Ruben Amorim takes charge of Manchester United for the first time this weekend, with cautious optimism around the club.
Amorim’s achievements with Sporting Lisbon have seen him appointed as the club’s new head coach, tasked with reviving the fortunes of a side who have endured a decade of decline.
The Portuguese coach is the club’s sixth permanent manager since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. Hopes are high that he can be the man to lead the side back to those heights.
Ahead of Amorim’s debut, we’ve remembered the first game of every permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Every Man United manager’s first game since Alex Ferguson retired
David Moyes
Manchester United 2-0 Wigan Athletic (Community Shield)
David Moyes was dubbed the ‘Chosen One’ after being selected by Ferguson to succeed him at Old Trafford. Over a decade at Everton had convinced Ferguson that his compatriot was the right man to inherit the reins, with Moyes having overseen a period of overachievement at Everton on a limited budget.
He began his tenure with silverware as Manchester United beat Wigan Athletic to win the Community Shield. Robin van Persie – who had won the Golden Boot during the club’s title success the previous season – scored both goals to sink the surprise FA Cup winners at Wembley.
However, Moyes failed to see out season one and was sacked 10 months into his reign. United sat seventh in the Premier League with four games to go.
Louis van Gaal
Manchester United 1-2 Swansea City (Premier League)
Louis van Gaal was brought in as a big name replacement for Moyes. The Dutchman’s résumé included Champions League success at Ajax and league titles in the Netherlands, Spain and Germany.
Van Gaal was backed in the summer with the high-profile signings of Falcao and British record recruit Angel Di Maria, but his tenure began with defeat on home soil. Gylfi Sigurdsson’s late goal secured Swansea a shock win at Old Trafford on the opening weekend.
Van Gaal led United back into the Champions League in his debut season and lifted the FA Cup in 2015/16. However, the latter success was not enough to keep his job as Jose Mourinho was lined up to replace him.
Jose Mourinho
Manchester United 2-1 Leicester City (Community Shield)
Jose Mourinho marked his first game in charge with silverware success at Wembley. Jesse Lingard, whose extra-time winner had won the FA Cup the previous season, opened the scoring.
Jamie Vardy levelled for Leicester, before a marquee summer signing took centre stage. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored on his debut to ensure the season’s curtain-raiser finished in Manchester United’s favour.
Mourinho won a Europa League and League Cup double in his debut season but was unable to build on that success. He was sacked in December 2018 with the Red Devils 19 points behind league leaders Liverpool.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Cardiff City 1-5 Manchester United (Premier League)
The fan favourite took charge on an interim basis and began with a bang, as Manchester United thrashed Cardiff 5-1 in South Wales. The victory kickstarted a run of six straight wins and 12 unbeaten in the Premier League, a performance that earned Solskjaer the job permanently.
A stunning comeback win against PSG in the Champions League persuaded the board to hand Solskjaer the role on a permanent basis. He spent almost three years in charge before being sacked in November 2021, with the club seventh in the table.
Erik ten Hag
Manchester United 1-2 Brighton (Premier League)
Erik ten Hag was appointed after an impressive period at Ajax but his tenure began in nightmare fashion. Brighton beat Manchester United 2-1 at Old Trafford to spoil his first game, before the Red Devils were thrashed 4-0 at Brentford.
The club’s fortunes improved to end the season third in the table, while Ten Hag claimed trophies in each of his first two seasons in charge, with League Cup and FA Cup success. However, heavy defeats punctuated his time with the club and led to his exit last month. He oversaw Manchester United’s worst-ever start to a Premier League season in 2024/25.
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