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Ruben Amorim's tenure at Manchester United is considered by many to have been a major disappointment. Looking at the numbers, his results stands out for all the poor reasons. During the contemporary football age, no United manager has achieved fewer points per game, nor managed a standing as disappointing as 15th in the table. Looking deeper into history, you have to return to Frank O'Farrell in 1972 to find a Red Devils' gaffer who was defeated in a larger share of fixtures. Additionally, he famously carved a niche in the team's history by experiencing a cup final defeat to Spurs, specifically Ange Postecoglou's side of the North London club.

The game, but, is seldom so straightforward. Regardless of the negative press of his 3-4-2-1 formation, Amorim departs from a club in a far better condition than the one he took over. Months ago, following a victory over Brighton, the striker Welbeck reported that teammates were lauding their opponents as the most impressive side they had played against in a long time. Their performance in a breathtaking high-scoring tie with Bournemouth was equally promising and thrilling.

While it is difficult to argue against the dismissal—especially given it was said to be sparked by his criticism of superiors with poorer track records—Amorim's exit was ultimately hampered by atrocious luck. If injuries to key personnel not happened at the same time as the loss of other important individuals, he may remain in the position—possibly even.

A New Era Begins

Consequently, Darren Fletcher takes over a relatively stable state of affairs. Star players like Mount, Bruno Fernandes, and Kobbie Mainoo are available again, while Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo will soon return from the African tournament. Simply careful stewardship of this gifted squad should be enough to guarantee a top-five finish and, with it, European competition for the following term—in all likelihood in the elite UEFA Champions League.

Burnley's Formidable Challenge

Vincent Kompany's team, though, are unlikely to make things easy. Even with having only a dozen points and suffering defeats in three of their most recent five games, their displays have often been more impressive than the scorelines show. Head coach Scott Parker will surely have his team pumped up to get after United who are set to play an XI that has never played together, set up in a setup they have gone without for more than a year.

Kick-off: 8:15 in the evening GMT.