Manchester United turned corporate boxes at Old Trafford into bedrooms so that players arriving early to avoid fans’ protests could try and relax inside the stadium before facing Liverpool, The Athletic can reveal.
Officials hatched top-secret plans to make sure the Premier League clash between the two rivals would go ahead after the fixture was postponed on May 2 when two sets of fans invaded the pitch and barricaded Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his side inside The Lowry Hotel.
Usually, United’s squad stay at the Lowry before home games, with group meetings held and players able to sleep as required, before being bussed to Old Trafford, which is a 10-minute drive away.