Taking over a team like Manchester United is a serious task that comes with high expectations since the work of a new manager is always compared to the results of his predecessors. In fact, the end of 2021 has brought some changes in the management of this legendary English team once again.
The club has parted ways with the Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who led the Red Devils for almost three years. The vacancy has been filled with Ralf Rangnick, who will leave his post at Lokomotiv Moscow to get a role of the English team’s interim manager until the end of the current season. Once the season ends, Rangnick will remain as a team’s consultant for another two years.
Since six months usually aren’t enough for a manager to “fix” a team, Rangnick will have to use every trick up his sleeve to bring United to its former glory and earn lifelong respect. And while Premier League betting fans are waiting for the 63-year-old to lead the Red Devils back to the top of the table, we’ll take a trip down memory lane and reflect on the Manchester United managers everyone should remember.
Sir Alex Ferguson
Even if you’re not a football fan, you’ve definitely heard of Sir Alex Ferguson, the greatest manager who was synonymous with Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He managed the team in more than 1,300 games and helped the Devils win dozens of major trophies. Under him, Manchester United won the Premier League 13 times.
Since the list of amazing players Sir Alex Ferguson brought to United is quite long, we couldn’t add all the names to this article. Yet, we can’t help but mention that this manager signed legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, who both dictated the Devils’ playstyle for many years.
However, even Ferguson wasn’t always a fan-favourite. When Manchester went through several rough seasons, football buffs blamed it on him and wanted him to step down from his managerial role.
Louis van Gaal
After Ferguson left, David Moyes took over Manchester United. Unfortunately, he wasn’t competent enough to keep the position for long, and soon, he got replaced by Louis Van Gaal. The Dutch manager gave his best to help the Devils get back on their feet, and his reign lasted from 2014 to 2016.
His main goal was to establish a strong defence, which some fans saw as too cautious of an approach. The highlight of his career at Old Trafford turned out to be a double-edged sword — namely, he led Manchester United to the 2016 FA Cup trophy, after which he was sacked and left the club.
Jose Mourinho
Although he wasn’t the right fit for Manchester United, no one can deny that Jose Mourinho did some good things for the most decorated English club. He joined the squad in 2016. By the time he departed in 2018, he had won the League Cup, FA Community Shield, and Europa League.
Apart from the trophies, Mourinho will be remembered for getting Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Paris Saint-Germain and winning a treble in his first season at Manchester United.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spent close to three years in Manchester United and managed to liven up the atmosphere, which was something the team needed desperately. He brought back Cristiano Ronaldo and reached the finals of the Europa League in 2020/21, which significantly increased the team’s confidence and enthusiasm.
If it weren’t for that dreadful 5–0 defeat by Liverpool, perhaps Ole would still be at the wheel. Nevertheless, he had some great moments, too, which is why he deserves to be remembered fondly by Manchester United aficionados.
