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Ruben Amorim's time at the Red Devils is considered by many to have been a significant letdown. By any measure, his performance stands out for all the wrong factors. In the Premier League era, no boss at the club has managed fewer points per game, or achieved a final position as poor as 15th in the table. Delving further back, you have to revisit Frank O'Farrell in the early seventies to find a manager at the club who lost a higher percentage of games. Furthermore, he famously secured a place in United's annals by enduring a final loss to Tottenham, specifically Postecoglou's version of Spurs.

The game, however, is not often so straightforward. Despite the scrutiny of his tactical approach, he exits a squad in a much stronger condition than that which he found. Months ago, following a defeat of Brighton & Hove Albion, Danny Welbeck shared that his colleagues were hailing their opponents as the best side they had faced in a long time. Their football in a exhilarating high-scoring tie with Bournemouth was equally encouraging and exhilarating.

Even though it is hard to argue against the dismissal—particularly given it was allegedly caused by his comments about superiors with even worse track records—Amorim's exit was ultimately hampered by atrocious fortune. If injuries to crucial players not coincided with the absence of other essential figures, he could remain in the job—perhaps thriving.

Fresh Start for United

Therefore, Darren Fletcher steps into a relatively positive situation. Important figures like Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes, and Kobbie Mainoo are available again, while Amad Diallo and Mbeumo will shortly return from the Afcon. Just sensible management of this skilled roster should be sufficient to ensure a fifth-place finish and, with it, continental football for next season—most likely in the coveted Champions League.

Burnley's Daunting Task

Vincent Kompany's team, though, will not make things easy. Even with having only twelve points and suffering defeats in 3 of their last five outings, their displays have frequently been better than the scorelines show. Boss Scott Parker will surely have his team revved up to get after opponents who are expected to field an lineup that has lacked cohesion, deployed in a setup they have not used for a year or more.

Kick-off: 8.15pm GMT.