Michael Carrick is fighting for his Manchester United life.
The Red Devils lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth on Sunday to make it eight without a win across all competitions. In the process, United have slumped to 16th in the Premier League table, 21st in the Champions League, and have exited the EFL Cup.
The supporters made their feelings clear at full-time at Old Trafford on Sunday, singing Carrick’s name and roundly booing the benched Bruno Fernandes as he left the field. However, that may not be enough to save the manager’s job, with crisis talks now underway.
Ahead of any stick or twist decision, we’ve taken a look at the seven permanent Manchester United managers in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era and ranked them by their win rate. And for context, Fergie himself comes out at 59.67%, which is the highest of any permanent Manchester United manager.
7. Ruben Amorim
- Games in charge: 63 (24/18/21)
- Win rate: 38.10%
There was so much optimism around Ruben Amorim‘s appointment. Here was a manager who had just led Sporting CP to two Liga Portugal titles in four years, ending a 19-year drought and additionally winning two League Cups. He had also put the Lions well on their way to a third title in five years just before he departed.
There were some good early signs, too. Amorim inspired the Red Devils to a 2-1 away win in the Manchester derby in December 2024, just a month into his tenure. United also thrashed Everton 4-0 away and beat Athletic Club 7-1 in the Europa League semi-finals.
Of course, Man Utd lost that Europa League final to Tottenham, and from there, it all fell apart. A defeat on penalties to Grimsby in the EFL Cup was a low point, and while Man Utd did manage noteworthy victories over Chelsea and Liverpool early into 2025/26, he was axed in January as his side struggled to find any momentum.
6. Michael Carrick
- Games in charge: 28 (14/7/7)
- Win rate: 50%
Michael Carrick took over from Amorim until the end of last season and managed to drag the Red Devils up the table and back into the Champions League.
However, that incredible form of 12 wins from 17 matches at the end of last season has disappeared, and as mentioned, United are eight without a win at present.
Sitting 16th in the table, Man Utd have won just one of their eight league games so far this season and have conceded more than once on seven occasions across all competitions.
Carrick’s 50% win rate is significantly better than Amorim’s, but it is driven by his spell at the end of last season and is falling fast. The writing looks to be on the wall.
5. Louis van Gaal
- Games in charge: 103 (54/25/24)
- Win rate: 52.43%
It feels like an age since Louis van Gaal’s near-two-year spell as Manchester United manager, taking charge following David Moyes‘ failed attempt to replace Ferguson.
Obviously, Van Gaal didn’t live up to Sir Alex, but he did lead United to the 2016 FA Cup and returned them to the Champions League.
The FA Cup final win over Crystal Palace was Van Gaal’s final game in charge, with the powers that be at Old Trafford spying an opportunity to hire Jose Mourinho in a bid to quickly return to title contention.
4. David Moyes
- Games in charge: 51 (27/9/25)
- Win rate: 52.94%
Moyes was nicknamed the ‘Chosen One’ upon leaving Everton for Man Utd, having been hand-picked by Ferguson to be his successor.
There was method in the hire, with Moyes often proving a thorn in the side of Man Utd and the other top sides during his time at Goodison Park — even if a 2009 FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea was the closest he came to a trophy.
Moyes won the Community Shield in his first game in charge of Man Utd, but it started to fall apart very quickly, and he became a figure of derision in the end. The likes of Wayne Rooney — whom he brought through at Everton — Robin van Persie, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and, indeed, Carrick didn’t respond to his methods, and he was canned in April 2014, less than a year after his arrival.
3. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
- Games in charge: 168 (91/37/40)
- Win rate: 54.17%
Remember when Ole was at the wheel? Solskjaer was only ever meant to be a temporary fix for Man Utd following Mourinho’s departure, but in the end, he took charge of 168 games.
The initial response from the Red Devils was excellent, with Solskjaer turning them into a counter-attacking menace. He also helped the club achieve back-to-back top-three finishes for the first time since Ferguson left.
However, Solskjaer failed to win a single trophy and lost four semi-finals in two years, as well as the 2021 Europa League final to Villarreal on penalties. That, alongside ongoing defensive frailties and an autumn 2021 collapse, was enough to see the former striker — and scorer of United’s dramatic winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final — moved on.
Interestingly, Solskjaer is being touted as a potential interim option once again, should Carrick be sacked.
2. Erik ten Hag
- Games in charge: 128 (70/23/35)
- Win rate: 54.69%
Given how Erik ten Hag‘s tenure ended — sacked after a 2-1 defeat to West Ham with just one win in his final eight games — it’s easy to forget some of the highs Man Utd experienced under his management.
After all, the Dutchman won FA Cup and EFL Cup titles, as well as leading the Red Devils to a further FA Cup final and a third-place finish.
However, their FA Cup triumph papered over a major crack in the form of an eighth-place finish in his final full season in charge. And that’s without mentioning the 7-0 thrashing by Liverpool, widespread defensive issues and eye-wateringly expensive transfer flops like Antony and Mason Mount.
It all came to a head in October 2024, leading us to the Amorim era following a brief interim spell under Ruud van Nistelrooy.
1. Jose Mourinho
- Games in charge: 144 (84/32/28)
- Win rate: 58.33%
Jose Mourinho is comfortably the most successful post-Sir Alex Ferguson Manchester United manager.
The Special One led the Red Devils to a Europa League and EFL Cup double in 2016/17, as well as the Community Shield. The following season, they reached the FA Cup final before losing to Chelsea and finished second in the Premier League. That was their first top-two finish since Ferguson left, and while they were 19 points adrift of champions Man City, they still accrued 81 points and a +40 goal difference.
Unfortunately, Mourinho found himself bogged down in public fallouts with key players like Paul Pogba and Luke Shaw, while his pragmatism began to fail in his third season, with Man Utd lacking the goals to make up for a loss of defensive organisation.
A 3-1 defeat to Liverpool in December 2018 was the final straw, but Mourinho remains the high-water mark of Manchester United managers since Ferguson’s retirement — both in terms of win rate and trophies delivered.