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Ruben Amorim's time at the Red Devils was widely regarded as a notable letdown. Looking at the numbers, his results is remarkable for all the negative factors. In the contemporary football age, no United manager has recorded fewer points per game, or secured a final position 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 lost a higher percentage of games. Moreover, he famously etched his name in the team's history by experiencing a loss in a final to Tottenham Hotspur, namely Postecoglou's side of Tottenham.

Life, but, is rarely that simple. Regardless of the negative press of his tactical approach, Amorim departs from a club in a far better state than that which he found. In a prior match this term, following a victory over Brighton, the striker Welbeck reported that his colleagues were praising their opponents as the finest side they had encountered in a long time. The performance in a exhilarating high-scoring tie with Bournemouth was equally encouraging and exciting.

Although it is difficult to contest the termination—particularly given it was allegedly triggered by his comments about bosses with more miserable histories—Amorim's exit was ultimately hampered by atrocious luck. Had the absence of crucial personnel not coincided with the unavailability of other important figures, he might still be in the job—perhaps even.

A New Era Begins

As a result, the interim boss Fletcher takes over a relatively stable scenario. Key figures like Mount, Fernandes, and Kobbie Mainoo are available again, while Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo will soon rejoin from the Africa Cup of Nations. Merely prudent management of this talented group ought to be sufficient to guarantee a top-five finish and, with it, European football for the following term—probably in the coveted UEFA Champions League.

The Clarets' Formidable Test

Burnley, however, will not be a pushover. Even with boasting only a dozen points and having lost three of their last five matches, their performances have at times been better than the outcomes show. Manager Scott Parker will certainly have his side pumped up to get after United who are set to field an lineup that has lacked cohesion, set up in a formation they have been denied for over a year.

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