Manchester United host Roma tonight with a nine-game winless run and a planned balloon protest at Old Trafford aimed at the Glazers and INEOS.
Manchester United host Roma at Old Trafford tonight in the Champions League, looking to end a nine-game winless run. The Evening Standard says kick-off could be disrupted by a planned supporters' protest.
The fan group the Stretford Enders plan to hand out 4,000 green and gold balloons, to be held up while the Champions League anthem plays just before kick-off. The protest is thought to be aimed at the club's owners, the Glazer family and INEOS. According to the Evening Standard, the plans were not promoted on social media but leaked out in reports by The i and The Athletic before the game.
A banner reading "No new stadium, we want new owners" will not be shown, according to The i, because UEFA did not sanction it in time. A similar protest is believed to be planned for the Premier League game against Aston Villa this weekend.
According to the Evening Standard, United sit 20th in the Champions League after two defeats and a win. The win came against Sabah at Old Trafford, and the defeats were heavy ones at Atletico Madrid and Como. Losses to Bournemouth and Chelsea have since put Michael Carrick's position in serious question. He has survived so far, and his job is reported to be reassessed during the November international break.
My take: balloons are not a tactical problem. Nine games without a win is. Whatever the stands do before the anthem ends, the pitch sets the mood.
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Twenty-first-century leaks in action: no social media push, just The i and The Athletic getting there first. The only thing missing is who ordered 4,000 balloons and whether they are refundable.
Four thousand balloons is a cheap way to ask who pays and who decides. Owners tend to hear a protest much better when the results are bad too.
