How Man Utd bosses have fared in first game as Amorim prepares for Ipswich clash

Ruben Amorim will take charge of his first game as Manchester United boss on Sunday, away to Ipswich in the Premier League.

United fans are optimistic the highly-rated Portuguese boss can enjoy the perfect first day against relegation-threatened Tractor Boys, but Amorim has a huge task to turn around his underperforming team.

Managers have come and gone at Old Trafford as they have tried and failed to restore the glory days, but the first game is usually a good indication of how successful their reign will be.

But how have previous United bosses in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era fared in their first game in charge of the Red Devils? Mirror Football takes a closer look.

David Moyes – Swansea (A) WON 1-4, August 2013

Moyes faced the unenviable task of being Ferguson's immediate successor, with his first game in charge giving no hint of the chaos that would unfold under him.

Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck both scored twice to get the Moyes era at United off to a winning start, but the joy was short-lived.

The Scot was sacked four games before the end of the season, less than a year into a six-year contract, with the team finishing in seventh place and with no chance of a Champions League spot.

Louis van Gaal – Swansea (H) LOST 1-2, August 2014

Van Gaal was brought in to get United back on track after the Moyes debacle. But unlike Moyes, who tasted victory in his first game against Swansea, the Welsh side subjected Van Gaal to a humiliating defeat at Old Trafford.

A Ki Sung-Yueng goal was canceled out by Wayne Rooney, with Gylfi Sigurdsson scoring the winner, condemning United to a first home league defeat since 1972.

Van Gaal steered United back to the Champions League that season and won the FA Cup in his second year, but was sacked less than 48 hours after that victory.

Jose Mourinho – Bournemouth (A) WON 1-3, August 2016

The self-titled Special One arrived at United with a reputation as one of Europe's elite coaches, following great success at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan. The Mourinho era began with a resounding victory on the south coast, with goals from Juan Mata, Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic putting United out of sight before a late Adam Smith strike for the home side.

Mourinho won the League Cup and Europa League in his debut season but was sacked in December 2018 after two-and-a-half years in charge.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – Cardiff (A) WON 1-5, December 2018

United's Treble hero, who was appointed to 'put a smile on faces' after the bitterness and tension of Mourinho's tenure, was given temporary charge and made an immediate impact. United scored five goals in a Premier League match for the first time since Ferguson's last game in charge, a 5-5 draw against West Brom.

Marcus Rashford opened the scoring, Ander Herrera and Anthony Martial added further goals, with Jesse Lingard's double sealing an emphatic win. Solskjaer was eventually given permanent charge, beating Watford 2-1 in March 2019, but was sacked in December 2021.

Erik ten Hag – Brighton (H) LOST 1-2, August 2022

United's fifth permanent boss since Ferguson, Ten Hag's reign got off to a dismal start, with a shock defeat. Two first-half goals from Pascal Gross put Brighton in the lead, and although an own goal gave United hope, the score remained 2–1.

Ten Hag lost his next match 4–0 at Brentford, but managed to guide United to third place in the league and win the League Cup.

A dismal second season, in which he finished eighth, ended with victory over local rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final, but Ten Hag was sacked nine games into this season's Premier League campaign, with his side in fourteenth place.

Interim bosses

Ryan Giggs – Norwich (H) WON 4-0, April 2014

United legend Giggs took charge of their last four Premier League games following Moyes' dismissal, with two goals from Rooney and Mata each securing a comfortable victory.

Michael Carrick – Villarreal (A), WON 0-2, November 2021

Following Solskjaer's departure, former United midfielder Carrick – then coach at the club – was put in charge for three matches, with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho getting him off to a winning start.

Ralf Rangnick – Crystal Palace (H) WON 1-0, December 2021

Rangnick was appointed on an interim basis for the remainder of the season after Carrick took charge, and started with a win, thanks to a late goal from midfielder Fred.

THE MASTER

Sir Alex Ferguson – Oxford United (A) LOST 2-0, November 1986

Then, simply Alex Ferguson, the Scot was recruited from Aberdeen to replace Ron Atkinson, but there was no sign of the unprecedented success that would follow and transform United into the most successful side in the country.

John Aldridge and Neil Slatter scored the goals that condemned Ferguson to defeat in his first game and underlined the scale of the rebuilding task he faced. Frank Stapleton hit the crossbar but United ended Ferguson's first match goalless and defeated.