Manchester United have appointed eleven different managers since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, and none have managed to restore the club’s former glory.
The club has tried nearly every conceivable approach, from bringing in Ferguson’s compatriot David Moyes to handing the reins to the theatrical Jose Mourinho, but nothing has worked.
When United turned to Ruben Amorim, widely praised for his innovative work at Sporting Club de Portugal, it soon became evident that tactical ingenuity alone was not the answer.
Now, some 13 years removed from their last Premier League title, United are moving in a more familiar direction by appointing former midfielder Michael Carrick as head coach.
Carrick, who retired as a player in 2018 after 12 years at the club, is 44 years old and represents the youngest member of Ferguson’s trusted old guard.
He previously took charge of United on an interim basis and then spent three successful seasons managing Middlesbrough, where he built a strong reputation despite never securing promotion to the Premier League.
United lost just two of 17 games between January and May 2026, defeating Manchester City, Liverpool, and eventual league champions Arsenal during a remarkable turnaround in fortunes.
The improvement under Carrick was so significant that prominent sports betting sites had begun pricing United as favourites for upcoming league games and Champions League qualification markets shifted considerably.
Central to the rebuild is a squad that finally appears balanced, featuring Matthijs de Ligt in his prime years and two forwards in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo capable of contributing over 20 goal involvements cumulatively.
Bruno Fernandes, who claimed the EA Sports Player of the Season award, remains the heartbeat of the side and is now seeking international glory with Portugal at the World Cup in North America this summer.
Portugal carry strong odds across all three World Cup group phase games, against DR Congo at 1.26, Uzbekistan at 1.27, and Colombia at 2.55, meaning Fernandes could deliver real value throughout the tournament.
Remarkably, should Fernandes win a third international trophy with Portugal, he would hold more silverware with his country than with his current club, which speaks volumes about United’s prolonged domestic struggles.
A similar feel-good wave accompanied Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s appointment, but the former striker’s lack of domestic management experience and over-reliance on sentiment ultimately led to his departure from the dugout.
Carrick brings a different profile, one shaped by real managerial experience away from Old Trafford and a football education built under Ferguson across more than a decade as a player.
When Fernandes and other World Cup participants return to Carrington for pre-season, they will find a United side that is fluid, competitive, and no longer dependent on a single system or style of play.
That adaptability, the ability to fight from behind and defend leads under pressure, may be exactly what propels Manchester United back to the summit of English football for the first time in over a decade.
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