013, yet none have achieved clear-cut success in Manchester. Even the highlights have been accompanied by crushing disappointments as this fallen powerhouse continues its decline.
Ruben Amorim represents the most recent casualty to struggle in the Old Trafford technical area beneath intense scrutiny and rigid demands from club leadership. After his departure, the Red Devils are once again searching for answers.
Considering this context, here's how all of United's post-Ferguson managers rank—excluding temporary and acting coaches.
6. Ruben Amorim
Matches Overseen: 63
Success Rate: 39.68%
Silverware Collected: 0
A victory percentage hovering around 40%, United's worst-ever Premier League placement, and no trophies secured during his 14-month tenure tells the complete story. Ruben Amorim's period in charge was an absolute catastrophe.
Amorim's rigid tactical approach and vocal personality meant that positive results were crucial for gaining fan support, and while the chaos he inherited provided some understanding during the overwhelming difficulties, tolerance eventually ran out.
Both displays and outcomes were genuinely terrible under Amorim's leadership, and the Portuguese manager has little reason to protest his removal. Arguably, his stay at Old Trafford extended beyond what it should have.
5. David Moyes
Matches Overseen: 51
Success Rate: 50.98%
Silverware Collected: 1
'The Chosen One' proved more disappointing than inspiring as David Moyes couldn't even complete his first campaign as Ferguson's direct replacement. Selected personally by his departing fellow Scot following years of dependable work at Everton, everything unraveled for Moyes immediately.
The Community Shield victory against Championship side Wigan Athletic was anticipated, but everything deteriorated afterward. A disastrous Premier League run combined with embarrassing cup eliminations by Sunderland and Swansea City ultimately led to Moyes' dismissal before the season concluded.
Ryan Giggs completed the 2013–14 campaign as caretaker manager while United limped to seventh place in the Premier League—their lowest position in the competition's history at that point.
4. Erik ten Hag
Matches Overseen: 128
Success Rate: 56.25%
Silverware Collected: 2
Erik ten Hag's collection of two trophies—the Carabao Cup and FA Cup—technically makes him United's second-most accomplished manager since Ferguson. Yet, as the familiar saying goes, football isn't decided on statistics alone.
A third-place Premier League campaign and reaching both domestic cup finals in his inaugural season suggested the Dutch coach might deliver sustained success to Manchester, but sophomore struggles destroyed United's aspirations as performances plummeted alongside results.
Unexpected FA Cup glory provided Ten Hag's only redemption as an eighth-place Premier League finish and dismal European showing pushed him toward dismissal. Despite surviving the off-season, Ten Hag was ruthlessly removed just months into the 2024–25 campaign.
3. Louis van Gaal
Matches Overseen: 103
Success Rate: 52.43%
Silverware Collected: 1
Louis van Gaal undoubtedly possessed the credentials to guide United toward success when he became their first foreign manager in 2014, yet a terrible beginning to his tenure foreshadowed future struggles. He secured victory in just one of his opening five Premier League matches and endured a humiliating 4–0 League Cup second-round loss to MK Dons.
Progress occurred throughout his first season as Van Gaal's squad managed to secure fourth place and Champions League qualification, but European displays would become his downfall the following year.
A group-stage elimination where United were outclassed by PSV Eindhoven and Wolfsburg epitomized a disappointing campaign, with United also suffering early League Cup elimination and managing only fifth in the league. Despite FA Cup success with a narrow victory over Crystal Palace in the final, Van Gaal's dismissal was inevitable.
2. Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Matches Overseen: 168
Success Rate: 54.76%
Silverware Collected: 0
Atmosphere has gained significance in contemporary football. The overall mood and sentiment within a club and its supporters can determine success or failure for leadership, with United mastering emotional management during the Ole Gunnar Solskjær period. Who requires trophies when everyone's enjoying themselves?
Numerous memorable moments occurred during the Norwegian's tenure: a remarkable European turnaround against Paris Saint-Germain, multiple significant victories over rivals Manchester City, and a record-matching 9–0 triumph against Southampton. Yet there remained constant acknowledgment that Solskjær would never restore United to their summit.
Difficult spells were never distant, even though Solskjær's capacity for crucial match victories helped fans overlook preceding struggles. With the legendary former forward unable to secure any silverware, he eventually received his dismissal, though at least memorable occasions balanced the disappointments.
1. José Mourinho
Matches Overseen: 144
Success Rate: 58.33%
Silverware Collected: 3
José Mourinho's hiring represented the acquisition of an established Premier League and Champions League champion whose direct methodology would address United's problems. While the former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager faced considerable challenges and subjected Old Trafford to some tedious football, he fulfilled his commitment to secure trophies.
Capturing the Community Shield, League Cup, and Europa League in his first season compensated for Premier League disappointment as United finished sixth, but fortunes reversed in his second campaign. Cup setbacks were offset by a runner-up Premier League position behind record-breaking Man City, which Mourinho has called his "greatest accomplishment".
Nevertheless, the passionate Portuguese manager couldn't achieve domestic or European success early in the 2018–19 season, and as tensions escalated, Mourinho was removed in December.
Reflecting with nostalgic fondness, his tenure at the club wasn't entirely negative ... was it?