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The former manager's time at Manchester United is considered by many to have been a major disappointment. Looking at the numbers, his results is remarkable for all the wrong factors. In the Premier League era, no United manager has achieved a worse points return, or managed a league finish as poor as 15th place. Delving further back, you have to return to the manager Frank O'Farrell in 1972 to find a Red Devils' gaffer who lost a larger share of fixtures. Moreover, he famously carved a niche in United's annals by experiencing a cup final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, particularly the current iteration of the North London club.

Life, but, is not often that simple. In spite of the criticism of his 3-4-2-1 formation, Amorim departs from a team in a far better state than that which he inherited. In a prior match this term, following a defeat of Brighton & Hove Albion, the striker Welbeck shared that his colleagues were hailing their opponents as the finest side they had faced in a while. Their performance in a exhilarating high-scoring tie with AFC Bournemouth was both encouraging and exhilarating.

Even though it is difficult to contest the termination—particularly given it was allegedly triggered by his comments about superiors with even worse track records—Amorim's exit was finally stymied by atrocious fortune. Had injuries to vital players not occurred alongside the unavailability of other pivotal members, he could still be in the role—perhaps succeeding.

A New Era Begins

Therefore, Fletcher takes over a relatively positive state of affairs. Key players like Mount, Bruno Fernandes, and Mainoo are available again, while Diallo and Mbeumo will soon be back from the African tournament. Merely careful management of this skilled group ought to be sufficient to guarantee a fifth-place finish and, with it, continental competition for the coming campaign—most likely in the elite European Cup.

The Clarets' Daunting Task

The home side, but, are unlikely to make things easy. Even with having only 12 points and losing three of their previous five matches, their performances have frequently been more impressive than the results indicate. Boss Scott Parker will certainly have his team revved up to get after the visitors who are expected to play an XI that has never played together, set up in a setup they have gone without for over a year.

Start time: 20:15 GMT.