13 years after Sir Alex Ferguson retired, the lads who tried to interchange him have scattered throughout European soccer and their fortunes might hardly be extra diversified. One is teaching Actual Madrid once more. One is rebuilding Everton for a second time. One other is making an attempt to revive AC Milan. Three are out of the dugout: one in a boardroom, one retired and one working as an analyst. And the person at the moment within the Previous Trafford scorching seat is discovering how shortly goodwill evaporates at Manchester United.
This piece seems at the place every of the seven everlasting post-Ferguson managers, plus interim bosses Ralf Rangnick and Ruud van Nistelrooy, stands as of mid-October 2026 and the way they’re faring. A couple of particulars have shifted since this summer season, notably on the Netherlands job and Solskjær’s present function and people are mirrored under.
David moyes: Everton’s steadying hand, with a contract clock ticking
Moyes is supervisor of Everton and he’s doing among the finest work of his profession. He returned in January 2025 on a two-and-a-half-year deal to interchange the sacked Sean Dyche, inheriting a facet sitting sixteenth and only one level above the relegation zone. He saved them up, oversaw the transfer from Goodison Park to the brand new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock and by spring 2026 had them chasing European locations, prompting stories that the Friedkin Group wished to increase his deal.
That extension has not materialised. His contract runs to summer season 2027 and the begin to 2026–27 has been robust: Everton are fifth and unbeaten, with two wins and 4 attracts (10 factors) from their first six Premier League video games. The complication is above him. The Friedkin Group is weighing its choices for the membership and Moyes has mentioned publicly what he needs from any new homeowners.
Into that uncertainty has come Celtic, the place Moyes started his enjoying profession. Journalist Alan Nixon stories the Scottish champions are monitoring him as a potential successor to Martin O’Neill, although no strategy has been reported. For now, the 63-year-old is a supervisor in kind whose subsequent transfer relies upon as a lot on Everton’s boardroom as on outcomes.
Louis Van Gaal: Keen, however handed over
Van Gaal stays out of full-time administration and the latest likelihood of a comeback has already gone. After Ronald Koeman resigned following the Netherlands’ round-of-32 World Cup exit to Morocco, the now 75-year-old informed Voetbal Worldwide he wouldn’t rule out a fourth spell as nationwide coach. He additionally mentioned nobody on the KNVB had contacted him and expressed shock at how few candidates appeared eager on the function.
Stories on the time steered his well being had improved after his well-publicised remedy for prostate most cancers and that he felt prepared for a return with out actively chasing one. The federation went elsewhere. On 12 August, the KNVB appointed Xavi Hernández on a deal via the 2030 World Cup, explicitly passing over Van Gaal and Jong Oranje coach Michael Reiziger.
So Van Gaal is, in impact, a retired elder statesman who would reply the cellphone if it rang. His comment that any future teaching work most likely wouldn’t be within the Netherlands suggests he is aware of that exact door has closed.
José mourinho: Again on the Bernabéu
Mourinho is head coach of Actual Madrid for a second time, essentially the most dramatic comeback of the group. Madrid introduced on 11 June 2026 that he would return on a three-season contract to 30 June 2029, paying Benfica a €15 million launch clause; he began work on 13 July. The deal was tied to Florentino Pérez profitable re-election, which he did and Mourinho changed Álvaro Arbeloa after a trophyless 2025–26.
The street again to Madrid was lengthy. After United sacked him in December 2018, Mourinho spent nearly a 12 months out earlier than taking on Tottenham in November 2019. He led Spurs to the 2021 League Cup remaining however was dismissed days earlier than it was performed. At Roma, he received the inaugural Europa Convention League in 2022 and reached the 2023 Europa League remaining, earlier than being sacked in January 2024. He moved to Fenerbahçe in June 2024, left in August 2025 after a Champions League qualifying defeat to Benfica and inside weeks was employed by Benfica themselves, ending third within the Primeira Liga.
The early returns are combined however respectable. Madrid strengthened closely, including Bernardo Silva, Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries, Yan Diomande and Carlos Espí. After a 1–0 win over Villarreal on 10 October, they’re fourth in La Liga with 18 factors from eight video games (six wins, two defeats, to Actual Betis and Atlético Madrid), six factors behind leaders Barcelona, who’ve received all eight and one behind second-placed Atlético. In Europe it’s going higher: a chaotic 4–3 win at Roma on 14 October made it two wins from two within the Champions League.
The defining take a look at arrives on 25 October at Camp Nou. Mourinho’s first Madrid spell was formed by his rivalry with Barcelona; his second could also be too and he’ll face Barcelona with out Vinícius Júnior, banned for 4 video games after a crimson card in opposition to Villarreal.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær: Watching from the stands
Solskjær is out of membership administration and dealing as a technical observer for UEFA, a match-analysis function relatively than a seat on its Government Committee. His return to the dugout at Beşiktaş, which started in January 2025, lasted solely about eight months earlier than he was dismissed in August 2025.
His identify has not gone quiet. When Kieran McKenna, as soon as a part of his Previous Trafford workers, left Ipswich City in June 2026, Solskjær briefly grew to become the bookmakers’ favorite to interchange him. He had been noticed at a number of Ipswich video games, usually alongside Michael Carrick. He was additionally reportedly thought of by United in January 2026 as a caretaker after Amorim’s exit, earlier than the membership selected Carrick.
There was no reported appointment from both hyperlink. At 53, Solskjær stays nicely linked and evidently nonetheless wished, however for now he’s analysing soccer relatively than managing it.
Erik ten hag: Dwelling to Twente, upstairs
Ten Hag is technical director of FC Twente, a step away from teaching after the shortest spell of his profession. Bayer Leverkusen employed him in Might 2025 and dismissed him in September after simply three video games, two of them within the Bundesliga, a report in Germany.
Twente introduced the appointment on 6 January 2026. He joined on 1 February to work alongside retiring director Jan Streuer, then took full cost on 1 July, on a contract to mid-2028. It’s a homecoming: he grew up close to Enschede, performed 13 seasons for the membership throughout three spells and coached its academy.
The transfer seems deliberate relatively than determined. He turned down Ajax in November 2025 and, in keeping with Reuters, additionally dominated himself out of the Netherlands job this summer season. Bear in mind too that he left United with two trophies, the 2023 League Cup and the 2024 FA Cup, greater than any of his successors up to now. On the pitch, Twente are fourth within the Eredivisie with 17 factors from eight video games below head coach John van den Brom, together with a 3–2 win over PSV.
Ruben Amorim: Rebuilding at AC Milan
Amorim is head coach of AC Milan. The membership appointed him on 16 June 2026 on a two-year deal, 5 months after United dismissed him following a 1–1 draw at Leeds. Milan had sacked Massimiliano Allegri after ending fifth and lacking out on the Champions League; Amorim known as teaching the membership a lifelong ambition.
The beginning was shaky. Milan went winless in preseason, together with a 3–0 defeat to Chelsea and Corriere dello Sport steered he might be among the many first Serie A coaches sacked. His United report of 24 wins in 63 video games was shortly recalled. The membership nonetheless backed him closely, breaking its switch report to signal Gonçalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain.
Because the league started, outcomes have steadied. Milan are fifth in Serie A, unbeaten after six video games with three wins, three attracts and 12 factors, 4 behind leaders Inter and Lazio. Too lots of these attracts nonetheless rankle: after the 1–1 at Sassuolo on 11 October, Amorim complained brazenly about factors thrown away. His Sporting report of two Portuguese titles, two League Cups and a Tremendous Cup explains why Milan took the gamble.
Michael Carrick: From saviour to scrutiny in 5 months
Carrick is United’s head coach and he’s below actual stress for the primary time. Appointed interim on 13 January 2026, he reworked the season, beating Manchester Metropolis and Arsenal in his first two video games and steering United to 3rd place. That earned him the job completely in Might on a two-year contract.
The 2026–27 marketing campaign has gone the opposite manner. United are thirteenth with six factors from six video games: one win, three attracts and two defeats. The one league win got here in opposition to newly promoted Ipswich. A 3–2 residence collapse in opposition to Brighton in September noticed him booed on and off 10 October United might solely draw 1–1 with a ten-man Tottenham facet who had been backside of the desk.
The board is reported to be backing him for now, although Eddie Howe and Antonio Conte are already being talked about as alternate options. Accidents, together with to Benjamin Šeško, haven’t helped. Away video games at Leeds on 18 October and Como within the Champions League on 21 October now carry uncommon weight.
Ralf Rangnick: The interim who discovered his degree with Austria
Rangnick is head coach of Austria and arguably essentially the most profitable of United’s departed bosses since leaving. He took interim cost in December 2021 after Solskjær’s sacking, with a two-year consultancy function meant to comply with. It didn’t work: United completed sixth on 58 factors, then their lowest Premier League complete and the consultancy was quietly dropped when he left in 2022.
Austria has been a much better match. He topped a Euro 2024 group containing France and the Netherlands, turned down Bayern Munich that spring and led Austria to their first World Cup since 1998. There they reached the knockout stage for the primary time since 1954, beating Jordan 3–1 earlier than shedding 3–0 to Spain within the spherical of 32. Days earlier than the event, he prolonged his contract to 2028, ending hypothesis a couple of transfer to AC Milan.
Ruud van Nistelrooy: Interim, then Leicester, now Oranje
Van Nistelrooy is assistant coach of the Netherlands. He got here to Previous Trafford in summer season 2024 as Ten Hag’s assistant and took interim cost after Ten Hag’s sacking that October. His 4 video games introduced three wins and a draw, however Amorim’s arrival meant there was no function for him and he left.
Leicester employed him weeks later. It went badly: 5 wins in 27 video games, relegation and dismissal in June 2025. After seven months out, he joined Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands workers in February 2026 for the World Cup, the place Oranje misplaced to Morocco on penalties within the spherical of 32. Koeman resigned, however new coach Xavi saved Van Nistelrooy on as his second coach.
At a look: standings and honours
| Supervisor | Present Function | League Place (15 Oct 2026) | Main Teaching Honours |
|---|---|---|---|
| José Mourinho | Actual Madrid head coach | 4th in La Liga, 18 pts from 8; 2 wins from 2 in Champions League | 2 Champions Leagues (Porto, Inter); league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain; UEFA Cup (Porto); Europa League (Man Utd); Convention League (Roma) |
| David Moyes | Everton supervisor | fifth in Premier League, 10 pts from 6, unbeaten | Europa Convention League (West Ham, 2023); FA Cup remaining (Everton, 2009) |
| Erik ten Hag | FC Twente technical director | Twente 4th in Eredivisie, 17 pts from 8 | 3 Eredivisie titles (Ajax); League Cup 2023 and FA Cup 2024 (Man Utd) |
| Ruben Amorim | AC Milan head coach | fifth in Serie A, 12 pts from 6, unbeaten | 2 Portuguese titles, 2 League Cups, Tremendous Cup (Sporting); Europa League remaining 2025 (Man Utd) |
| Michael Carrick | Manchester United head coach | thirteenth in Premier League, 6 pts from 6 | Third-place end with United, 2025–26 |
| Ralf Rangnick | Austria head coach | Nationwide crew; World Cup 2026 spherical of 32 | DFB-Pokal 2011 (Schalke); Euro 2024 group winners and World Cup 2026 qualification (Austria) |
| Ruud van Nistelrooy | Netherlands assistant coach | Nationwide crew; World Cup 2026 spherical of 32 | KNVB Cup 2023 (PSV) |
| Louis van Gaal | Retired | — | Champions League 1995 (Ajax); league titles within the Netherlands, Spain and Germany; FA Cup 2016 (Man Utd); World Cup Third place 2014 |
| Ole Gunnar Solskjær | UEFA technical observer | — | 2 Norwegian titles and a cup (Molde); Europa League remaining 2021 (Man Utd) |
The sample is hanging. Of the six males who’ve left Previous Trafford since Ferguson, Moyes and Mourinho have rebuilt their reputations within the dugout and Amorim is making an attempt to do the identical at Milan, whereas Ten Hag has moved upstairs and Van Gaal and Solskjær are, for various causes, on the skin. Carrick’s problem is to keep away from turning into the seventh entry on that checklist. The following fortnight will say lots about whether or not he can.
