Hardcore Manchester United fans are continuing their protest against the Glazers’ ownership of the club as it has become apparent that the owners have absolutely no interest in relinquish their ownership of the Premier League club, according to reports.
Yet to deliver on their word to be more transparent in the administration of the club, the Americans have only managed to further infuriate supporters who have been unhappy for the major tenure of their stewardship.
A protest was staged by the 1958 supporters group at the Red Devils’ Carrington training complex on Saturday ahead of the top-flight fixture with Norwich at Old Trafford in the form of a peaceful demonstration channeling anger at United’s owners and the club’s grossly under-performing players.
With a plethora of off-pitch trouble continuing to stifle Old Trafford, it is only to be expected of the anger and frustration of supporters against the owners to continue unabated since the Glazers purchased the club for £790million in 2005. It was only twelve months ago that irate fans stormed Old Trafford in protest over their ownership, forcing a high-profile fixture against Liverpool to be postponed. The insurrection came immediately after United had signed up with the European Super League in full support of the new league’s plans.
It was then that the Glazers’ promise of greater transparency with supporters was effusively made, with the beginning of Joel Glazer’s 708-word open letter saying:
“We want to work together to come up with an ambitious package of measures which will transform our relationship with fans and strengthen the club for the long-term.”
Be as it may, most of the promises made in the effusive communication have yet to see the light of day and long-impatient fans are now staging further protests. Although the recent Saturday’s were peaceful, the Greater Manchester Police have access to intelligence predicting further demonstrations may not be quite so harmonious, according to the Mirror.
Regardless, despite the rising general tenor of intensifying displeasure, sources have told the same publication that the Glazers have no interest to sell the club, saying:
“The family have never wavered in their commitment to maintaining ownership of United and as far as the club is aware nothing has changed.
“They have seen this kind of protest before and while they would prefer a better relationship with all of United’s fan base they won’t be driven out by this kind of opposition.”
In fact, it was only in the past week that grand, multi-million-pound plans to redevelop Old Trafford further substantiate a long-term stay for the Glazers, that will further frustrate fans who just can’t wait to see them gone.
Undoubtedly also, the long-term decline on the pitch is another undeniable, inclemental source of frustration for United’s loyal supporters who have long been on the sidelines watching the squads that have come and gone scarcely come close to winning the Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season in 2012-13.
The Red Devils can of course lay claim to having twice finished runners-up in the years since but on both occasions were country miles off rivals Manchester City.
Looks like incoming Dutchman Erik ten Hag will most certainly be inheriting a squad requiring a major overhaul, no less.