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Amorim's tenure at the Red Devils is considered by many to have been a major failure. Looking at the numbers, his results stands out for all the wrong factors. Throughout the Premier League era, not a single Man Utd boss has recorded a worse points return, or managed a final position as disappointing as 15th place. Looking deeper into history, you have to return to the manager Frank O'Farrell in 1972 to find a manager at the club who lost a higher percentage of fixtures. Additionally, he famously secured a place in United's annals by suffering a loss in a final to Tottenham, namely Postecoglou's side of Spurs.

The game, however, is rarely so straightforward. Despite the criticism of his favored system, the Portuguese manager leaves behind a squad in a far better position than the one he found. Months ago, following a win against Brighton, the striker Welbeck relayed that teammates were praising United as the finest team they had played against in a while. Their football in a exhilarating 4-4 draw with AFC Bournemouth was both hopeful and thrilling.

While it is difficult to contest the dismissal—particularly given it was allegedly sparked by his criticism of executives with poorer records—his exit was ultimately hindered by awful fortune. Had injuries to crucial players not coincided with the absence of other essential figures, he might still be in the job—possibly even.

A New Era Begins

Therefore, Darren Fletcher steps into a relatively positive state of affairs. Key figures like Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes, and Kobbie Mainoo are back to fitness, while Diallo and Mbeumo will in the near future rejoin from the Africa Cup of Nations. Just sensible stewardship of this gifted squad should be enough to secure a finish in the European spots and, with it, continental football for the coming campaign—probably in the prestigious European Cup.

Burnley's Formidable Test

Burnley, but, will not make things easy. Despite having only twelve points and losing 3 of their most recent five games, their displays have often been more impressive than the outcomes show. Boss Parker will surely have his team fired up to take the game to opponents who are expected to start an lineup that has not had time to gel, deployed in a setup they have not used for over a year.

Kick-off: 20:15 GMT.