Michael Carrick is Manchester United’s seventh permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson delivered their most recent Premier League title
After a successful audition in the second half of last season, Michael Carrick is bracing himself for his first full Premier League term as Manchester United manager. He is the seventh man to earn the gig on a permanent basis since legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson walked away in 2013, making for an average tenure of around two years.
Carrick has three more friendlies, including this Saturday against Paris Saint-Germain, during which he can tweak his lineup. The league opener is just a fortnight away and comes in the form of a lunchtime trip to newly promoted Hull City on August 22.
United are still chasing a first league title since Ferguson’s final season, with Carrick the latest to try his luck. The Manchester Evening News has taken a look at what happened to the other six, both during and after their tenures at Old Trafford.
David Moyes
Moyes succeeded Ferguson but lasted less than one season at Old Trafford after missing out on Champions League qualification. It took him a while to rebuild his reputation after stints at Real Sociedad and Sunderland but he managed it in some style.
At West Ham, the Scottish boss oversaw multiple European runs and led the club to Conference League glory in 2023. He has since returned to Everton, the club he left for United in 2013, finishing 13th in his first full league season back on Merseyside.
Louis van Gaal
Van Gaal delivered United’s first silverware of the post-Ferguson era in the form of the 2015/16 FA Cup. However, he would leave that very same summer.
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A brief retirement from football didn’t stick, with the Dutch boss returning to the dugout for the Netherlands national team and leading them to the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup. He recently suggested he would be open to taking charge of the Oranje for a fourth time following Ronald Koeman’s dismissal.
Jose Mourinho
Mourinho went one better than Van Gaal, winning the Europa League and League Cup. Things quickly went south, though, with the Portuguese boss dismissed midway through the 2018/19 season.
The former two-time Chelsea boss is now onto his fifth permanent job since leaving Old Trafford, in a fifth different league. After spells with Tottenham, Roma, Fenerbahce and Benfica, he returned to Real Madrid this summer some 13 years on from his first spell at the Bernabeu.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Solskjaer, like Carrick, initially took over on an interim basis. However, he was given the permanent reins in March 2019 and was in charge for more matches than any other post-Ferguson boss.
The Norwegian has spent time as a technical observer for UEFA, though he paused the role for a brief stint as Besiktas manager. He was recently linked with the Ipswich Town job after Kieran McKenna’s departure, only for the gig to ultimately go to Gary O’Neil.
Erik ten Hag
Dutch boss Ten Hag led United to League Cup glory in 2023 and also took the club back into the Champions League. A difficult second season was salvaged somewhat by an FA Cup triumph but he was dismissed early in the 2024/25 season.
His next job was a far shorter affair as he lasted just 62 days at Bayer Leverkusen. He is now sporting director at FC Twente, the club where he ended his playing career and began life as a coach two decades ago.
Ruben Amorim
Amorim took over from Ten Hag after thriving with Sporting CP and took United to the Europa League final in his first season. However, his tenure lasted just 14 months, with his dismissal coming days after an explosive interview following a draw with Leeds.He was linked with the Benfica job after Mourinho left for Real Madrid but has instead ended up at AC Milan.
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