Burnley Face Off Against Man United in Pivotal Top-Flight Fixture
The former manager's time at Manchester United was widely regarded as a notable letdown. Statistically speaking, his performance is remarkable for all the wrong factors. Throughout the contemporary football age, no United manager has recorded a worse points return, nor achieved a standing as disappointing as 15th place. Delving further back, you have to go back to Frank O'Farrell in the early seventies to find a Red Devils' gaffer who lost a higher percentage of matches. Furthermore, he famously etched his name in United's annals by experiencing a loss in a final to Tottenham Hotspur, namely Ange Postecoglou's iteration of Tottenham.
Football, but, is not often that simple. Despite the criticism of his tactical approach, the Portuguese manager leaves behind a team in a much stronger position than the one he found. Months ago, following a victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, Danny Welbeck shared that his colleagues were praising United as the finest side they had encountered in some time. The performance in a thrilling high-scoring tie with Bournemouth was both promising and exhilarating.
Although it is difficult to argue against the dismissal—especially given it was allegedly caused by his remarks regarding executives with even worse records—Amorim's exit was ultimately stymied by awful fortune. Had injuries to crucial personnel not occurred alongside the unavailability of other essential figures, he may remain in the job—maybe thriving.
Fresh Start for United
Consequently, Fletcher takes over a fairly stable state of affairs. Star players like Mason Mount, Fernandes, and Mainoo are available again, while Amad Diallo and Mbeumo will soon be back from the African tournament. Merely careful husbandry of this talented squad should be enough to guarantee a fifth-place finish and, with it, European competition for next season—probably in the prestigious UEFA Champions League.
The Clarets' Formidable Challenge
Burnley, but, won't make things easy. Despite having only 12 points and suffering defeats in three of their last five games, their showings have often been more impressive than the outcomes indicate. Manager Scott Parker will undoubtedly have his side fired up to attack opponents who are likely to start an XI that has lacked cohesion, deployed in a system they have not used for a year or more.
Start time: 8.15pm GMT.
