Manchester United season ticket holders are returning their tickets for Wednesday’s Premier League game against bottom-placed Sheffield United.
Erik ten Hag has had a disastrous second season in command at Old Trafford, and it looks that fans are turning their backs on the struggling team.
According to The Daily Star, some supporters have returned their tickets for the game against the Blades, prompting United to notify club members that more tickets had become available.
The club has stated that more seats are available for purchase at the Theatre of Dreams “due to the high number of tickets returned by season ticket holders”.
A similar statement occurs on the club’s website’s tickets section, and it could be a rare scenario in which Old Trafford is not full for Chris Wilder’s team.
It would be a humiliating situation for a club that can often fill the famed ancient stadium several times over.
However, this season has seen more craziness from players than sublimeness, and fans are becoming increasingly frustrated with the continually erratic performances.
United’s latest meltdown occurred on Sunday at Wembley Stadium, virtually costing the squad an FA Cup final spot after leading by three goals in the final 20 minutes against Coventry.
The Championship side fought back to force extra-time, but only a close VAR call saved United’s blushes and allowed them to advance via penalty shootouts.
Another element contributing to ticket returns will be the fact that the fixture has been rescheduled, and an 8pm kickoff on a Wednesday evening is not as convenient for some supporters as regular weekend league game kickoff times.
However, if there are enough vacant seats in the stadium this evening, it could be the last straw for the owners, who are now under pressure to make a decision on Erik ten Hag’s future.
United will be expected to easily win tonight’s game, and if they fail to do so in front of a half-full Old Trafford, it would be a great surprise if the Dutchman remains in the dugout next season.
