Manchester United have sacked manager Michael Carrick following an extremely disappointing start to the season with the Red Devils currently near the bottom of the Premier League standings, the club have announced. United are now finalizing a deal to sign U.S. men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino as their next coach, according to multiple reports.

Carrick, a former Red Devils midfielder, enjoyed a successful playing career at Old Trafford between 2006 and 2018, establishing himself as a club legend. He began his coaching career at Manchester United in 2018 before being appointed caretaker manager of the first team in 2021, following the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. In January 2026, he signed again as caretaker coach of the team after the sacking of Ruben Amorim before signing a two-year deal ahead of the summer after a positive second part of the season in charge, guiding the team to a third-place finish in the league. Following the draw against Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday, Carrick was applauded by the Manchester United fans, who focused their anger on the players and the ownership. 

Things didn't improve after the summer transfer window, when Carrick wasn't fully backed by the club in some key decisions but also signed players like Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba. The Red Devils kicked off the new season with only one win in the opening 10 Premier League matches, collecting seven points up to now with the team at the bottom of the standings. Manchester United were linked with Eddie Howe, Antonio Conte and Julian Nagelsmann before settling on Pochettino.

But where does Carrick rank in terms of managers at United since Sir Alex Ferguson?

Ranking the managers since Sir Alex Ferguson

Since Ferguson's departure, Manchester United have appointed a bunch of managers, yet none has managed to bring the Premier League title back to Old Trafford. Even the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe as co-owner alongside the Glazer family has failed to deliver meaningful progress on the pitch, leaving the club searching for stability, a clear sporting direction and a return to its former glory. Let's now take a look at all the managers appointed, and rank them: 

7) Ruben Amorim (2024-2026)

Let's start with the most recent disappointment, especially considering the expectations. Amorim signed for Manchester United in November 2024 after a good spell at Sporting CP where he made his name among the most talented managers around Europe. Despite United deciding to appoint a coach from another club after the season started, the first months seemed to be needed to adapt to a new league and country. However, things didn't really improve at the beginning of the second season in charge, leading the club to sack him in January 2026. His tenure was probably the most disappointing considering the expectations before he joined. 

6) Michael Carrick (2021, 2026)

Carrick managed Manchester United in two different moments in the recent history of the club: the first time in 2021 after the sacking of Solskjaer, another club legend with a similar history, arriving as a caretaker before being appointed for the long term. Despite a very positive end to last season, the current campaign has been disappointing, with a difficult summer transfer window further complicating matters.

5) David Moyes (2013-2014)

The Scottish manager was appointed to replace Ferguson at Manchester United in what was probably the most challenging job he could ever ask for. Moyes, who previously coached Everton for more than a decade, only lasted 51 matches before being sacked in April of 2014. Replacing a legend like Ferguson was arguably an almost impossible task. The pressure of succeeding one of the greatest managers in the club's history, while constantly being compared to his achievements, may have made it difficult for any successor to succeed. With Ferguson's legacy looming over Old Trafford week after week, perhaps even the most capable manager would have struggled to live up to such expectations.

4) Erik ten Hag (2022-2024)

There were high expectations around the Dutch coach, who wasn't able to bring them back to the top of European soccer but at the same time was able to win one FA Cup and one League Cup in the two years he was in charge. Under his management, the club made some big investments in the roster that just didn't pay off in the end. 

3) Louis van Gaal (2014-2016)

There are mixed feelings about the tenure of the experienced Dutch manager at the club. For sure, he was able to bring back Champions League soccer to the club in his first year of management and, at the same time, trusted some young players such as Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford but failed later to keep the level high. In his second season, Manchester United only scored 49 league goals and finished fifth, missing out on Champions League qualification. He was sacked just two days after winning the FA Cup.

2) Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (2018-2021)

The manager who lasted the longest after Ferguson in recent years was the Norwegian. He arrived as a club legend after Jose Mourinho was sacked, and despite signing a short-term deal, his positive performances convinced the club to appoint him for a longer contract. However, he left the legendary club he represented as a player as well with no trophies, losing the 2021 edition of the UEFA Europa League to Villarreal but also clinching second and third place in the Premier League during his cycle. 

1) Jose Mourinho (2016-2018)

It might seem strange, but the Special One is the manager who won the most titles at the club after the Ferguson era. At Manchester United, Mourinho won the Europa League, the League Cup and the Community Shield. The club finished second in the 2017–2018 season with 81 points. However, his tenure was overshadowed by tensions with the media and disagreements with several key players, most notably Paul Pogba. These conflicts ultimately contributed to his departure from the club in December 2018.

The caretakers 

Darren Fletcher (2026): The most recent caretaker coach, if we don't consider Michael Carrick. Fletcher coached Manchester United for two games after Ruben Amorim was sacked and before Carrick was appointed. Two games, one defeat and one draw. 

Ryan Giggs (2014): Four games in charge, two wins and only one defeat. Giggs was appointed in the last stint of the first season without Ferguson, after the sacking of David Moyes and before Louis van Gaal. He definitely left a positive memory even as a caretaker coach, and also joined the staff of van Gaal after he was appointed. 

Ruud van Nistelrooy (2024): When the former Dutch striker joined Erik ten Hag's coaching staff, few could have predicted that he would briefly take charge of Manchester United following the manager's dismissal in October of 2024. However, his spell as caretaker manager proved promising, with three wins in four games. His tenure came to an end when United appointed Ruben Amorim as their new head coach.

Ralf Rangnick (2021-2022): By far the best caretaker manager Manchester United had. Not for the results, but because he understood more than anyone else the issues the club was facing. He took charge of Manchester United following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's departure and remained in the dugout until Erik ten Hag's appointment. Despite having previously agreed to take on a consultancy role, he ultimately left the club, reportedly hoping to secure the permanent managerial position instead. When he was at Manchester United, he openly spoke to the fans about what the club needed, insisting the team was like a patient that needed an "open heart surgery", and not just changing "minor things". However, they probably didn't listen to him.