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Since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson from Manchester United in 2013, it has all gone downhill for the Red Devils. Title losses, campaigns out of the European spots and, overall, crazy years full of instability, managerial changes and failed transfers.
Each appointment came with a different philosophy: from direct play to tiki-taka, which made it very difficult for the players to adapt to a style of play which would generate results, apart from all the dressing room drama these past few years.
However, Ruben Amorim arrived at Old Trafford as the “long-term” solution for United after an excellent spell at Sporting Lisbon. Although his first season at Old Trafford was tragic to say the least, with platforms like NetBet Sport predicting United to finish 5th this season, Amorim is slowly building a competitive team with the aim of returning to the title fight as soon as possible.
But how does Amorim stack up against other managers of the post-Ferguson era?
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A Rough Start at Old Trafford
It is fair to say that Amorim’s first season at United was a huge let down, especially considering how well his Sporting side was playing before he made the move. After a very poor season where United finished closer to relegation than Europe, not to mention the Europa League final loss against Tottenham, Amorim wanted to turn things around for the 2025/26 campaign.
To do so, new players were brought in, and many left the clubs, with the likes of Antony or Onana leaving and players such as Mbeumo, Cunha, Sesko or Lammens making their move to Old Trafford.
Luckily for Amorim, it seems like things are starting to click after a bad start to the season where the Red Devils suffered a humiliating loss at the hands of League Two side Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup. And, in great part, it’s thanks to the new transfers, as they have settled into Amorim’s style, every piece of the puzzle is currently working, with United regaining form, losing just once in the last seven games played.
Although The United Strand has to wait in order to cut his hair, as United have drawn the last two games, feelings are very different, United are more dangerous on the attack and more solid defensively.
It’s too early to say that United may return to European football next season, but Amorim is doing everything in his power to make that happen after a 2024/25 season to forget.
Amorim Against the World
It’s fair to say that the post-Ferguson era has been one to forget, an era where uncertainty and managerial disasters have sunk one of England’s most historic clubs into a “potential” 4th place contender. It’s Amorim who, amongst all the managers that have sat on the United bench after Ferguson, has the chance to turn things around, but what makes Amorim different from other former United managers?
First it was David Moyes, arguably one of the worst United managers in history. There’s not too much to say about David Moyes at United more than being a complete disaster where tactical stability and a defined style was nowhere to be found.
Then came Van Gaal. Although United was one of the Premier League’s best team defensively, creativity was non-existent, which killed United, especially considering the likes of Di Maria or Rooney were part of that squad. Luckily, Amorim’s style works well for creative players, although there’s a lot of work to do defensively.
Jose Mourinho is, without a doubt, one of the best, if not the best, post-Ferguson manager, in terms of silverware, of course. Mourinho restored United’s winning mentality, but dressing room problems and no long-term vision killed The Special One. Amorim has been able to get rid of “controversial” players and build a squad both for the short and the long term.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær is, without a doubt, the most underrated manager of the post-Ferguson era. Although, at his time, he had much to improve, he has been one of the best managers in recent memory, consolidating United in the top-4 and coming close to the league with second place in the 2020/21 campaign.
Then came Ten Hag, an absolute disaster. The manager that was able to put Ajax back in the map was the same individual who had problems with his own players, the most notorious one being his problems with Cristiano Ronaldo, whose contract was terminated after not getting along with Ten Hag. Not only did Ten Hag have problems outside the pitch, but inside too, as United became very inconsistent.
It's fair to say that managers were not the problem, the board had much to do, especially when it comes to believing in a footballing philosophy and signing players that fit a certain style.
With Amorim, things are looking better: United are slowly regaining their identity. However, if things don’t go right and he isn’t backed by the board, instability will return, yet again, to Old Trafford.
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