The search for Man United’s next manager has become even trickier, as the next permanent appointment has to be one that not only delivers immediate results, but also restores a clear identity, commands authority in a fractured dressing room, and finally ends the cycle of short-term fixes that have defined the post-Ferguson era.
Twelve years have passed since Manchester United‘s legendary manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, departed the club. Twelve years of searching for a successor capable of replicating his greatness. Twelve years of trial and error. Twelve years of mid-season appointments and dismissals. Twelve years of interim solutions. Twelve years of trusting processes that have led nowhere.
And this time around, the question is no longer who can replicate Sir Alex’s success – but whether Manchester United has truly learned that in modern football, patience is key to building a stable team, and a long-term project capable of restoring the club to the level its history demands.
Man United’s Next Manager: The Red Devils Appoints Michael Carrick as Head Coach Until End of Season
On Tuesday, United announced that former defender Michael Carrick will take over from Darren Fletcher on an interim basis until the end of the season. Carrick, who has previously been part of United’s coaching staff and also served as interim manager following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjær in 2021, will be in charge for the club’s remaining Premier League fixtures.
With United already knocked out of every other competition, the Englishman’s focus will be solely on stabilising league form and guiding the team through the rest of the EPL campaign, with hopes of a Champions League qualification in mind.
While he remains in charge, the club’s hierarchy will be on the lookout for Man United’s next manager, aware that any appointment lacking a clear long-term vision, authority, and alignment with the club’s rebuild will only set the club back years once again and further heighten the frustration among supporters.
What Makes Man United’s Next Permanent Appointment Even Riskier After Ruben Amorim’s Dismissal
Ruben Amorim’s sacking at Manchester United came as a shock, largely because it was unforeseen.
At the start of the season, United’s co-owner and minority shareholder, Jim Ratcliffe, had spoken publicly about the club’s long-term vision and Amorim’s role in it, insisting that the Portuguese coach would be granted at least three years to steer the club back to where it belongs. Yet just 14 months later, those assurances were abandoned, and Amorim was relieved of his duties.
Manchester United remains one of the biggest institutions in world football, a club that countless coaches would dream of leading. However, the events of recent years have made the role far less appealing than it once was, to the point where any prospective manager would be forced to think twice before accepting the job.
1. Club Instability
The stability Manchester United enjoyed under Sir Alex Ferguson stands in stark contrast to the turbulence the club faces today. Ferguson spent nearly 28 years at Old Trafford, while since his departure in 2013, the club has had six different managers who have tried to implement their philosophies but failed.
The longest tenure among them has been Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s, lasting just over two years.
The problem of instability isn’t limited to on-field issues. Off the pitch, the club’s transfer strategy has shifted with every new manager, resulting in a mismatched squad built for different types of systems.
Also, contradictions and public spats between ownership, executives, and managers have been well documented, the latest being former head coach Ruben Amorim’s explosive interview before his sacking. He revealed that, although he was hired as a manager, he was treated more like a head coach, lacking the freedom to make key decisions on transfers, squad selection, and long-term strategy.
Manchester United have had big names like Jose Mourinho and Erik ten Hag, who have had a higher win percentage – along with trophies – than other permanent managers, they were still dismissed. With this, Man United’s next manager will inevitably wonder whether they will receive full backing during the transitional challenges that come with rebuilding the team.
2. Unproven New Hierarchy
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group has been in charge of Manchester United for nearly three years, following the completion of the takeover in February 2024.
Their first managerial appointment was Ruben Amorim, and if the next appointment also fails, it will raise serious questions about their decision-making and their ability to provide a genuinely supportive environment – and whether they can successfully run a football club at the highest level.
Man United’s next manager, appointed by this group, will need to deliver results quickly in order to heal the lingering frustrations and heartbreak that the fanbase has endured over the years.
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3. Underperforming Team and Economic Challenges
Is the current Manchester United squad strong enough to challenge for any major title or trophy at the moment? Recent setbacks – including a shock defeat to Grimsby in the EFL Cup, an FA Cup exit at the hands of Brighton, and a series of alarming results in the Premier League – suggest otherwise.
Any manager taking charge of this squad would face an uphill battle, needing to address deep tactical inconsistencies, boost morale, and extract the maximum potential from a team that has struggled to perform consistently on all fronts.
Manchester United returning to its glory days will require not just tactical acumen but also strong man-management and the ability to inspire a squad weighed down by past disappointments.
Man United’s next manager will inherit a team that has underperformed despite significant spending. They must navigate a difficult dressing room and work within potential Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) constraints, requiring success under tight financial scrutiny.
The next permanent head coach will have a lot of difficult waters to navigate. Being the manager of one of the biggest clubs in world football comes with its perks.
What was once a position of prestige and long-term authority has become one defined by instability, internal power struggles, and unrealistic expectations, turning the Old Trafford hot seat into one of the most scrutinised and unforgiving roles in the modern game.
One of the frontrunners to take over as Manchester United’s permanent head coach after Michael Carrick’s interim tenure is former Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso, who was relieved of his duties on Tuesday following a turbulent seven-month spell at the Spanish club.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Mark Pain
Recording Date: 05.01.2026
