All signs point to Michael Carrick being in the dugout at Old Trafford once again to start next season, after overseeing 18 games in charge of the club so far. But how does his record compare with the rest
Of course, Carrick's very first matches came as caretaker manager following the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjær, with the majority coming this season after taking over with the 2-0 win over local rivals Manchester City back in January.
In total, Carrick has won 12 of his 18 matches across the two spells combined, drawing four and suffering two defeats so far.
His record is one of the best among United managers after so many games, which no doubt has helped his case for the permanent job.
Only one better
Looking back at the managers of the post-Alex Ferguson era, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still had the best start to his time in charge, and there will no doubt be more comparisons made between Carrick and the Norwegian going forward.
Solskjaer won 14 of his opening 18 games in charge, drawing twice and losing twice. Converted into points, the former striker would have earned four more points than Carrick (12 wins, four draws, two defeats).
Erik ten Hag is next best behind those two with 12 wins, two draws and four defeats – slightly better than David Moyes' record of 11 wins, four draws and three losses.
Slow starts
If you're wondering where José Mourinho would rank in this list, he had 10 wins, three draws and five defeats, which works out as four points fewer than David Moyes.
That record is slightly ahead of both Ralf Rangnick and Louis van Gaal's first 18 games, which would all add up to 32 points.
Unsurprisingly, Ruben Amorim is bottom of the list after a difficult start to life at the club, winning just eight of his opening 18 games with three draws and seven defeats.
So how do those compare with Sir Alex Ferguson Manchester United were in a very different place back in 1986, with his reign famously beginning with a 2-0 defeat to Oxford United. In total, Ferguson's first 18 games saw United win just seven times, along with seven draws and four losses.
