Fletcher speaks on Manchester United interim role as Chelsea hires Rosenior

Manchester United have placed Darren Fletcher in temporary charge following the departure of head coach Ruben Amorim, with the former midfielder taking the team for Wednesday night’s Premier League trip to Burnley. 

Fletcher described the appointment as an “amazing honour”, admitting the sudden change was surreal but insisting his full focus is on preparing the side for the immediate challenge ahead.

Speaking at his first news conference as interim boss, Fletcher said he had not considered whether he would like to remain in the role beyond the Burnley match.

He stressed that events had moved too quickly to think about the future and that all his attention was on delivering a positive performance in the short term.

Fletcher also outlined his backroom team, confirming that Manchester United Under-21s coach Travis Binnion and assistant Alan Wright would join him on the touchline, alongside Jonny Evans. 

Fletcher praised the group’s familiarity with the club and the players, saying their shared understanding of the environment would be vital in steadying the squad.

Amorim’s exit brings an end to a turbulent 14-month spell at Old Trafford. Despite spending heavily in the transfer market and reaching the Europa League final, United suffered their worst-ever Premier League finish last season and struggled for consistency this campaign. 

Tensions reportedly grew between Amorim and club executives, with the coach publicly questioning his role shortly before his departure.

United now face a demanding run of fixtures, with cup and league clashes against Brighton, Manchester City, and Arsenal looming. 

While the club plan to appoint a caretaker until the end of the season, Fletcher’s immediate task is to spark a response on the pitch as United look to stabilise their campaign after another period of upheaval.

Meanwhile, the announcement that Liam Rosenior will become Chelsea’s next head coach has been met with a muted response from supporters. 

Many fans have described the appointment as underwhelming, with doubts over whether Rosenior will be given enough time to make an impact or if he will quickly follow the same path as recent managers.

Since the club’s change in ownership, Chelsea have consistently appointed head coaches with similar levels of experience, none of whom arrived with major trophies to their name, but some managed a few trophies and eventually left, like Maresca, who won the FIFA Club World Cup.