Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Man Utd have been searching for the right coach to bring them back to their former glory. Over the past 10 years, the Old Trafford team has signed 5 head coaches and 3 interim coaches with different styles. However, none of them have been considered successful.
Below is a ranking of the last 5 managers (not including caretaker managers) of Man Utd based on winning percentage as well as titles.
1. Jose Mourinho (May 2016 - December 2018)
Of the five official coaches of Man Utd after Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho is the one who has achieved the most impressive results. The Portuguese coach signed a contract with the Old Trafford team on May 27, 2016 despite facing many objections because of his pragmatic and negative defensive philosophy.
Mourinho is the most successful manager with Man Utd since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
In his first year, the former Chelsea and Real Madrid coach helped Man Utd win a treble of titles including the Community Shield, the League Cup and the UEFA Europa League. However, in the Premier League, the "Red Devils" only ranked 6th.
In the second season, Man Utd continued to play well. Mourinho took the team to the FA Cup final but lost 0-1 to Chelsea. His team finished second in the Premier League - Man Utd's highest position since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
However, like other teams, Mourinho's situation at Man Utd began to deteriorate from the third season. Coach Jose Mourinho had disagreements with his students as well as the board of directors. The team's performance declined. He was fired on December 18, 2018.
Man Utd's winning rate under coach Mourinho is 58.33%, the second highest among the 5 official coaches after Sir Alex Ferguson.
3. Erik ten Hag (April 2022 - present)
The Dutchman was appointed as Man Utd's head coach from the 2022/23 season. Erik ten Hag was previously known for taking Ajax to the semi-finals of the 2018/19 Champions League. He built an attacking style of play for the most traditional team in the Netherlands.
Man Utd under coach Erik ten Hag has achieved a 60% win rate up to now.
In his first season, Erik ten Hag helped Man Utd finish third in the Premier League, win the English League Cup and reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League (eliminated by Sevilla). This was Man Utd's first title since winning the Europa League under coach Mourinho in 2017.
However, coach Erik ten Hag still caused controversy when he disagreed with the biggest star, Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the second season under coach Erik ten Hag, Man Utd struggled. The Old Trafford team was also heavily affected by injuries at the beginning of the season. The "Red Devils" failed to get past the Champions League group stage and lost out in the race for a European Cup spot in the Premier League.
Erik ten Hag's current winning rate with Man Utd before round 24 of the 2023/24 Premier League is 60%, the highest among the 5 coaches.
2. Louis van Gaal (June 2014 - May 2016)
The Dutchman took over from interim manager Ryan Giggs at Old Trafford after leading the Netherlands to the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup.
Louis Van Gaal did not achieve the success he expected.
The coach nicknamed "Steel Tulip" brought a new style of play to Man Utd, using a 3-5-2 formation and focusing on ball control. He helped Man Utd finish fourth in the Premier League in the 2014/15 season and win the FA Cup. However, the "Red Devils" performance under coach Louis van Gaal was considered boring, not creating the excitement expected by fans.
The second season was a huge disappointment for the Old Trafford team. Man Utd's style of play was gradually figured out and the stars failed to live up to expectations. At the end of that season, Man Utd finished 5th in the Premier League, without any titles and coach Van Gaal was fired.
Man Utd won only 52.43% of the matches that Louis Van Gaal led. This is the lowest number among the 5 coaches. However, Coach Van Gaal still ranked third in the rankings thanks to owning 1 title.
4. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (December 2018 - November 2021)
Ole Solskjaer was part of the Man Utd squad that won the historic treble in 1999. He initially joined Man Utd as an interim manager after the club sacked Jose Mourinho. This was an interesting contract because the Old Trafford team initially intended to "loan" Solskjaer until the end of the season.
Solskjaer currently has the longest tenure of the five managers.
The Norwegian coach established a streak of 14 consecutive victories, including a 3-2 comeback win over PSG in the 2018/19 Champions League round of 16. This achievement convinced the Man Utd board to officially sign a contract with coach Solskjaer.
This coach applies a flexible and skillful management style, while also applying a defensive counter-attacking style of play, with quick transitions. The recruitment of Bruno Fernandes in the January 2020 transfer window helped Man Utd play better. They finished third in the Premier League, reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League, FA Cup, and English League Cup.
In the 2020/21 season, Solskjaer helped Man Utd finish second in the Premier League. Man Utd reached the Europa League final but lost on penalties to Villarreal.
In the 2021/22 season, Man Utd strengthened their squad with the determination to win the title. They brought in Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Man Utd played worse and on November 20, 2021, Man Utd terminated the contract with coach Solskjaer.
The Norwegian is the longest-serving manager at Man Utd but has not won any titles despite the fact that at one point the championship was very close to him.
In 176 matches leading Man Utd, Solskjaer achieved a winning rate of 54.17%.
5. David Moyes (July 2013-April 2014)
David Moyes had the shortest tenure after less than a season leading Man Utd.
Coach David Moyes was personally recommended by the legendary Alex Ferguson to be his successor at Man Utd. The Scottish coach has a wealth of experience working in the Premier League, having led Everton for 11 consecutive years.
However, he did not leave any mark at Man Utd other than winning the Community Shield. He was sacked at the end of the 2013/14 season - not even his first season - with a win rate of only 52.94%.
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