Offshoots of progress in the post-Amorim era: 24 shots, brave substitutions, and return to form of key stars

The post-Ruben Amorim era kicked off with a battling 2-2 draw as Manchester United settled for a point from their Premier League clash against relegation-threatened Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday. The home side took a lucky lead in the first half, and the visitors had numerous chances to equalise but saw two of their efforts cleared off the line. Interim manager Darren Fletcher’s half-time pep talk clearly did the trick as the Red Devils emerged with renewed vigour. They scored twice within 15 minutes of the restart through Benjamin Sesko and were looking by far the better side. Return to form But a brilliant equaliser and the crossbar denied the away side the chance to return to Manchester with all three points on Fletcher’s debut. United secured three points in total from their last three encounters, all against teams 16 and below. Not a great look for a team trying to qualify for the Champions League. While the overall result might not please INEOS, there were a few positives, namely the return to form of a few individuals and the brave substitutions Manuel Ugarte, linked with a January exit and criticised by the former head coach, seemed to play with a lot of confidence as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Sesko back in the groove And Sesko’s performance will please the hierarchy, after the Slovenian had come under fire for his recent below-par displays. Balls were frequently played to his feet while he had lots of crosses to attack. In total, he had eight shots, the most he has had in one game since joining. Bruno Fernandes’ return certainly played a part in that, as did Patrick Dorgu’s impressive resurgence. Darren Fletcher: brave substitution calls Darren Fletcher deserves praise for making brave substitutions, including taking Casemiro off for Kobbie Mainoo and throwing academy wonderkid Shea Lacey in when Amorim would have opted for Maguire to attack set-pieces. The move almost paid off instantly as the left-footed magician struck the crossbar with a curler and even went close in added time with another long-ranger. United need to build on this attacking display, and hopefully, the new caretaker boss can inspire the team to victory in the FA Cup against Brighton on Sunday. Feature 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 Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25