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The former manager's time at Manchester United was widely regarded as a major letdown. Looking at the numbers, his record stands out for all the negative causes. In the contemporary football age, not a single Man Utd boss has recorded a worse points return, or secured a standing as poor as 15th in the table. Looking deeper into history, you have to revisit Frank O'Farrell in the early seventies to find a manager at the club who lost a larger share of games. Moreover, he infamously secured a place in the team's history by experiencing a cup final defeat to Spurs, namely Ange Postecoglou's version of Spurs.

Life, however, is rarely so black and white. Regardless of the scrutiny of his tactical approach, the Portuguese manager exits a team in a far better state than that which he inherited. Months ago, following a defeat of Brighton & Hove Albion, Welbeck relayed that fellow players were hailing their opponents as the finest opposition they had played against in a while. The football in a exhilarating high-scoring tie with Bournemouth was both encouraging and exciting.

Although it is hard to dispute the dismissal—particularly given it was said to be caused by his criticism of bosses with more miserable records—his exit was in the end hindered by terrible fortune. If the absence of crucial stars not coincided with the unavailability of other essential individuals, he might still be in the position—possibly thriving.

Fresh Start for United

Therefore, Darren Fletcher inherits a fairly stable situation. Star figures like Mount, Bruno Fernandes, and Mainoo are back to fitness, while Amad Diallo and Mbeumo will in the near future be back from the African tournament. Simply prudent management of this skilled squad ought to be adequate to guarantee a finish in the European spots and, with it, European football for the following term—probably in the elite Champions League.

Burnley's Daunting Task

Vincent Kompany's team, but, will not make things easy. Despite having only twelve points and suffering defeats in 3 of their most recent five games, their showings have frequently been stronger than the scorelines suggest. Head coach Parker will certainly have his squad pumped up to get after the visitors who are likely to play an XI that has lacked cohesion, set up in a system they have not used for over a year.

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