Darren Fletcher confirms interim charge for Manchester United FA Cup tie

Darren Fletcher has confirmed he will be in charge of Manchester United for their upcoming FA Cup clash against Brighton & Hove Albion, after opening his interim spell with a dramatic 2-2 draw away at Burnley.

The former United midfielder was asked to step in following the sacking of Ruben Amorim earlier this week and oversaw an eventful first outing at Turf Moor.

Speaking after the match, Fletcher confirmed the club have asked him to lead the side again on Sunday.

“I’ve been informed they’d like me to take the team for Sunday,” Fletcher said.
“There was a feeling that might have been the case from Monday, but we wanted to focus on Burnley.

“Yes, I’m tasked with leading the team on Sunday, so all my focus and energy goes to that now.”

During the match, United supporters made their feelings clear, chanting the names of Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Michael Carrick, both seen as contenders to take charge until the end of the season.

Despite only taking a point, Fletcher felt United had done more than enough to win the match.

Burnley opened the scoring after 13 minutes when Ayden Heaven inadvertently turned Bashir Humphreys’ cross into his own net. United responded positively after ditching Amorim’s much-criticised 3-4-3 system.

They had two shots cleared off the line, saw a Lisandro Martínez goal ruled out, and then turned the game around as Benjamin Šeško scored twice in the second half.

Further chances followed, with Bruno Fernandes striking the post and Heaven missing a free header, before Burnley equalised through Jaidon Anthony.

Substitute Shea Lacey later hit the crossbar as United finished with 30 shots, 10 on target, but were forced to settle for a draw.

“I thought they put in a performance that should win the match,” Fletcher added.
“They created a lot of chances — 30 shots, goal-line clearances, a disallowed goal I’m not sure what for.

“If you look at it in that context, we should win the match and I’m pleased with that. There were lots of good things. It wasn’t perfect.

“I challenged the players at half-time. I felt they had more levels and I think they produced that. There’s still lots to work on, but I was really pleased with the effort and how they tried to implement what we asked with very limited preparation time.”

The draw extended Burnley’s winless run to 12 games and left them eight points from safety, but Scott Parker praised his side’s resilience.

“We started the game really well,” Parker said. “You go 2-1 down and you need a reaction — and the team produced that. It was a big point for us.

“The character in this team, in adversity, they’ve stood up and got a result. It’s definitely a stepping stone.”

Manchester United now turn their attention to the FA Cup, where Fletcher will be eager to convert promising performances into results. A strong showing against Brighton could influence the club’s thinking as they weigh up longer-term options for the dugout.

Did Manchester United progressed under Darren Fletcher and in the system they've played?