Burnley Clash With Man United in Pivotal English Top Division Fixture

The former manager's spell at Old Trafford is considered by many to have been a notable letdown. By any measure, his results stands out for all the wrong causes. During the contemporary football age, no boss at the club has managed a worse points return, nor secured a standing as disappointing as 15th in the table. Delving further back, 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 greater proportion of games. Furthermore, he notoriously secured a place in the team's history by suffering a cup final defeat to Spurs, namely the current side of Tottenham.

Life, however, is seldom that simple. Regardless of the negative press of his tactical approach, Amorim exits a team in a significantly improved state than that which he inherited. Earlier this season, following a victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, Welbeck shared that his colleagues were praising their opponents as the best opposition they had played against in some time. The performance in a thrilling four-all stalemate with AFC Bournemouth was equally promising and thrilling.

While it is hard to contest the termination—particularly given it was said to be caused by his remarks regarding bosses with even worse records—Amorim's demise was finally hampered by atrocious luck. If the absence of crucial personnel not occurred alongside the unavailability of other pivotal members, he may remain in the role—maybe succeeding.

Fletcher Takes the Reins

Consequently, the interim boss Fletcher takes over a relatively stable state of affairs. Star figures like Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes, and Kobbie Mainoo are back to fitness, while Amad Diallo and Mbeumo will shortly be back from the Afcon. Simply careful management of this gifted squad is expected to be enough to guarantee a fifth-place finish and, with it, continental football for next season—probably in the coveted UEFA Champions League.

The Clarets' Formidable Test

The home side, but, won't roll over. Although having only a dozen points and suffering defeats in three of their most recent five outings, their performances have frequently been stronger than the scorelines indicate. Boss Scott Parker will surely have his side fired up to get after United who are likely to play an XI that has not had time to gel, arranged in a setup they have not used for more than a year.

Match begins: 8.15pm GMT.