Darren Fletcher failed to produce what Manchester United’s interim manager, fans and chief executive craved: a cathartic victory to move the club on quickly from the recent turbulence.
The big plus was Benjamin Sesko, whose two goals doubled his season tally. He said: “It’s been tough but now I finally did it. Now it’s just up to me and up to us to keep going like that.”
When Ayden Heaven turned into his own goal, Burnley were headed for a first win since 26 October. But Sesko stepped up to show whoever replaces Fletcher, who confirmed he will be in charge for the FA Cup tie with Brighton on Sunday, as the temporary man until the season ends, he may be about to catch fire – before Jaidon Anthony scored a memorable Burnley equaliser.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær is the slight favourite, ahead of Michael Carrick, and the sight of Shea Lacey hitting the bar should cheer whoever next takes the caretaker role, as will Kobbie Mainoo, another United starlet, entering as a late replacement.
After the dour Ruben Amorim era the joke was whether Fletcher would belie a 25-year association with United by sending out the same dour three-man defence. He did not, of course – his configuration a 4‑2‑3‑1 that had the returning Bruno Fernandes as the 10 behind Sesko.
The captain was the sole change – for Leny Yoro – from Amorim’s last game, the 1-1 draw at Leeds on Sunday, and after neat footwork in the buildup Fernandes saw Casemiro balloon over a first effort of Fletcher’s tenure.
The Scot was assisted by his former United teammate Jonny Evans, who was regaled by the travelling support with his song that tells of the Northern Irishman’s “hate” for “scousers”. Thirteen minutes in and they were not keen at all on their team as Burnley scored via Heaven.
Bashir Humphreys ran into space down the left and pinged the ball in, the centre-back stuck a leg out, and it ricocheted over Senne Lammens. Instantly, the camera panned left to an expressionless Fletcher, then to Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox, the chief executive and director of football who sacked Amorim on Monday.
This was the first time Scott Parker’s men led since a 3-2 defeat at West Ham on 8 November. Why? Because United lacked imagination. Rare forays ended with Casemiro chipping into the Clarets’ area to no one, or Fernandes berating the stationary Sesko to dart in.
Then, craft from United. Fernandes lifted a free-kick into the area, Casemiro headed across goal, and Matheus Cunha drew a Martin Dubravka save that went for a corner. From Luke Shaw’s delivery Lisandro Martínez bundled home but the centre-back was adjudged to have fouled Kyle Walker so the referee, Stuart Attwell, chalked it off.
United were jittery, Burnley scented blood. Marcus Edwards ran through midfield and found Lucas Pires along the left and his shot evaded Lammens, barely missing the left corner.
At this juncture, there was zero new manager bounce. Instead Fletcher, garbed in a dark blue winter coat, oversaw a passive side who needed to awaken. When Fernandes slipped Patrick Dorgu in the wide left forward lobbed Dubravka before Maxime Estève cleared off the line – better from United ahead of them wandering off for the interval.
Fletcher followed David Moyes, Ryan Giggs, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, Solskjær (interim and permanent), Michael Carrick, Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Amorim as the 13th appointment to the United hot seat since Sir Alex Ferguson left.
Yet he now had only 45 minutes to turn the game around. At the start of this a progressive sequence began by Martínez that moved United from defence to attack and ended in a Dorgu attempt. The next move was lethal, as it featured Heaven and Casemiro and had Fernandes slipping in Sesko: the 22-year-old has struggled since joining in the summer, but a right-foot blast past Dubravka was emphatic.
This had Fletcher joyous and urging his team for more. There was. At a Hannibal Mejbri corner United broke, the ball went left, and Sesko was again fed. This time a corner was claimed, which came to nothing, but soon Fernandes was hitting a post, his team discovering its rhythm.
And, too, a surfeit of chances. Heaven, left free at Fernandes’s corner, headed wide before Sesko struck again, following Dorgu’s run and cross from the left, with a predatory, sweetly timed low volley.
Sesko’s grin dazzled as much as Fletcher’s, United’s faithful gleeful behind the goal where the Slovenian scored. Yet the emotion became Burnley’s when Anthony, on as a substitute, turned away from Shaw and Martínez and beat Lammens with an 18-yard peach that flew in high.
At point‑blank range Sesko fluffed a golden chance to snatch the winner and a hat-trick, before Lacey went close, the end result feeling fair on each team.
