Manchester United find themselves in a familiar cycle, and this time under the guidance of Michael Carrick. The former midfielder of the Red Devils, who worked wonders during his temporary role, now seems poised to become another victim of the pressure at Old Trafford.
Just a few months ago, Carrick appeared infallible: he led the team to third place and returned the club to the Champions League. However, as is often the case following Sir Alex Ferguson's departure, initial optimism has given way to grim reality. Supporters continue to back Carrick, directing their anger at the hierarchy, yet it is the manager who frequently bears the brunt of the blame for others' incompetence.
Ruben Amorim knows this too well. The Portuguese manager is currently working at AC Milan, trying to rebuild his reputation after departing from his club earlier this year. Amorim left England with one of the worst managerial records in Manchester's modern history. But does the current plight of the team mean that the Englishman risks descending below the standard set by his predecessor?
When comparing their overall records, Amorim lasted 14 months, overseeing 63 matches, with 25 victories, 15 draws, and 23 defeats. His win percentage stood at 39.7%, making him the second worst among all permanent and interim managers at Manchester United since the Premier League's inception (only Ralph Rangnick's 37.9% was worse). In the Premier League, Amorim's statistics were weaker still: 15 wins from 47 matches (31.9%). Nevertheless, the Portuguese's efforts were bolstered by a run to the Europa League final in 2025, where the team lost to Tottenham Hotspur.
Michael Carrick, who took over a disjointed team in January, delivered a strong finish to that season: no one collected more points than Manchester United. However, the failures of the current season have led to a sharp decline in his overall statistics. At present, Carrick's win percentage is 48.5% across 33 matches (16 wins, 8 draws, 9 losses). This is still better than Amorim’s, but the trend is rapidly worsening.
Amorim was dismissed following a conflict with sporting director Jason Wilcox. The Portuguese left the team in sixth place, winning 38% of his matches in his second season (8 wins, 7 draws, and 6 losses in 21 games). This was mediocre, but fans would pay dearly for such stability now.
At the start of the 2026/27 season, the situation is dire. Despite praise for reconstructing the midfield, it became clear that the club was woefully unprepared for a more challenging campaign. Under Carrick's management, the team has won only two of 13 matches this season — against newly promoted Ipswich and Champions League debutants Sabah. The win percentage has plummeted to 15.4% (2 wins, 4 draws, 7 losses), and the goal difference stands at a distressing 17:24. Last season's data indicated that Manchester United accumulated 12.7 points more than expected, achieving an abnormal number of victories by a single goal. This success proved unsustainable, and the club failed to address systemic issues over the summer.
Recent defeat to Chelsea by a score of 0-2 extended United's winless streak to nine matches across all competitions. This is the worst run without a victory for the club since autumn 1988, when Sir Alex Ferguson's side went through a stretch of eight draws and a loss to Norwich City.
Ruben Amorim never faced such a critical point regarding lengthy winless streaks across all competitions, although the Portuguese came close. At the end of the 2024/25 season, his team failed to win in the Premier League for eight consecutive matches, languishing in 16th place, yet continued to win consistently in the Europa League, reaching the final of the tournament.
