70% to 20%: How Michael Carrick's Manchester United win rate collapsed in months

While Michael Carrick made a good debut at Manchester United, he has experienced a significant decline, with his win percentage falling from 70.6% during his first tenure to just 20% this year. The ex-midfielder won 12 out of his first 17 matches after becoming the team manager in January 2026, but could only claim victory in 3 of his next 15 matches.

Carrick became the Manchester United manager in January when the team fired Ruben Amorim.

He had immediate success with his team, securing 12 wins out of 17 games played and earning a win percentage of 70.6% and third place in the Premier League, thereby qualifying for the Champions League. He got a permanent deal in May.


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However, this particular campaign brought about a complete turnaround.

United won only three of the 15 matches played by Carrick in various competitions, with the winning percentage standing at 20%, according to Reuters. The side won only one game in its first ten Premier League matches with an aggregate of eight points, ending up in 18th position.

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The difference could not be more obvious, but the percentages represent two different periods.

They must not be equated to Carrick’s entire period of managing, which in total included 32 games where he won 15, drew eight and lost nine for a total of a 46.9% win percentage.

How did Michael Carrick’s win rate fall from 70% to 20%?

Carrick was appointed in January after Manchester United fired Ruben Amorim.

But Carrick's early performances soon put things right for the Red Devils. Manchester United won 12 out of their 17 games under his guidance and finished third in the Premier League to win the Champions League berth, scoring an impressive 70.6% winning percentage.

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But in the next season, there was a completely different story from the previous one.

According to Reuters, United won only three out of 15 games in all competitions in Carrick's tenure, winning only 20% of them. United managed to win only one league match out of its first ten matches and scored only eight points in total, standing 18th on the table.

There is a huge difference indeed, but both percentages refer to a different period of time.

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And they shouldn't be mistakenly thought to refer to Carrick's entire career at the club, where he won 15 out of 32 matches, drew eight and lost nine, thus winning 46.9% of games.

What went wrong for Manchester United under Carrick?

Carrick’s early period indicated that he had discovered a way of getting more out of a struggling side.

One notable tactical change was the move away from Amorim’s favoured 3-5-2 formation. It gave Bruno Fernandes a chance to play more upfield and have an impact on the attack rather than playing deep.

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According to Sky Sports, Fernandes’s creativity in open play greatly improved under the successful Carrick reign.

Nevertheless, the new season made clear that several issues from the prior streak were yet unresolved. United couldn’t defend effectively or manage to convert their good periods of play into wins.

In addition, the team’s return to European competition increased their load since they now had to play in the competition when previously they were relieved of that burden.

The last part of the season didn’t bring any improvement either. 2-0 loss against Chelsea and a 4-4 tie with Aston Villa happened while the side went on its losing streak in the league.

United managed to win once in the Champions League against Roma, but it didn’t improve their domestic performance.

Why did Manchester United sack Michael Carrick?

Carrick was sacked by Manchester United on Thursday because of their bad start, which left them ranked 18th in the Premier League.

According to Reuters, the team had won only one game out of ten league matches, and they went nine matches without a win before the last draw with Aston Villa.

This move also showed the difference between what the club aimed for and its position in the table, since qualification to the Champions League had set higher expectations following Carrick’s first tenure.

What does Carrick’s record mean for his managerial career?

Overall, Carrick wins 46.9% of his games, making him a worse manager compared to some of the more recent permanent managers of Manchester United, such as Jose Mourinho, who won 58.3%.

Erik ten Hag managed 54.7%, and Ole Gunnar Solskjær won 54.2% of his games according to the data collected and published by Soccer Mag.

Carrick’s statistics are still slightly better than those of Ruben Amorim, who wins only 38.1%.

Statistics reveal a somewhat more complicated picture than that of an unsuccessful management hire.