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Ruben Amorim's time at the Red Devils has been labeled a major failure. Looking at the numbers, his performance stands out for all the poor causes. Throughout the modern top-flight period, no United manager has achieved a lower points average, or 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 manager at the club who lost a larger share of matches. Moreover, he infamously secured a place in the team's history by suffering a loss in a final to Spurs, particularly the current iteration of Tottenham.

The game, however, is seldom that simple. In spite of the scrutiny of his 3-4-2-1 formation, the Portuguese manager exits a squad in a much stronger state than the one he inherited. Earlier this season, following a victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, Welbeck shared that fellow players were hailing their opponents as the finest opposition they had played against in some time. Their play in a breathtaking 4-4 draw with Bournemouth was both encouraging and exciting.

Although it is hard to argue against the termination—particularly given it was reportedly sparked by his comments about superiors with even worse track records—Amorim's exit was in the end hampered by atrocious fortune. If injuries to key stars not happened at the same time as the unavailability of other pivotal members, he might still be in the role—perhaps succeeding.

A New Era Begins

As a result, the interim boss Fletcher takes over a relatively solid state of affairs. Star players like Mason Mount, Fernandes, and Kobbie Mainoo are available again, while Diallo and Mbeumo will in the near future return from the African tournament. Simply prudent stewardship of this skilled group is expected to be sufficient to guarantee a top-five finish and, with it, European football for next season—most likely in the coveted UEFA Champions League.

The Clarets' Formidable Test

Vincent Kompany's team, however, will not roll over. Even with having only twelve points and having lost 3 of their previous five matches, their performances have often been better than the results show. Boss Scott Parker will surely have his team pumped up to take the game to the visitors who are set to start an XI that has never played together, arranged in a system they have been denied for a year or more.

Kick-off: 8.15pm GMT.