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Ruben Amorim's tenure at Manchester United has been labeled a significant failure. By any measure, his record is remarkable for all the wrong factors. During the Premier League era, no boss at the club has achieved a lower points average, nor managed a league finish as poor as 15th place. 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 greater proportion of fixtures. Additionally, he notoriously etched his name in the team's history by suffering a cup final defeat to Spurs, particularly Ange Postecoglou's side of Tottenham.

Life, however, is not often that simple. Regardless of the negative press of his tactical approach, Amorim leaves behind a squad in a significantly improved position than the one he took over. Earlier this season, following a win against Brighton, the striker Welbeck reported that fellow players were lauding their opponents as the finest team they had encountered in a long time. The performance in a breathtaking four-all stalemate with Bournemouth was equally encouraging and thrilling.

While it is hard to contest the dismissal—especially given it was said to be caused by his criticism of superiors with even worse track records—his demise was finally hindered by awful luck. If injuries to key stars not coincided with the loss of other important figures, he may remain in the position—maybe even.

A New Era Begins

As a result, Fletcher steps into a relatively stable scenario. Key players like Mount, Bruno Fernandes, and Mainoo are now fit, while Amad Diallo and Mbeumo will in the near future rejoin from the Afcon. Simply careful husbandry of this gifted group ought to be adequate to secure a fifth-place finish and, with it, continental football for the following term—in all likelihood in the prestigious UEFA Champions League.

Burnley's Daunting Test

Burnley, though, are unlikely to make things easy. Despite having only twelve points and losing 3 of their most recent five matches, their showings have frequently been more impressive than the results suggest. Boss Parker will certainly have his team pumped up to get after opponents who are expected to play an XI that has lacked cohesion, arranged in a formation they have been denied for more than a year.

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