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Amorim's tenure at Manchester United is considered by many to have been a notable failure. Looking at the numbers, his results is remarkable for all the poor factors. Throughout the contemporary football age, not a single Man Utd boss has managed a worse points return, nor managed a league finish as poor as 15th in the table. Delving further back, you have to return to the manager Frank O'Farrell in the early seventies to find a United boss who lost a greater proportion of matches. Furthermore, he infamously etched his name in club lore by suffering a cup final defeat to Spurs, specifically Postecoglou's side of Tottenham.

The game, but, is rarely so straightforward. Despite the scrutiny of his 3-4-2-1 formation, he departs from a team in a much stronger position than that which he found. Earlier this season, following a win against Brighton & Hove Albion, the striker Welbeck reported that his colleagues were hailing their opponents as the most impressive side they had played against in a long time. Their football in a exhilarating high-scoring tie with AFC Bournemouth was equally hopeful and exciting.

Even though it is tough to contest the dismissal—particularly given it was reportedly sparked by his remarks regarding superiors with poorer records—Amorim's downfall was in the end hindered by awful fortune. Had injuries to vital stars not coincided with the unavailability of other essential figures, he may remain in the position—possibly thriving.

Fletcher Takes the Reins

As a result, Fletcher inherits a relatively stable state of affairs. Star players like Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes, and Kobbie Mainoo are now fit, while Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo will soon rejoin from the African tournament. Simply sensible husbandry of this talented group is expected to be adequate to ensure a finish in the European spots and, with it, continental competition for the following term—most likely in the coveted European Cup.

Burnley's Tough Challenge

Burnley, though, won't make things easy. Even with boasting only twelve points and suffering defeats in 3 of their most recent five outings, their displays have at times been more impressive than the scorelines indicate. Manager Scott Parker will undoubtedly have his team revved up to attack United who are likely to play an lineup that has never played together, deployed in a setup they have not used for more than a year.

Start time: 20:15 GMT.