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The former manager's tenure at Manchester United was widely regarded as a notable letdown. By any measure, his performance stands out for all the wrong factors. In the contemporary football age, no boss at the club has achieved a lower points average, nor achieved a standing as disappointing as 15th in the table. Examining the archives, you have to go back to the manager Frank O'Farrell in 1972 to find a manager at the club who lost a greater proportion of matches. Furthermore, he infamously secured a place in club lore by suffering a final loss to Spurs, namely Ange Postecoglou's version of the North London club.

Life, but, is not often that simple. In spite of the scrutiny of his 3-4-2-1 formation, Amorim departs from a club in a far better condition than the one he took over. Earlier this season, following a defeat of Brighton & Hove Albion, Danny Welbeck relayed that his colleagues were hailing United as the best opposition they had played against in a long time. The play in a breathtaking 4-4 draw with Bournemouth was equally hopeful and thrilling.

Even though it is tough to dispute the termination—particularly given it was said to be sparked by his comments about bosses with more miserable track records—Amorim's demise was finally hampered by atrocious fortune. If the absence of vital stars not occurred alongside the absence of other essential members, he could still be in the job—possibly even.

A New Era Begins

As a result, the interim boss Fletcher inherits a relatively solid state of affairs. Important players like Mount, Fernandes, and Kobbie Mainoo are available again, while Amad Diallo and Mbeumo will shortly rejoin from the African tournament. Simply careful husbandry of this skilled roster is expected to be sufficient to ensure a fifth-place finish and, with it, continental competition for next season—most likely in the prestigious UEFA Champions League.

Burnley's Tough Challenge

Vincent Kompany's team, though, are unlikely to roll over. Although boasting only twelve points and losing 3 of their previous five games, their performances have often been stronger than the scorelines suggest. Boss Scott Parker will certainly have his squad pumped up to take the game to opponents who are likely to play an lineup that has never played together, set up in a formation they have not used for a year or more.

Start time: 20:15 GMT.