Manchester United’s official website registered Old Trafford’s attendance for the Crystal Palace game to 75,277 but those who saw the game would know that there were plenty of empty seats inside the stadium.
I do not recall watching a Premier League game at Old Trafford with that many empty seats even when United are losing or the game is in dying moments.
But what we witnessed last night could potentially be damaging for Manchester United football club in the longer run.
It was the first public boycott of Louis Van Gaal’s regime as the United manager. The Dutchman has bored us all with his defensive mindset this season and perhaps he got a brutal answer from the fans about how they feel about him right now.
It seemed like a strategic boycott from the fans as well because the seats were not empty in any one particular stands. There were clusters of missing fans from everywhere the cameras looked, most notably in the side stands where TV cameras remain focused for best part of the games.
It was a clear message for the Man United board to react or else it could get even worse in coming times.
To an extent, I can understand those fans not wanting to turn up for the game because they no longer feel entertained. This season alone we have seen 11 scoreless half-time draws at Old Trafford, which was unheard in previous eras.
Those who decided to snub the Palace game must have thought of a similar display from their team, but instead United actually played well and threw men forward in attack.
It was not as gloomy as expected prior to the kick-off, which may prompt the fans to turn up when Manchester United play their next home game.
Having seen the extent of frustration suffered by the fans, keeping Van Gaal in the job would be a big call from Ed Woodward.
Decision now lies with the club whether they want to honor Van Gaal’s 3-year contract or they want to see a sell-out crowd at Old Trafford?
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