Manchester United

The Liverpool team bus has been blocked on the road ahead of the club’s scheduled match against Manchester United at Old Trafford Thursday.

Cars have blocked Liverpool's coach from arriving at Old Trafford #mulive [@RedIssue, @DTathletic] pic.twitter.com/igNhOwy3aj

— utdreport (@utdreport) May 13, 2021

There is another bus at team hotel but this is official one (and the tyres have just been let down) pic.twitter.com/w7CeeEXV06

— Daniel Taylor (@DTathletic) May 13, 2021

The match had already been rescheduled from its original May 2 date when Manchester United supporters held a protest against the club's ownership, with some fans breaking into Old Trafford stadium.

There was a heavy security presence outside the ground Thursday in preparation for more protests:

Scenes are pretty calm outside Old Trafford at the moment ahead of Manchester United V Liverpool #MUNLIV pic.twitter.com/4USNAaZAn2

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 13, 2021

Manchester United fans protesting against the club’s ownership outside Old Trafford ahead of the Premier League game against Liverpool https://t.co/fpQvvHL837 pic.twitter.com/6XRtbYliWf

— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) May 13, 2021

Daniel Taylor of The Athletic reported police have begun clearing the road where an estimated 50 fans had gathered.

The protests are directed towards the Glazer family, which have owned the Premier League club since 2005.

Manchester United fans storm Old Trafford ahead of the match against Liverpool in protest of the club’s ownership 📸 pic.twitter.com/kfTJJ3MgD6

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 2, 2021

While the fanbase has long been frustrated with the club's ownership, United's brief inclusion in the European Super League—which was heavily criticized before the team withdrew from the league two days after the initial launch—was one of the factors behind the May 2 protest.

It saw the match against Liverpool postponed, creating a tight schedule for both clubs to complete before the end of the Premier League season on May 23.

This will be the third match in five days for Manchester United, which defeated Aston Villa Sunday before losing to Leicester City Tuesday with a lineup filled with mostly reserves. 

"To play Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday is a crime," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said of the fixtures, per BBC Sport.

Liverpool at least has an extra day of rest before facing West Bromwich Albion in its next match Sunday.

Of course, if the game is postponed again on Thursday, there will be few opportunities to rearrange it.

The matchup is an important one in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League, with Liverpool seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with two games in hand. 

Manchester United and veteran forward Edinson Cavani have agreed to a one-year contract extension for next season, the club announced Monday. 

"Over the season, I have developed a great affection for the club and everything that it represents," Cavani said. "I feel a deep bond with my teammates and the staff who work behind the scenes here. They give me extra motivation every day, and I know that, together, we can achieve special things."

"I have been touched with how much the supporters have wanted me to stay, and I will give everything to bring them happiness and joy with my performances on the field," he added. "I've not yet been able to play in front of the Old Trafford crowd, and that is something that I cannot wait to do."

The 34-year-old has had a solid season for Manchester United this year, posting nine goals and two assists in 23 Premier League appearances (11 starts). In 35 matches overall this year, the Uruguayan has accumulated 15 goals and five assists. 

Cavani has come on strong for the club down the stretch, with eight goals in his last seven appearances. Manchester United currently sit second in the Premier League table, 10 points behind Manchester City, and will face Villareal in the Europa League final on May 26. 

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spoke highly of Cavani in a statement:

"I said when Edinson signed, that he would bring energy, power and leadership to this group and I haven't been proved wrong, he has been everything I thought he would be and more. As coaches, we knew about his goalscoring record. However, it is his personality that has brought so much to this squad, he has a winning mentality and has an unequivocal attitude to everything he does. Edinson is one of the last to leave the training ground and sets the tone for the upcoming youngsters with his approach to his profession every single day."

With options in Cavani, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial, the Red Devils possess one of the most dangerous attacks in the Premier League. Cavani's ability to lead the line made him a logical candidate to return for another season and will allow the club to address other needs in this summer's transfer window. 

In April, UFC fighter Conor McGregor tweeted that he was interested in buying Manchester United. 

On Sunday, he further clarified his ambitions:

A conversation came up regarding Celtic first to be honest. To acquire shares from Dermot Desmond. I am certainly interested in acquiring a sports team at some stage!
Both Celtic and Man United are teams I like for sure. But I am open. I feel I could do big things for a club. https://t.co/KgD9qnYipP

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 9, 2021

McGregor, quite simply, couldn't afford to buy Manchester United outright from the Glazer family, with the club worth an estimated $4.2 billion, per Forbes, making it the fourth most valuable club in the world. 

McGregor's estimated net worth, meanwhile, is somewhere in the $400 million range. So yeah, a few dollars short. 

Granted, if McGregor were to get into sports ownership, it would likely be alongside an investment group, similar to former MLB player Alex Rodriguez's involvement in the purchasing of the Minnesota Timberwolves alongside Marc Lore. 

Purchasing shares from Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond might be a different situation entirely, however. McGregor has expressed his fandom for the Irish superclub in the past, calling current Arsenal left-back (and former Celtic man) Kieran Tierney his favorite footballer. 

Perhaps McGregor could find his way into football ownership. It's unclear if Desmond is interested in selling shares, or if the Glazers will be interested in parting ways with Manchester United anytime soon (despite their immense unpopularity amongst the club's supporters following the Super League fiasco). 

Executive co-chairman Joel Glazer wrote to supporters on Friday that he was "engaged with the Manchester United Supporters' Trust on fan share ownership and we want to continue and accelerate those discussions, together with provisions to enhance associated fan consultation."

So changes of some variety may be coming to United. Whether McGregor ends up being involved remains to be seen.

Manchester United executive co-chairman Joel Glazer wrote an apology to the club's fans' forum Friday following the failed effort to join the Super League, which reignited significant fan protests against his family's ownership of the club.

Glazer explained he wanted to "reiterate my sincere apology for the mistakes that were made" and promised the make the fans' forum a bigger part of future decisions:

"In particular, I want to acknowledge the need for change, with deeper consultation with you as our main fan representative body across a range of important issues, including the competitions we play in. We also recognize the importance of fan and football interests being embedded in key decision-making processes at every level of the club, and we are open to constructive discussions on how to reinforce that principle."

Sunday's scheduled Premier League match between United and Liverpool was postponed after supporters stormed Old Trafford to protest against the Glazer family's ownership of the club.

Last week, the club's fans told executive vice chairman Ed Woodward they rejected a previous apology from Glazer and remained "disgusted, embarrassed and angry" by the Super League plans, per The Athletic.

The independent Manchester United Supporters' Trust posted a reply to Glazer's latest statement, saying it "could in theory—and we emphasize in theory only—be a change in direction and approach by the owners." The statement continued:

"We will, however, determine our position based on the resulting actions rather than these words alone. We have seen empty words too many times previously. We will seek a mandate from our members and from the wider fanbase before proceeding. We only wish to engage in this process should our supporters want us to.

"The onus remains on the club to put right the problems of the past, not just the European Super League but the overall lack of communication and consultation by the owners."

The Super League called for 15 permanent members, including 12 involved in the initial planning—United and five of its Premier League rivals, three Italian clubs and three Spanish clubs—and three more high-profile teams from around Europe. Five qualifying spots would have been available annually.

It was promoted as a way to help the clubs financially following the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, but fans around Europe were outraged, seeing it as a greedy move by the clubs' owners that would eliminate the risk of them missing the UEFA Champions League each year to guarantee profits.

The Super League suspended operations just days after its announcement as several of the core clubs announced their intention to leave amid the backlash. UEFA also threatened to ban players on Super League teams from international competition, including the FIFA World Cup.

Glazer also said in his letter there's still a need to "make the game stronger and more sustainable over the long term" but noted they're planning to do so within the current Premier League and UEFA framework.

"In addition, I want to reassure you that my family and I care deeply about Manchester United and feel a profound sense of responsibility to protect and enhance its strength for the long-term, while respecting its values and traditions," he wrote.

Glazer also pledged a commitment to "further dialogue" with a plan to schedule a meeting with forum members following the conclusion of the 2020-21 season.

Manchester United fans stormed the pitch at Old Trafford to protest against the Glazer family's ownership of the club ahead of Sunday's match against Liverpool.

BREAKING: Angry Manchester United fans are staging a protest against the club's owners after getting inside their Old Trafford stadium.

Read more: https://t.co/UlMC47LNkj pic.twitter.com/dDtHI04cGa

— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 2, 2021

Fans protesting on the pitch at Old Trafford. pic.twitter.com/ocfy5uGy4A

— Stretford Paddock (@StretfordPaddck) May 2, 2021

One of the protesters outside Manchester United stadium Old Trafford says the protest "isn't just about the European Super League", adding that the Glazer family, which has controlled the club since 2005, "need to go".

Read more here: https://t.co/yjfNpetpic pic.twitter.com/bOLj2sRpqE

— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 2, 2021

Manchester United fans storm Old Trafford ahead of the match against Liverpool in protest of the club’s ownership 📸 pic.twitter.com/kfTJJ3MgD6

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 2, 2021

The supporters are voicing their distaste for the Glazer family, who have controlled the Premier League club since 2005.

Although fans were removed from the field, according to BBC Sport, The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell noted Sunday's match was postponed.

Manchester United fans were among the many to push back against the Super League, a breakaway competition made up of some the biggest clubs in Europe. United withdrew from the proposed league just two days after the announcement of its establishment.

Manchester United co-chairman Joel Glazer had been named a vice chairman of the proposed Super League but apologized to the fans after the decision to withdraw.

"In seeking to create a more stable foundation for the game, we failed to show enough respect for its deep-rooted traditions—promotion, relegation, the pyramid—and for that we are sorry," Glazer said, per Alan McGuinness of Sky News. "This is the world's greatest football club and we apologise unreservedly for the unrest caused during these past few days."

The Super League announcement was met with widespread backlash across Europe, especially in England. Chelsea supporters notably protested immediately before the club's decision to withdraw.

Arsenal fans also recently protested against owner Stan Kroenke. Both Arsenal and Manchester United are owned by Americans.

United has disappointed on the field in recent years. Even though the squad sits second in the Premier League table, this will likely be the eighth straight season without winning the title, with four finishes outside the top four coming in this stretch.

The club won the league in five of the previous seven years from 2006 to 2013, never finishing worse than second.

Ed Woodward has reportedly resigned as executive vice chairman of Manchester United, per Adam Crafton of The Athletic.

The news comes two days after the club was one of 12 teams to announce the formation of the Super League, which has led to significant backlash among fans.

Mark Ogden of ESPN reported Woodward was planning to step down in the summer, but the move came earlier following the blowback from the Super League.

Premier League clubs Chelsea and Manchester City are already reportedly set to withdraw from the proposed league, per Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph.

Woodward had already been an unpopular figure among supporters while overseeing a disappointing run from one of the biggest clubs in the world.

The 49-year-old stepped into his role in 2012 as Manchester United won the Premier League title in his first season, the 13th under manager Alex Ferguson. The club hasn't been as dominant since then with zero Premier League crowns over the next seven years while finishing outside the top four in four of those seasons.

The club returned to Champions League this season but failed to make it out of the group stage. United was relegated to the Europa League, where it has reached the semifinals. 

With Manchester United also failing to land many impact transfers in this time, there was not a lot of confidence surrounding the administration.

The Super League created even more drama with widespread criticism amid supporters because of the lack of relegation and the guaranteed spots for the founding members. 

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire reportedly confronted Woodward over the decision Monday, per Jake Polden of Mirror.

The club will now have some difficult decisions ahead regarding its future.

Manchester United star Paul Pogba doesn't think too highly of the club's former manager Jose Mourinho. 

In an interview with Sky Sports, Pogba said the Portuguese would treat Red Devils players like they "didn't exist."

The French midfielder explained the difference in approach between Mourinho and current United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer:

"What I have now with Ole is different, he wouldn't go against the players. He wouldn't go against the players. Maybe Ole wouldn't pick them, but it's not like he puts them on the side like they don't exist anymore. That's the difference between Mourinho and Ole.

"Once I had a great relationship with Mourinho, everybody saw that, and the next day you don't know what happened. That's the strange thing I had with Mourinho and I cannot explain to you because even I don't know. So, yeah."

Pogba played under Mourinho for two years from 2016-18, winning the Europa League and EFL Cup in the 2016-17 season.

The club's best Premier League showing in Mourinho's tenure was a second-place finish in 2016-17. In the following campaign, the Red Devils made it to the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League and lost to Real Madrid in the Super Cup Final. 

Pogba did offer hints in the past that he was unhappy playing for Mourinho. 

"There are things, and there are things that I cannot say, otherwise I will get fined," he told reporters after a 2-1 win over Leicester City in August 2018 amid speculation that he wanted to leave the club because of tension with Mourinho.

After opening the 2018-19 Premier League season with seven wins in 17 games, Mourinho was sacked by the club in December 2018. The 58-year-old was hired by Tottenham Hotspur in November 2019. 

Solskjaer was appointed manager after Mourinho's firing. He led Manchester United to wins in his first 10 matches and has an 80-31-30 overall record with the club. 

Pogba had an assist in United's 3-1 win over Mourinho's Spurs on April 11. 

Manchester United announced Monday the signing of former Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani on a free transfer just hours ahead of the evening's transfer deadline:

🇺🇾🔴 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿.

Ladies and gentlemen: introducing @ECavaniOfficial...#MUFC pic.twitter.com/2tBLCdtjdL

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 5, 2020

OFFICIAL: Manchester United announce the signing of Edinson Cavani 🔴 pic.twitter.com/I3CQHxu2xN

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 5, 2020

Cavani, 33, became a free agent over the summer after a seven-year stint with the Paris club. 

It's been a busy day for United, with the club also reportedly securing a €40 million transfer million for Atalanta's 18-year-old winger Amad Diallo Traore, per Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic, and a €17 million transfer for Porto left-back Alex Telles, per Charlotte Duncker of Goal. 

As for Cavani, on Sunday, Rob Dawson of ESPN provided more details on his addition:

"United turned down the chance to sign Cavani in January after being put off by his wage demands of £360,000-a-week. After leaving Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, the striker has been offered to every major club in Europe before United stepped up their interest last week.

"Sources have told ESPN his wages will be significantly lower than his demands in January and the agent fees involved in the deal will be lower than €10m."

While Cavani is no longer in his prime or the player who posted 35 goals in league play during the 2016-17 season and 28 league goals in 2017-18, he'll provide solid depth at the striker position for Man United.

All 200 of Edinson Cavani's goals for PSG

EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.

🔥🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/YjJtioBc85

— GOAL (@goal) February 24, 2020

Cavani released the following statement after officially signing, per Sam France of Goal:

"Manchester United is one of the greatest clubs in the world, so it is a real honour to be here. I've worked really hard during the time off and I feel eager to compete and represent this incredible club. I have played in front of some of the most passionate supporters in football during my career and I know that it will be the same in Manchester. I cannot wait to experience the Old Trafford atmosphere, when it is safe for the fans to return."

Solskjaer on Cavani: "He’ll bring energy, power, leadership and a great mentality to the squad but most importantly he’ll bring goals. He's had a brilliant career so far, winning trophies at almost every club he's played for, and still has so much more to give." #MUFC

— David McDonnell (@DiscoMirror) October 5, 2020

He'll provide both excellent cover for starting No. 9 Anthony Martial and a different type of forward, giving Ole Gunnar Solskjaer some lineup flexibility with his front line going forward.

Borussia Dortmund have reportedly denied Jadon Sancho's absence from their DFL-Supercup lineup is tied to any impending move to Manchester United. 

A respiratory infection will keep Sancho from playing against Bayern Munich. Norwegian outlet Dagbladet (h/t Goal's Ronan Murphy) reported the 20-year-old was attempting to force through a return to England.

However, football reporter Fabrizio Romano reported Dortmund "are still convinced that Jadon is gonna stay" and won't accept any offers of €100 million or less from United.

Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc said in August that Sancho would be staying after United failed to line up a move prior to the club's self-imposed deadline. The transfer window doesn't officially close until Monday, which potentially gives United some time to force a reversal from Dortmund.

Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward might be looking at alternatives, though. Sky Sports reported the Red Devils are considering a loan deal for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele. Watford winger Ismaila Sarr, Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic and free-agent striker Edinson Cavani are also on the list of targets.

Under normal circumstances, lining up a Sancho transfer would be difficult for any club because he's so in-demand, and Borussia Dortmund would drive a hard bargain. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic complicate matters further.

ESPN's Mark Ogden reported United are possibly looking at losses of £100 million due to the pandemic, which limits how much the Red Devils can spend in the transfer market: "Sources have told ESPN that the losses caused by the pandemic are a major factor in the club's caution during this transfer window, in which they have made just one signing so far by spending £40m on Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek."

Perhaps Sancho could speed things along by formally requesting a transfer, but he might be happy to stay at Dortmund for another season. The club can provide him with UEFA Champions League football and arguably the same chances of lifting a league title that he'd have at United.

The trouble for United is that failing to get Sancho now might mean facing more competition should opposing clubs see their revenue rebound a bit ahead of the next transfer window.

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire opened up about his arrest in Greece, noting his fear when he thought he was being kidnapped:

“I feared for my life”

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire tells the BBC he thought he was being kidnapped when he was arrested in Greece last weekhttps://t.co/S3rZorWbMe pic.twitter.com/UcNHLMTQwa

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) August 27, 2020

"They hit me a lot on the legs. [The pain] wasn't on my mind. I was in that much of a panic," Maguire said, via BBC Sport. "Fear. Scared for my life."

As the 27-year-old described it, he was in Mykonos, Greece, with friends when he thought some men had harmed his sister, Daisy. They were on their way to the hospital when they were pulled over by plain clothes police officers.

Maguire said he didn't know they were officers and thought he was being kidnapped, which caused him to fight back.

When he got to the police station, however, he allegedly told an officer: "Please, let me go, I am very rich, I can pay, I am the leader of Manchester United," per Adam Crafton of The Athletic.

He was eventually found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and repeated attempts of bribery, resulting in a 21-month suspended sentence. His legal team intends to appeal the verdict.

Despite the conviction, Maguire maintains his innocence and refuses to apologize for his actions.

"I don't feel I owe an apology to anybody," he told BBC. "An apology is something when you have done something wrong."

Maguire just completed his first season with Manchester United after coming over from Leicester City. The English national was named the team's captain in January.

The club offered its full support for the defender even after the conviction, per Mark Ogden of ESPN.