Man United have had to make an adjustment to their usual pre-match preparations in light of the planned protests at tonight’s game, according to reports.
Fan discontent at the club’s running means that many expect a show of anger at some point this evening. Currently, United are scheduled to play bitter rivals, Liverpool, with kick-off at 8pm.
The protests come against the backdrop of the potential for new ownership at Man United. Billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has expressed interest in buying the Red Devils. As a result, some supporters have cautious optimism that the much-maligned Glazers will leave soon.
In their 17-year ownership of the club, the Glazers have taken over £1 billion out of Manchester United (per Metro) – something that infuriates fans. Therefore, some groups have planned protests against the current owners tonight.
They have protested against the American owners before, too. In May 2021, ahead of a fixture against Liverpool, United fans broke into Old Trafford and stormed the pitch in opposition to the Glazers’ ownership. This led to the game being postponed.
Now, there are fears that this could happen again. Because of this, the Man United squad have had to change their pre-match routine.
Man United protests cause team prep changes
Per Manchester Evening News, Erik ten Hag and his squad cancelled their meeting at the usual home matchday spot, the Lowry Hotel, today. Typically, the Red Devils stay overnight at the hotel in Salford, then head to the stadium via team bus on matchday. However, this will not be the case.
It is claimed that a meeting was scheduled for 1pm, but has been cancelled over security fears.
The club chose to take this course of action after the events of the previous large protest in 2021. In last year’s scenes, a faction of United fans blocked the entrance to The Lowry, stopping their players from reaching transport to Old Trafford.
So, with one potential sticking point out of the way, United will hope that tonight’s fixture will still go ahead.
How big will the protest be?
Since their disastrous 4-0 defeat to Brentford, the club hierarchy have made efforts to smooth over relations with fans. They have done this via the transfer market.
For instance, the club bought Casemiro in a big-money transfer from Real Madrid. United are also closing slowly on a move for Brazilian winger Antony.
In a further effort to dispel protests, the Red Devils plan on unveiling Casemiro to fans at Old Trafford tonight, per the Daily Mail.
Additionally, some fan disagreements may disrupt any plans. iNews report that two of the main fan groups, “The 1958” and the “Man United Supporters Trust” have fallen out. They have differing opinions on the best way to get rid of the Glazer Ownership.
As a result, some question remarks remain about the size of the demonstration compared to April 2021. Last year’s protest garnered the support of over 5,000 fans. Similarly, an April 2022 protest also got more than 2,000 people.
But today’s protest, if harmonious between fan groups, could blow those numbers out of the water. talkSPORT claims that 10,000 supporters may join a pre-match demonstration, sending a clear message to the club’s owners.
They may also stage a walk-out during the game, or not attend the match at all.
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