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Ruben Amorim's time at Old Trafford is considered by many to have been a major disappointment. By any measure, his record stands out for all the wrong causes. During the contemporary football age, no boss at the club has managed a worse points return, or managed a standing as low as 15th place. Delving further back, you have to return to the manager Frank O'Farrell in the early seventies to find a Red Devils' gaffer who lost a higher percentage of games. Additionally, he notoriously secured a place in the team's history by enduring a final loss to Spurs, specifically Postecoglou's version of Spurs.

Life, though, is seldom so straightforward. In spite of the negative press of his 3-4-2-1 formation, Amorim leaves behind a club in a much stronger state than that which he found. In a prior match this term, following a win against Brighton & Hove Albion, Danny Welbeck shared that teammates were hailing United as the most impressive side they had played against in some time. The play in a thrilling four-all stalemate with Bournemouth was both hopeful and exciting.

While it is hard to argue against the decision to sack him—especially given it was said to be sparked by his remarks regarding superiors with more miserable track records—his demise was ultimately hindered by awful luck. If injuries to key personnel not occurred alongside the absence of other essential figures, he may still be in the position—perhaps thriving.

Fletcher Takes the Reins

As a result, Fletcher takes over a fairly stable state of affairs. Star figures like Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes, and Mainoo are available again, while Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo will in the near future return from the African tournament. Simply careful stewardship of this gifted group should be enough to guarantee a top-five finish and, with it, continental football for the following term—in all likelihood in the prestigious UEFA Champions League.

The Clarets' Daunting Test

Vincent Kompany's team, though, won't roll over. Even with boasting only 12 points and suffering defeats in 3 of their previous five outings, their displays have often been better than the results show. Head coach Scott Parker will surely have his squad pumped up to take the game to opponents who are likely to play an lineup that has lacked cohesion, deployed in a formation they have gone without for a year or more.

Kick-off: 20:15 GMT.