The first match of the post-Amorim era at Manchester United delivered familiar frustrations. Darren Fletcher, hastily promoted from his role as U18s coach, watched his side generate 30 shots against a struggling Burnley side but settle for a 2-2 draw at Turf Moor.
Benjamin Sesko emerged as the silver lining. The Slovenian striker scored twice in the second half — his first brace in a United shirt — to turn a one-goal deficit into a lead that should have been decisive. It wasn't. Jaidon Anthony's spectacular equaliser in the 66th minute ensured the Red Devils left Lancashire with just a point.
Fletcher made immediate tactical changes, abandoning Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system in favour of a more orthodox 4-2-3-1. Bruno Fernandes, restored to a more advanced role, rediscovered his creative spark. His through ball for Sesko's first goal was vintage — weighted perfectly into the striker's path, rewarding an intelligent run.
"I sat down with him yesterday and showed him videos of his movement and how the opportunities are going to come, to just keep believing, keep making the runs," Fletcher revealed afterwards. "Like with all strikers, once you get that first goal, you hit the back of the net, it builds your confidence."
The shot count told a story of dominance that the scoreline contradicted. United registered 30 attempts to Burnley's seven. They had efforts cleared off the line by both Bashir Humphreys and Maxime Esteve. A Lisandro Martínez strike was ruled out after the VAR judged he had fouled Kyle Walker in the build-up. Shea Lacey, a second-half substitute, struck the crossbar in the dying minutes.
What the numbers cannot capture is the sense of drift that continues to afflict this squad. Three consecutive draws — against Wolves, Leeds, and now Burnley — have left United in sixth place, two points adrift of Liverpool with the Champions League places tantalisingly close yet frustratingly distant.
Sesko's performance offered genuine encouragement. The 22-year-old's goals doubled his season tally in a single evening, and his movement between the lines troubled Burnley's centre-backs throughout. Signed in the summer amid considerable fanfare, he had struggled to impose himself under Amorim's system. The shift to a more conventional striker's role appeared to suit him.
"Great things are coming," Sesko told MUTV after the match. "We were creating good chances. We're fighting, we're giving our best."
Fletcher confirmed he will remain in interim charge for Sunday's FA Cup tie against Brighton, with talks ongoing between the club and leading candidates Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Michael Carrick about taking the role for the remainder of the season. Ruud van Nistelrooy, who led United for four matches between Ten Hag and Amorim, is also being considered.
The uncertainty off the pitch mirrors the inconsistency on it. United's underlying metrics suggest a side capable of competing at the highest level. Their results suggest otherwise. Until that gap closes, the managerial carousel will continue to spin.
For now, Fletcher's brief tenure has produced familiar scenes: dominance without reward, chances without conversions, performances that promise much and deliver little. The search for stability at Old Trafford goes on.
