Will Manchester United's new era be different?

Former player Darren Fletcher will lead Manchester United as interim manager for tonight's match against Burnley (3:15 AM on January 8th, Vietnam time). Many changes are being awaited by fans. Most importantly: a change of fortune?

WILL MU SHED ITS STRANGE CHARACTERISTICS?

After beating strong opponents Newcastle, somehow MU only managed a draw at home against Wolverhampton – an opponent who had just lost 11 consecutive matches and was considered an "easy target" for every team in the Premier League. At that time, with only 2 points after 18 rounds, Wolverhampton was approaching the record for the team with the fewest points in the entire history of the Premier League.

Can interim manager Darren Fletcher (left) help Manchester United beat Burnley?

Photo: AFP

Now, MU's opponent is Burnley, a not-so-distinctive version of bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton. And the characteristic of "specializing in difficult tasks" is probably haunting MU fans again. But for now, there's a huge difference: this is MU's first match after the team sacked head coach Ruben Amorim.

Having only coached the U18 team and with no guarantee of how many games he'll manage as interim manager, Fletcher is naturally unlikely to be a long-term asset for MU. However, to put it in a somewhat "spiritual" sense, MU fans have reason to hope for a better fortune under Fletcher. After all, Burnley isn't a match for them, so observers shouldn't place too much emphasis on technical aspects and squad strength when analyzing the two sides' capabilities.

From a technical standpoint, theoretically, sacking Amorim could lead to two major differences for MU in this match. The 3-4-3 formation that the whole team dreaded will no longer be the default choice. And, depending on the specific situation, MU can make substitutions more effectively than before. Substitutions (or lack thereof) are a major characteristic of Coach Amorim – so obvious that even ordinary spectators can easily recognize them.

V. ESKO PROBLEM

The clearest evidence of manager Amorim's poor substitutions is his apparent inability to deal with Benjamin Sesko's abysmal form – one of the biggest disappointments in the Premier League this season. Too slow in making finishing decisions; choosing the wrong time to jump when heading; inaccurate shots… Sesko alone missed countless good opportunities in the draw against Leeds in the last round. And this is nothing new.

Thanks to Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo being busy with the African Cup of Nations, Sesko has consistently started in the last four rounds. He had 12 shots on goal in those four matches, and is the only player in the entire league who hasn't scored despite having so many shots. Those who had as many shots as Sesko all scored at least two goals. Among the 12 players with the highest xG (expected goals) in the aforementioned matches, Sesko is the only one without a goal.

The high xG (xenial of goals) indicates that Sesko wasn't lacking support from his teammates. Quite the opposite, in fact. Sesko alone had six shots on target against Wolverhampton, but none of them troubled the opposing goalkeeper. The problem is that when Sesko was so clumsy in the face of these opportunities created by his teammates, the MU coaching staff offered no solution. Now, that's Fletcher's job, and will the story be different?

Level on points with fifth-placed Chelsea and only three points behind fourth-placed Liverpool (who play away at Arsenal this round), Manchester United still have hope in the race for a Champions League spot. In fact, MU could have finished in the top four if Sesko hadn't missed scoring opportunities in the two disappointing draws (against Wolverhampton and Leeds). Darren Fletcher's ability to "fix" the season in this round is a topic worth watching, as MU will face Manchester City and Arsenal in the next two rounds.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thoi-ky-moi-cua-mu-se-khac-185260106222527086.htm