From 1986 to 2013, Sir Alex Ferguson built Manchester United into one of football’s most feared dynasties.
Across 26 years, he amassed 38 trophies—13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, four League Cups, and two Champions League crowns—setting a gold standard that shaped the club’s identity.
That golden era created an expectation of constant triumph. But since Ferguson’s retirement, United have been unable to recreate his magic, managing just four major trophies in over a decade.
The void has sparked constant upheaval in the dugout, with nine men—interims included—trying, and failing, to fully fill his shoes.
David Moyes lasted only 10 months after inheriting Ferguson’s seat in 2013, winning 27 of 51 games before being shown the door.
Ryan Giggs stepped in as player-manager for the final four matches, earning two wins, one draw, and a loss.
In 2014, Louis van Gaal brought back silverware by lifting the FA Cup in 2016, but his 1.81 points-per-game average over 103 matches wasn’t enough to keep him on.
José Mourinho followed, delivering the Europa League, EFL Cup, and Community Shield in 2017—still the most successful post-Ferguson season—but friction behind the scenes ended his reign.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær brought attacking optimism and Champions League qualification but no trophies.
Michael Carrick’s brief three-game unbeaten stint kept him statistically top, though it was too short to count as legacy.
Ralf Rangnick’s 29 games brought a disappointing 1.45 points per game before he departed.
Erik ten Hag claimed the EFL Cup and FA Cup, but inconsistency saw him dismissed despite tying Solskjær’s average points tally.
His successor, Ruben Amorim, endured a nightmare debut season—finishing 15th with just 0.92 points per game—yet remains backed by the board to oversee a rebuild.
The search for the next Ferguson goes on, but so far, stability has proved as elusive as silverware.