🔗 Share this article

The former manager's time at Manchester United is considered by many to have been a major letdown. Looking at the numbers, his performance is notable for all the wrong causes. In the contemporary football age, no boss at the club has achieved a lower points average, or achieved a standing as poor as 15th place. Looking deeper into history, you have to return to Frank O'Farrell in 1972 to find a United boss who was defeated in a higher percentage of games. Furthermore, he infamously etched his name in United's annals by experiencing a cup final defeat to Spurs, namely Ange Postecoglou's version of the North London club.

Life, however, is rarely that simple. Regardless of the scrutiny of his tactical approach, he departs from a squad in a significantly improved condition than the one he found. In a prior match this term, following a win against Brighton, Danny Welbeck reported that his colleagues were praising their opponents as the best side they had played against in a long time. The play in a exhilarating high-scoring tie with Bournemouth was both encouraging and thrilling.

While it is hard to dispute the termination—particularly given it was allegedly caused by his criticism of superiors with poorer track records—Amorim's downfall was in the end stymied by awful fortune. Had injuries to vital players not occurred alongside the unavailability of other essential individuals, he might still be in the job—possibly succeeding.

A New Era Begins

Therefore, Fletcher takes over a reasonably stable state of affairs. Key figures like Mount, Fernandes, and Mainoo are available again, while Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo will soon be back from the African tournament. Simply prudent husbandry of this gifted squad ought to be adequate to ensure a top-five finish and, with it, continental football for the coming campaign—most likely in the prestigious Champions League.

The Clarets' Daunting Challenge

The home side, though, are unlikely to make things easy. Even with having only 12 points and having lost 3 of their most recent five matches, their performances have often been stronger than the results show. Boss Scott Parker will undoubtedly have his team fired up to take the game to the visitors who are likely to field an lineup that has lacked cohesion, set up in a system they have been denied for a year or more.

Match begins: 8:15 in the evening GMT.