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The post-Ruben Amorim era started with a 2-2 draw as Manchester United settled for a point from their Premier League match against relegation-threatened Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday.
Fortunately, the home team took the lead in the first half and the visitors had numerous chances to equalize, but saw two of their attempts go off the line.
Interim manager Darren Fletcher’s pep talk at half-time clearly helped as the Red Devils emerged with renewed vigor.
They scored twice within fifteen minutes of the restart through Benjamin Sesko and were by far the better team.
Return to the form
But a brilliant equalizer and the crossbar denied the away side the chance to return to Manchester with all three points on Fletcher’s debut.
United have gained a total of three points from their last three meetings, all against teams ranked 16 and below. Not a good picture for a team trying to qualify for the Champions League.
While the overall result may not please INEOS, there were some positives, namely the return to form of some individuals and the courageous substitutions
Manuel Ugarte, linked with a January exit and criticized by the former head coach, seemed to play with great confidence as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Sesko back in the groove
And Sesko’s performance will please the hierarchy after the Slovenian came under fire for his recent underperformance.
Balls were often played to his feet while he had many crosses to attack. In total he had eight shots, the most he has had in a single match since joining.
The return of Bruno Fernandes certainly played a role in this, as did the impressive revival of Patrick Dorgu.
Darren Fletcher: Brave substitution calls
Darren Fletcher deserves credit for making brave substitutions, including taking off Casemiro for Kobbie Mainoo and bringing on academy wonderkid Shea Lacey, while Amorim would have opted for Maguire to attack set-pieces.
The action paid off almost immediately, as the left-footed magician hit the crossbar with a curling iron and even came close to another long-distance player in extra time.
United need to build on this attacking display and hopefully the new interim boss can inspire the team to FA Cup victory against Brighton on Sunday.
Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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