Two arrests made during fan protests outside Old Trafford as Liverpool
(CNN)After postponing the original fixture between Manchester United and Liverpool with their protests, United fans once again voiced their opposition to the club’s owners on Thursday at the rearranged fixture between the two Premier League rivals.
The match was originally scheduled for May 2 but had to be delayed after protests from fans resulted in a group making their way onto the Old Trafford pitch.
On Thursday, fans were once again outside Manchester United’s stadium protesting the Glazer family ownership with flares and chants.
Although the game was not disrupted, police confirmed that two arrests were made “relating to public order offenses,” and the teams were forced to make adjustments to their pre-match schedules to accommodate the protests.
Manchester United fans holding flares protest against the Glazer family.
United’s players arrived at the stadium over seven hours before the start of the game instead of their usual routine of staying at a hotel, choosing instead to have their meal and rest inside the ground.
In the end, Liverpool gained a vital win in its hunt for Champions League football, beating United 4–2 thanks in part to a double from Roberto Firmino.
But United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said the disruption to his team’s preparations caused by fan protests was not to blame for his side’s poor performance in the defeat.
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“Once we were in, it was all focus on the game. But it is a different preparation coming in at noon for a quarter-past eight kickoff, it’s a long time to be here but I thought the boys managed that well,” he told Reuters.
“Of course, it disrupted us a little bit so it’s not been ideal but we had to deal with it.”
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Making their voice heard
In the wake of the unpopular European Super League (ESL) — a multibillion-dollar competition consisting of 12 of the biggest teams in European football, in which six of England’s top clubs signed up, including Manchester United — United fans’ discontent with the Glazers has intensified.
Although the ESL fell apart less than 48 hours after it was first announced, the lack of fan consultation galvanized many supporters — not just at United — who are intent on wresting back some semblance of control of their clubs.
The six founding Premier League members eventually withdrew from the ESL, beginning with Chelsea and Manchester City, following widespread criticism by fans, the media, politicians and even royalty.
The disconnect between the supporters and United’s US owners led to huge protests — which sometimes turned ugly — outside Old Trafford 10 days ago, with police estimating over 1,000 protesters who invaded the pitch ahead of the match against Liverpool.
Some 200 people also congregated outside The Lowry Hotel in Salford where the United players were staying ahead of the match.
The game was eventually rescheduled to Thursday and the fans once again turned up to voice their opposition to the Glazers.
