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Ruben Amorim's time at Manchester United was widely regarded as a notable disappointment. Statistically speaking, his results is remarkable for all the poor reasons. Throughout the contemporary football age, not a single Man Utd boss has managed a worse points return, nor managed a standing as low as 15th in the table. Examining the archives, you have to go back to the manager Frank O'Farrell in the early seventies to find a United boss who was defeated in a higher percentage of games. Moreover, he infamously secured a place in United's annals by experiencing a cup final defeat to Tottenham, specifically Postecoglou's side of the North London club.

Life, though, is seldom so straightforward. Regardless of the scrutiny of his 3-4-2-1 formation, Amorim departs from a club in a significantly improved condition than the one he took over. In a prior match this term, following a defeat of Brighton, the striker Welbeck shared that fellow players were hailing their opponents as the finest team they had faced in a while. Their play in a thrilling high-scoring tie with Bournemouth was both encouraging and thrilling.

While it is hard to dispute the dismissal—especially given it was said to be sparked by his criticism of superiors with poorer records—his demise was ultimately stymied by terrible fortune. If the absence of key stars not occurred alongside the unavailability of other pivotal figures, he may remain in the role—possibly thriving.

A New Era Begins

Consequently, Fletcher takes over a relatively stable state of affairs. Key figures like Mason Mount, Fernandes, and Kobbie Mainoo are back to fitness, while Diallo and Mbeumo will in the near future be back from the Afcon. Just prudent stewardship of this talented squad should be enough to guarantee a finish in the European spots and, with it, European competition for the coming campaign—probably in the coveted UEFA Champions League.

Burnley's Tough Test

Burnley, however, won't make things easy. Even with boasting only twelve points and suffering defeats in 3 of their previous five matches, their showings have often been better than the scorelines suggest. Boss Scott Parker will undoubtedly have his side fired up to get after the visitors who are set to play an lineup that has not had time to gel, deployed in a setup they have gone without for more than a year.

Kick-off: 8.15pm GMT.