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Manchester United battled Burnley to a hard-fought 2-2 draw in Darren Fletcher’s first and possibly last game in charge of the team on a cold winter’s evening at Turf Moor.
The Under-18s coach was thrust into the role following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim on Monday morning, with Travis Binnion and Jonny Evans joining the 41-year-old Scot in the away dugout.
INEOS will appoint a permanent manager until the end of the season, with Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer considered the frontrunner.
Fletcher switched the Red Devils to a classic 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bruno Fernandes immediately returning to his rightful number 10 role after three weeks away with a hamstring injury.
Fernandes on form
Fernandes was limited to just 61 minutes after his lengthy absence, but he made every minute count with an impressive performance, registering 61 touches.
The Portugal international assisted Benjamin Sesko’s first goal with a brilliantly weighted through ball, which drew United level after Ayden Heaven’s unfortunate own goal put Burnley ahead.
The captain then almost became a scorer himself after hitting the ball against the post, thanks to a sublime field pass from Lisandro Martinez.
Fernandes was his usual creative self, notching two big chances in addition to his assist for Sesko and setting up a fantastic corner that Heaven should have converted as well as the 19-year-old defender did for his own goal.
Fernandes can be prone to wastage in possession. But tonight he was a calm conductor for his side, completing 44 of 50 passes, including an impressive 32 of 37 attempts in the opposition half.
The 31-year-old had less of an impact than usual defensively, despite still working just as hard, as he was deployed further forward. He finished with one tackle and two recoveries and won 100% of his ground duels.
| Minutes played | 61 |
|---|---|
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Total shots | 1 |
| Hit Woodwork | 1 |
| Precise passes | 44/50 (88%) |
| Opportunities created | 2 |
| Touches | 61 |
| Accurate long balls | 1/1 (100%) |
| Tackles | 1 |
| Clearances | 0 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| Chargebacks | 2 |
| Ground duels won | 1/1 (100%) |
Statistics provided by Bank score
A timely reminder
Had Fernandes been fit enough to play the full 90 games, there is a strong feeling that United would have emerged with all three points tonight, rather than just one.
He remains the team’s best and most impactful player wherever he is on the field. And his influence extends across Old Trafford, from the dressing room to the media department and the academy.
In a long line of mistakes and bad judgment from Amorim, the Portuguese coach’s assessment of his compatriot as the beating heart of the club – an opinion that INEOS does not value enough – was his most accurate.
Fernandes came dangerously close to a move to the Saudi Pro League last summer after Al-Hilal approached to sign him with an eye-watering offer.
INEOS did not explicitly urge him to accept, nor did they actively try to force him to stay. There is a feeling that if this offer comes again at the end of the season, United’s chiefs might be inclined to accept it.
The state of the team’s performances and results in recent weeks in Fernandes’ absence, further evidenced by his effect tonight, show why this would be a disastrous decision – but that appears to be the INEOS manager’s fault. way of working
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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