MANCHESTER UNITED fans chanted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s name to the tune of ‘Oh What A Night’.
United had another bad night at Burnley while they prepare for Solskjaer’s possible homecoming.
Darren Fletcher carried on from where Ruben Amorim left off. For the third game running, United dropped points against a bottom-five side.
This was only the seventh time all season that Burnley avoided defeat in the Premier League.
For clubs sinking or staying afloat, United are proving to be charitable opponents.
This was another missed opportunity for United on an evening that Chelsea lost at Fulham. United have been leapfrogged by fifth-placed Brentford.
There were some glaring lapses from Fletcher. Matheus Cunha, a playmaker who operates from the left, was a fish out of water on the right.
Substituting Bruno Fernandes on the hour, as well-intentioned as it was on his first appearance in more than two weeks, was costly.
Burnley equalised within five minutes of Fernandes’ removal and with their first shot on target.
The Fletcher factor did at least bring out the finest performance yet from Benjamin Sesko, who ended his nine-match goal drought with two goals.
BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS
United chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox were in the Turf Moor directors’ box and their scheduled conversation with Fletcher might still be brief.
If United fans offered Solskjaer their support, they expressed another vote of no confidence in co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Supporters at the front of the away end unfurled a banner that read ‘Jim can’t fix this’.
Solskjaer’s name was aired less than ten minutes into the game. Then it was fellow caretaker candidate Michael Carrick’s turn.
Finally, Fletcher was serenaded. “Darren Fletcher, football genius” is not one of the more memorable additions to the United fans’ songbook.
In the popularity contest initiated by Ineos, Solskjaer’s name was sung the loudest, though his original ditty to ‘You Are My Sunshine’ is the best-known.
Fletcher showed he is no soft touch by dropping son Tyler from the matchday squad amid the returning senior players.
Tyler’s twin, Jack, kept his place on the bench for the fifth game running, despite the returns of Fernandes, Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire.
Man Utd player ratings: Bruno Fernandes shows his quality but Matheus Cunha far too casual against Burnley
MANCHESTER UNITED were held to a 2-2 draw against relegation battlers Burnley in Darren Fletcher’s first game as interim manager.
United remain sixth after failing to capitalise on the chance to go level on points with Liverpool in fourth in the Premier League table.
Ayden Heaven scored an early own-goal after deflecting Bashir Humphreys’ cross into United’s net before Benjamin Sesko’s second-half double put the visitors ahead.
But a lapse in concentration from United saw sub Jaidon Anthony launch a screamer into Senne Lammens‘ top corner.
United had 30 shots in total and teenage sub Shea Lacey went the closest to a winner with two 20-yard strikes in his short cameo, with the first smacking off the crossbar
But the Red Devils, who dropped points from a winning position for the seventh time this season, suffered a third-straight draw to a bottom five side.
Here’s how SunSport’s Katherine Walsh rated the United players at a below-freezing Turf Moor…
Fletcher did not entirely abandon Amorim’s infamous 3-4-2-1 system. United settled on a back three without the ball and a back four with the ball.
That flexibility was admirable but United conceded first for the second successive match.
Burnley went ahead on 13 minutes through Ayden Heaven’s own goal three days after he dozily let Brenden Aaronson score for Leeds.
Heaven attempted to block Bashir Humphreys’ cross but his body shape was too open and the ball looped into the far corner.
Diogo Dalot seemed to point out to Heaven where he had gone wrong while Fletcher stood motionless. Travis Binnion, the United Under-21s coach, whispered some words of advice.
The cameras quickly cut to a sheepish Berrada and Wilcox, who tried to bury their faces into their winter coats.
United did not muster an attempt on target until the 24th minute and Sesko’s header dropped into the arms of Martin Dubravka.
That sparked a 20-minute onslaught. Fernandes floated an innovative free kick to the far post, Casemiro headed it across goal and Cunha seemed certain to equalise until Humphreys cleared off the line.
Lisandro Martinez had the ball in the net from the corner yet referee Stuart Attwell adjudged him to have fouled Kyle Walker off the ball amid the scramble.
Walker went down under minimal contact and the Premier League Match Centre confirmed that it was a “clear foul” by Martinez.
Sesko’s body language was downbeat when he shot tamely at Dubravka in the 41st minute from Dorgu’s through pass.
He was sprightlier springing to meet Casemiro’s 43rd minute cross, which tested Dubravka’s agility.
Patrick Dorgu, back on the left wing, was inches away from changing the scoreboard but his goalbound dink was magnificently hooked off the goal line by Maxime Esteve.
Fernandes’ influence is more profound than ever and his piercing pass for Sesko’s clinical 50th minute equaliser is a skill beyond most of his team-mates.
Martinez picked out Fernandes with an even better pass five minutes later and the United captain smacked his half-volley against the post.
Despite Heaven miscuing a free header from a corner, a second United goal still felt inevitable. When it came from Sesko, it was a strike worthy of his £73.62million transfer fee from a pinpoint Dorgu cross.
Amorim saw off United’s own Jadon and Antony. It was Jaidon Anthony of Burnley who emerged off the bench to rifle in a 66th minute equaliser that arguably trumped Sesko’s acrobatic volley.
Fletcher turned to academy graduate Shea Lacey over son Jack for his final substitution in the 84th minute.
A minute later, Lacey received the ball, Lucas Pires was seemingly unaware he is left-footed and he whipped the ball against the crossbar.
