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The former manager's tenure at Old Trafford is considered by many to have been a major failure. Looking at the numbers, his results is remarkable for all the negative causes. In the modern top-flight period, no United manager has managed a worse points return, or managed a final position as poor as 15th place. Delving further back, you have to go back to Frank O'Farrell in 1972 to find a manager at the club who lost a larger share of games. Additionally, he infamously carved a niche in United's annals by suffering a cup final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, specifically Postecoglou's side of Tottenham.

Football, though, is rarely that simple. Regardless of the criticism of his favored system, Amorim departs from a squad in a significantly improved position than that which he found. Earlier this season, following a defeat of Brighton & Hove Albion, the striker Welbeck shared that fellow players were praising their opponents as the best opposition they had encountered in a while. The performance in a exhilarating high-scoring tie with Bournemouth was both hopeful and exciting.

While it is difficult to argue against the termination—especially given it was reportedly sparked by his comments about bosses with more miserable histories—his exit was in the end hampered by atrocious fortune. Had fitness issues for crucial stars not coincided with the unavailability of other essential figures, he could still be in the position—perhaps thriving.

Fletcher Takes the Reins

Therefore, the interim boss Fletcher takes over a relatively positive situation. Important players like Mount, Fernandes, and Kobbie Mainoo are back to fitness, while Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo will in the near future rejoin from the Afcon. Merely sensible management of this talented group is expected to be adequate to secure a fifth-place finish and, with it, continental football for the coming campaign—in all likelihood in the elite European Cup.

The Clarets' Tough Challenge

Vincent Kompany's team, though, are unlikely to be a pushover. Despite having only a dozen points and suffering defeats in 3 of their last five games, their performances have often been better than the outcomes show. Manager Scott Parker will surely have his side pumped up to attack opponents who are expected to start an XI that has not had time to gel, set up in a formation they have been denied for a year or more.

Match begins: 20:15 GMT.