Man Utd fans plan protest at Erik ten Hag's first game as manager

Manchester United's appointment of Erik ten Hag hasn't prevented fans planning a new protest against owners the Glazer family.

The arrival of the former Ajax manager was confirmed during the spring, with Ten Hag being given a full pre-season to set up his squad for a tilt at the top four. However, after last season's sixth-place finish, as well as a number of concerns over off-field matters, supporters are plotting another protest.

It is planned for July 31 - the day of the new manager's first home friendly in charge at Old Trafford. And the move follows similar unrest towards the end of last season as frustrations over the ownership continue.

According to the Manchester Evening News, supporters plan to gather outside Old Trafford in the hours before the July friendly against Rayo Vallecano. A peaceful protest is reportedly being planned, with the owners - not the new manager - the target.

United are set to begin their pre-season programme with a number of games on neutral ground. These include friendlies against Liverpool in Bangkok and against Melbourne Victory, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa in Australia.

The match against Rayo will be Ten Hag's first in front of an Old Trafford crowd, though it comes just one day after another friendly against Atletico Madrid in Norway. It is unclear how the Dutch boss will manage his squad for the two games, though United will hope some new signings have been announced before the end of July.

Do you support the upcoming protests? Have your say in the comments section

The protests towards the end of last season are far from the only example in recent years. Towards the end of the 2020-21 campaign, a number of fans entered Old Trafford as they voiced their concern with the ownership, forcing a Premier League match against Liverpool to be postponed.

According to the MEN, the latest planned protests follow anger at the Glazers' decision to take dividend payouts amounting to around £8m. The payment comes as United continue to wait on their first summer signing under their new manager.

A number of long-serving players have left Old Trafford following the expiry of their contracts, with Nemanja Matic joining Roma and record signing Paul Pogba set to return to Juventus. Edinson Cavani, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard are among the others to move on, while goalkeeper Dean Henderson is poised to spend the upcoming season on loan at Nottingham Forest.

A number of targets have been identified, with Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong linked with a reunion with Ten Hag after playing under his compatriot at Ajax. Free agent Christian Eriksen has also been mentioned in connection with a Man Utd move, but the wait continues to go on.