30 shots, 4 big chances: how Darren Fletcher achieved in 90 minutes what Amorim couldn’t in 14 months

Manchester United have undergone a topsy-turvy week, to say the least. Monday brought the news that Ruben Amorim and his staff had been sacked from the club after disagreements with the club hierarchy, particularly Jason Wilcox. This meant that under-18s coach, Darren Fletcher, was asked to take charge of Manchester United’s match with Burnley yesterday and will also lead out the side against Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup on Sunday. His side were unlucky not to take all three points against the Clarets in a 2-2 draw at Turf Moor. The Peoples Person has already commented on two big positives of the night: Fletcher got the most out of Benjamin Sesko and made a brave call to bring on Shea Lacey, who lit up the ground for the ten minutes or so he was on the pitch. Attacking threat Fletcher has previously spoken about the need for Manchester United to play attacking and fast football, something they failed to do for the first 30 minutes or so of the match. Nonetheless, before and after half-time, Fletcher’s side created a flurry of chances and will be kicking themselves that they did not win the match. Striker Benjamin Sesko had eight shots of his own and will be licking his lips over the type of service he received on Wednesday night. The team in total produced 30 shots on goal in comparison to Burnley’s seven. What’s more, they had 10 on target in comparison to Burnley’s one, and their xG was 2.25 in comparison to the home side’s 0.25. They also comfortably dominated possession with 65% of the ball. Wing play Patrick Dorgu’s positioning on the left raised a few eyebrows after he impressed on the right wing versus Newcastle United on Boxing Day. The Dane proved his doubters wrong, though, with a wonderful assist for Sesko’s second strike and was unlucky not to create more goals. Shea Lacey also came on and dazzled down the right-hand side, hitting the crossbar with a spectacular strike that would have been an utter fairytale. Four defenders Four defenders at the back also allowed Manchester United to have better balance, and there was less passing in and around their own half. The ball moved forward more quickly and picked out targets in attacking areas with greater frequency. Problems Despite the positivity, all was not perfect as Manchester United showed frailties from the Amorim era. The Red Devils missed a plethora of chances, and this has been a problem all season. If Manchester United are to make a serious push for Europe in 2026, they will need to be more efficient in front of goal. Too easy to score against The fact that Manchester United drew with a team that had an xG ten times less than them speaks volumes about the club’s problems. Fletcher’s Manchester United still showed incredible vulnerability and a lack of mental strength to concede just six minutes after taking the lead. Hopefully, the Red Devils will find a regular backline to play with over the next few weeks, and this stability may see Fletcher or whoever the interim boss is be able to build something of consistency. Two clean sheets in 21 matches tells its own story. The Scot will hope that Manchester United can carry a lot of the good work from last night into the match on Sunday but also try to solve a couple of issues that remain in the squad. Man United attacking dominance vs Burnley TeamGoalsxGShotsOn targetPossession Burnley20.247135% Man United22.25301065% Source: theanalyst.com Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.