When Manchester United parted ways with David Moyes just ten months into the Scot‘s reign, many would’ve hoped that his demise represented the lowest nadir in a post-Sir Alex Ferguson landscape.
Ferguson, who oversaw United’s 20-year dominance, earmarked his compatriot as the successor to his imposing throne, but replacing the great man was a task well beyond the impressive Everton boss.
Moyes’ slumping stock meant it took years to rebuild his reputation, but the 62-year-old has since worked wonders at West Ham United, and is once again in tune with the Toffees on Merseyside. While he embarked on a full circle career path, United have sunk to depths that very few would’ve deemed fathomable even when Moyes was in charge.
The fleeting highs and brief periods of prosperity overseen by several managers have often been outweighed by the humiliating lows. Project after project has promised plenty but subsequently been abandoned, and it’s those failures that likely mean the incumbent boss, Ruben Amorim, is still in the job.
The Portuguese coach took charge of his 34th Premier League game at the weekend, which was the number Moyes oversaw before he was sacked and later replaced by Louis van Gaal. So, what else are we to do other than compare their respective records in the competition?
Rúben Amorim vs. David Moyes: Manchester United Records Compared
Statistically, Moyes’s Premier League record is considerably better than Amorim’s, who secured just his tenth victory in the competition since succeeding Erik ten Hag last November.
United have drawn seven and lost seven under Amorim, all while boasting a -8 goal difference. They average 1.09 points-per-game, and the Portuguese has the lowest win percentage of any Man Utd manager in Premier League history (29.4%). Ralf Rangnick’s 41.7% is the next lowest.
Graham Potter became the first Premier League manager sacked in 2025–26, and he left West Ham having won just 26% of his league games in charge.
Moyes’s 50% win rate ranks joint-third-worst among United managers post-Ferguson, and it must be noted that the Scot inherited a title-winning team, albeit one that desperately needed refreshing. Amorim has taken on a squad designed for the previous manager, laden with expensive mistakes. His adoration for the 3-4-2-1 has doubtless contributed to his woeful reign thus far, though, with United yet to demonstrate any sort of ability to control games either with or without the ball.
Saturday’s 2–0 win over Sunderland was a positive step, mind. The manager’s tweaks, which included an alternate out-of-possession shape, facilitated one of the best performances of his tenure.
Humiliations haven’t been in short supply under the current boss, although most have arrived away from the Premier League. Old Trafford had been nothing short of a fortress under Ferguson, but with Moyes at the helm, United were beaten on home soil by the likes of West Brom, Everton, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.
The Scot oversaw four more defeats than Amorim through 34 league games, but his team conceded 13 fewer goals and had a +16 goal difference. United were seventh when he was given the boot following a 2–0 defeat at Goodison Park, while Amorim guided the club to 15th last season, their worst league finish since 1973–74, and they’re currently 12th in the table through seven games of the new campaign.
The sole head-to-head meeting between the two managers ended all-square earlier this year, with Amorim’s United fighting back from 2–0 down to earn a point on Merseyside.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ruben Amorim vs. David Moyes: Comparing Their Man Utd Records After 34 Premier League Games.
