The Japan Times - Man Utd coaching job beyond 'wildest dreams', says Fletcher

The Portuguese manager was axed on Monday after a turbulent 14 months at Old Trafford, with former United midfielder Fletcher put in temporary charge.

The under-18s coach faced the press for the first time on the eve of his team's match at Burnley.

"It's surreal," said Fletcher, who made 342 appearances for the Red Devils and has worked in a variety of different roles for them since 2020, including as technical director.

"It's an amazing honour to be able to lead a Manchester United team," he said. "I don't even think it was in my wildest dreams that that was something that could potentially happen, even thinking about playing for the club and stuff like that.

"But to lead out the team is an amazing honour and something I am really proud to do.

"It's not (happened) in the circumstances that I expected it to happen so that obviously is something that doesn't sit quite easy with me, but I just have to think I've got a job to do and I've got to lead the team tomorrow and think of the great honour and pride in doing that."

The former Scotland international is expected to remain in place until the club appoints a caretaker boss, with United planning to name Amorim's permanent successor at the end of the season.

The BBC reported that the club had held preliminary talks with Fletcher, Michael Carrick and former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, all ex-United players, about the position of caretaker.

But Fletcher, 41, said at his pre-match press conference that conversations with United's hierarchy had focused on Wednesday's game and they would talk again after the match.

- Full-time job? -

Fletcher was asked whether he wanted to try to earn the manager's job on a full-time basis.

"Honestly it's not something I've thought about," he said. "I'm focusing on Burnley. I think that discussion is for after the game.

"There has been that much going on and it has all happened so quickly that all my concentration, efforts and thoughts have gone into Burnley."

Fletcher won five Premier League titles under the management of Alex Ferguson but the club have not been English champions since 2013.

"Everyone expects Manchester United to be on the top and winning, that's the standard, that's what we all have to try and achieve," said a bullish Fletcher.

He was asked what his United team would look like.

"Hopefully it looks like a Manchester United team that represents a bit of me, I think in terms of what I know is Manchester United," he said.

"So I hope it resembles a Manchester United team that fans can be proud of, that I can be proud of, and I'm sure they will because I believe in the players.

"I think we've got good players and I think we've got players who care and I think we've got a lot of quality in that team and I hope to give them a platform to go out there to express themselves."

Fletcher said he hoped to welcome back captain Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount into a squad badly depleted by injuries and international commitments.

He joked that he refused to disclose sensitive information when asked whether his twin sons, Jack and Tyler, would be given full debuts against Burnley.

United are sixth in the Premier League table, three points behind fourth-placed Liverpool.

K.Nakajima--JT