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Ruben Amorim's time at the Red Devils is considered by many to have been a significant failure. Looking at the numbers, his record is notable for all the negative factors. Throughout the contemporary football age, not a single Man Utd boss has achieved a worse points return, or managed a league finish as poor as 15th place. Examining the archives, you have to go back to the manager Frank O'Farrell in 1972 to find a manager at the club who was defeated in a larger share of fixtures. Furthermore, he famously carved a niche in club lore by suffering a final loss to Tottenham Hotspur, specifically the current iteration of the North London club.

Football, though, is not often so straightforward. Despite the criticism of his tactical approach, the Portuguese manager exits a club in a much stronger state than the one he inherited. In a prior match this term, following a victory over Brighton, Danny Welbeck shared that teammates were lauding their opponents as the most impressive opposition they had encountered in a long time. The performance in a breathtaking four-all stalemate with Bournemouth was equally promising and exhilarating.

Although it is tough to contest the dismissal—especially given it was reportedly triggered by his criticism of executives with poorer histories—his demise was finally stymied by awful luck. If injuries to vital stars not occurred alongside the absence of other pivotal members, he might remain in the position—possibly even.

A New Era Begins

Consequently, Fletcher inherits a fairly solid situation. Star figures like Mount, Bruno Fernandes, and Mainoo are back to fitness, while Diallo and Mbeumo will soon rejoin from the Africa Cup of Nations. Simply prudent stewardship of this talented squad ought to be enough to secure a finish in the European spots and, with it, European competition for next season—most likely in the prestigious UEFA Champions League.

Burnley's Daunting Task

Burnley, though, are unlikely to make things easy. Despite having only 12 points and losing 3 of their last five outings, their displays have at times been better than the scorelines suggest. Head coach Scott Parker will undoubtedly have his squad fired up to take the game to United who are set to start an XI that has lacked cohesion, arranged in a formation they have gone without for over a year.

Kick-off: 8:15 in the evening GMT.