Interim boss Darren Fletcher says he has had no fresh talks about his Manchester United future ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup clash with Brighton.
A week that started with Ruben Amorim’s sacking after 14 underwhelming months in charge ends with Sunday’s third-round tie at Old Trafford and the former midfielder’s second game in caretaker charge.
United put in a lively display in Fletcher’s first match but were ultimately frustrated in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at struggling Burnley, where chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox watched from the stands.
The pair have been the 41-year-old’s only points of contact within the club leadership since temporarily taking the reins as the hierarchy considers the best man to lead the side forwards.
Asked if there were any updates on his future and whether he had spoken to ambitious United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Fletcher said: “I’ve not, no.
“The process here works that I speak to Omar and Jason. For me, I’ve been focusing on the job in hand, preparing the team for these two games. There’s been no thoughts or conversations about my future.
“Honestly, the people in Jason and Omar have given me full responsibility to take control of these two games, make my own decisions, lead the team, guide the team, prepare the team, and that’s what I’ve been doing.
“There’s been no conversations with anybody outside of those two people in higher up positions in the club.”
Fletcher and Ruud van Nistelrooy remain in the conversation for the United caretaker job, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick are the frontrunners.
Nothing is understood to be imminent in terms of an appointment by a club whose foundations have come under the microscope this season, including the academy.
Amorim did not show much faith in homegrown players and made some pointed remarks around a set-up that Fletcher knows better than most, having come through ranks as a player and this season worked as Under-18s boss.
“Historically this club is built around the academy,” he said. “We’ve got an amazing academy.
“Our record speaks for itself. I’m not going to stand here and say anything other than that. We’ve got an amazing record. I think it’s hard to beat in terms of the history of clubs around the world.
“We’ve got some amazing players, some amazing talents. I think what I see is a lot of hardworking, humble young players who aren’t perfect because they’re young and they’re learning and they’ve got a lot to do.
“I think we ask and expect too much of young people sometimes in society and in general. And that’s not a criticism of anybody, that’s just my beliefs.
“I think we have to let them learn, educate them, help them. Understand they’re going to make mistakes and they’re going to do things that will frustrate you.
“But through time with good guidance of coaches, family members, players in the first-team squad, all of us play a part.
“That’s our role, that’s our jobs of developing them to be Manchester United players and Manchester United people.
“So, all I can say is (in) my workings with those players as individuals and in general throughout the academy, I deal with hard-working, honest, coachable, super-talented kids.
“We’ve got a lot of talent in our academy and hopefully they can showcase themselves like Shea (Lacey) did when he came on against Burnley and was so close to scoring a fantastic goal.”
Fletcher expects to have the same players available as at Burnley having confirmed whichever of Noussair Mazraoui and Bryan Mbeumo go out of the Africa Cup of Nations on Friday will not play.
