Soccer

Manchester United and the men that came after Alex Ferguson

From David Moyes to Erik ten Hag, a look back over the last 10 years of Manchester United coaches

David Moyes: he was handpicked by Alex Ferguson as his successor, but things didn't work out. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

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Mary Hannigan
Fri Nov 3 2023 - 20:30
David Moyes (July 2013 - April 2014)

Taking over from a man who had just won his 13th Premier League title with United was always going to be the mother of all challenges, something Moyes admitted when he recalled the moment Alex Ferguson told him that he would be his successor: “The blood drained from my face.” His circulation never really got going again, the club dispensing with his services just 10 months in to his reign.

Record: Played 51. Win percentage: 52.94. Honours: Community Shield. League position: Seventh when he was sacked. Spending: €77.1m. Biggest buys: Marouane Fellaini (€32.4m), Juan Mata (€44.7m).

Ryan Giggs: sat in the hot seat for four games. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Ryan Giggs (April 2014 - May 2014)

“Give it to Giggsie,” went up the cry once United’s season went pear-shaped under Moysie. He took charge for the last four games of the season.

[ Ken Early: Erik ten Hag doesn’t get that football DNA should come from him, not Manchester United ]

Louis van Gaal: The only bright spot of his reign was the 2016 FA Cup win – two days later he was sacked. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

Louis van Gaal (May 2014 - May 2016)

He asked United to sign Robert Lewandowski, Neymar, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez, Thomas Muller, N’Golo Kante and Sergio Ramos, amongst others, but got Angel Di Maria, Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay instead – all of whose expensive cameos at the club were largely calamitous. The only bright spot was van Gaal’s 2016 FA Cup win – two days later he was sacked.

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Record: Played 103. Win percentage: 52.43. Honours: FA Cup. League positions: 4th, 5th. Spending: €298m. Biggest buys: Angel Di Maria (€75m), Anthony Martial (€60m), Morgan Schneiderlin (€35m), Memphis Depay (€34m), Ander Herrera (€33m), Luke Shaw (€31m), Marcos Rojo (€20m).

Jose Mourinho: won a Europa League title for United, but the football played for grim and dreary. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

José Mourinho (May 2016 - Dec 2018)

This was never going to end well. Although the appointment of Mourinho was a concession on the part of the United powers-that-be that pretty football was all fine and dandy, but winning was better. The high point was the Europa League triumph over Ajax, but the football was, on the whole, grimly dreary. And this after spending close to half a billion on new recruits.

Record: Played 144. Win percentage: 58.3. Honours: Europa League, League Cup, Community Shield. League positions: 6th, 2nd. Spending: €419.5m. Biggest buys: Paul Pogba (€105m), Romelu Lukaku (€84.7m), Fred (€59m), Nemanja Matic (€44.7m), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (€42m), Eric Bailey (€38m), Victor Lindelof (€35m), Alexis Sanchez (swap with Arsenal for Mkhitaryan), Diogo Dalot (€22m).

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: he got United to a Europa League final and a runners-up spot in the league, but never really convinced. Photograph: Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images

Ole Gunnar Solskjær (Dec 2018 - Nov 2021)

He was only meant to be briefly at the wheel, but after initially injecting life in to the team, he was made the full-time gaffer. He got United to a Europa League final and a runners-up spot in the league. But midway through the 2021-22 season, he was removed from the wheel, the results going from bad to worse.

Record: Played 168. Win percentage: 54.17. Honours: None. League positions: 6th, 3rd, 2nd. Spending: €431m. Biggest buys: Harry Maguire €87m, Jadon Sancho €85m, Bruno Fernandes €65m, Aaron Wan-Bissaka €55m, Raphael Varane €40m, Donny Van De Beek €39m, Amad Diallo €21.3m.

Michael Carrick: stepped in as interim manager before the arrival of Ralf Rangnick. Photograph: Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images

Michael Carrick (Nov 2021 - Dec 2021)

He stepped in as interim manager following Solskjær’s departure, but any chat about him being given the job on a full-time basis, after three games in charge, ended with the arrival of Ralf Rangnick.

Ralf Rangnick: a brief stay, but he was there long enough to realise that the patient was sick. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Ralf Rangnick (Dec 2021 - May 2022)

The plan was that the German would look after the ship until the end of the season, at which point he would take on a consultancy role at the club. He was drained by the experience, though, opting instead to become manager of Austria in the summer of 2022. On his departure, he suggested the team needed open heart surgery.

Record: Played 29. Win percentage: 37.93. Honours: None. League position: 6th. Spending: None.

Erik ten Hag: is finding that coming with a good reputation is no guarantee of success at Manchester United. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

Erik ten Hag (May 2022 - ?)

After five successful years with Ajax, Ten Hag earned himself the tag of “highly regarded”. A League Cup win in his first season, along with a third place finish in the league, augured well. But ….this season? Lord. That he persuaded the club to pay close enough to €100m for Antony…stop the lights.

Record: Played 77. Win percentage: 62.34. Honours: League Cup. League position: 3rd. Spending:€427.4m. Biggest buys: Antony (€95m), Rasmus Hojlund (€75m), Casemiro (€70.7m), Mason Mount (€64.2m), Lisandro Martínez (€57.4m), André Onana (€50.2m).

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