Karagher: All Manchester United Managers Since Ferguson Have Started Strong and Faded; Amorim May Follow the Curse

Jamie Carragher, in his column, stated that since Sir Alex Ferguson, all Manchester United managers, including Louis van Gaal, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, José Mourinho, and Erik ten Hag, have seen a trend of starting strong but fading over time. The next manager, Bruno Lage, may not be able to escape this curse. It will take 18 months to see if Lage can become the savior of the Red Devils.

Van Gaal helped Manchester United win the FA Cup, Mourinho secured the League Cup and Europa League for the club, Solskjær led the team to the Europa League final and a second-place finish in the Premier League, and Ten Hag has also won two trophies with Manchester United. However, over the past 11 years, when it seemed that Manchester United was catching up to Manchester City, they found themselves moving in the opposite direction, far from winning the Premier League or Champions League titles.

Since Ferguson’s departure, multiple Manchester United managers have appeared to put the team on the right track in the short term. There is no doubt that Amorim will follow this pattern. However, Amorim’s true challenge will come 18 months down the line, when it will be clear whether he can lead the team to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League titles.

In the Mourinho, Solskjær, and Ten Hag eras, at the end of each season, the team was scrutinized and found to be five years behind Manchester City. The players currently signed by Manchester United are tailored to Ten Hag’s tactical setup, but it remains uncertain whether they will fit Amorim’s tactics.

Of course, Ten Hag may have no clear tactical plan, and Amorim might not overhaul the current squad. However, Manchester United can learn from Aston Villa’s Unai Emery, who joined the club when they were 14th in the league and now finds themselves competing in the Champions League. Similarly, Chelsea can serve as a model, having taken one year to get everything in order.

Even if Amorim achieves success in this season and the next, only by staying for more than three years can it be proven that Sir Alex Ferguson found the right person.