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Amorim's tenure at Manchester United is considered by many to have been a notable disappointment. Looking at the numbers, his record is notable for all the wrong reasons. Throughout the modern top-flight period, not a single Man Utd boss has managed fewer points per game, or managed a league finish as poor as 15th in the table. Examining the archives, you have to go back to the manager Frank O'Farrell in the early seventies to find a United boss who lost a greater proportion of fixtures. Furthermore, he notoriously secured a place in United's annals by experiencing a final loss to Spurs, particularly Postecoglou's side of the North London club.

Football, but, is rarely so black and white. Despite the criticism of his tactical approach, he exits a club in a far better condition than that which he inherited. Earlier this season, following a win against Brighton & Hove Albion, Danny Welbeck reported that teammates were hailing their opponents as the finest team they had played against in a long time. Their performance in a exhilarating high-scoring tie with AFC Bournemouth was both promising and exciting.

While it is hard to contest the termination—especially given it was reportedly caused by his criticism of executives with even worse histories—his downfall was finally hampered by awful fortune. Had injuries to crucial personnel not occurred alongside the unavailability of other pivotal figures, he may remain in the job—possibly succeeding.

A New Era Begins

Therefore, Fletcher steps into a reasonably stable scenario. Star players like Mount, Fernandes, and Kobbie Mainoo are now fit, while Diallo and Mbeumo will in the near future rejoin from the Africa Cup of Nations. Simply sensible stewardship of this talented group ought to be enough to guarantee a top-five finish and, with it, European competition for the coming campaign—most likely in the elite Champions League.

The Clarets' Tough Test

Burnley, however, won't roll over. Even with having only 12 points and suffering defeats in three of their previous five matches, their showings have frequently been stronger than the outcomes indicate. Boss Parker will surely have his team pumped up to take the game to the visitors who are expected to play an XI that has not had time to gel, set up in a formation they have been denied for over a year.

Kick-off: 20:15 GMT.