As the Manchester United bus arrived at Turf Moor, a Burnley supporter remarked to himself, “the circus is in town.”
This past week has been nothing short of dramatic for United: the rapid deterioration of relations between Ruben Amorim and the club executives, a heated Friday meeting with director of football Jason Wilcox, two explosive press conferences, and yet another managerial dismissal. At times, the club resembles more of a soap opera than a football team.
The latest chapter introduced a new main character—caretaker manager Darren Fletcher—along with more unexpected twists. United fell behind against Burnley, regained the lead thanks to two impressive goals from striker Benjamin Sesko, but ultimately had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
At the very least, it’s seldom boring.
“[We] delivered a performance that should have won the match,” Fletcher commented. “We created numerous chances, had goal-line clearances, and a disallowed goal.”
“If you assess it in those terms, we should have won. It wasn’t flawless; we started slowly but scored two amazing goals. There’s still plenty to improve on, but I was really happy with their effort.”
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In many respects, Fletcher embodies the confusion and constant turnover at United since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. After retiring as a player in 2019, he returned to Carrington, working with the under-15s and under-16s while completing his coaching qualifications.
In January 2021, he joined the first-team coaching staff under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and was soon promoted to the newly formed position of technical director, despite his own concerns about his qualifications. He maintained that role until Wilcox was appointed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe in April 2024, after which he was part of Amorim’s staff for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
Fletcher had been head coach of the under-18s since July before receiving the call on Monday to lead the first team following Amorim’s departure. He is set to be on the sideline once again for the FA Cup match against Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday, though his future beyond that remains uncertain.
While the outcome was not what Fletcher desired, he can take pride in leaving his imprint. He opted for a back four at the first opportunity, and after a slow start, United was the stronger side.
Fletcher understands the expectations of the fans well. Under his guidance, the team pushed more players forward, culminating in a total of 30 shots and 10 on target.
The former Scotland midfielder was even serenaded with chants of “Darren Fletcher, football genius.” Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who had found himself sidelined under Amorim, made a positive appearance off the bench in the final 15 minutes. Additionally, academy talent Shea Lacey nearly scored a spectacular winner after coming on and hitting the crossbar from a cutting shot.
However, the same defensive errors that Amorim often criticized resurfaced. “It’s evident this season that they concede goals too easily,” Fletcher conceded.
The first goal conceded by Burnley was particularly troubling; Casemiro lost track of his marker. This draw marks United’s third consecutive stalemate against bottom-five teams, following draws with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United, and they’ve dropped points against all bottom seven teams since early November.
As the United fans, braving the frigid temperatures at Burnley, debated whether this marks a new beginning or just a regression, they applauded Fletcher and his players at the final whistle. Stay tuned for the next episode against Brighton on Sunday.