Daniel Storey: Should we really be that surprised by Old Trafford scenes?

Manchester United fans hold flares as they protest against the Glazer family outside Old Trafford. Picture: Rob Harris/AP

Man United protesters achieve their goal

There was an awful lot of reaction to the Manchester United supporters who managed to get into Old Trafford that effectively told them they had picked the wrong form of protest. But then when you manage to get the biggest league fixture in the country postponed, it’s fair to say that you have made your point.

And what was their other option? It’s all very well telling people that they should protest quietly, but then the whole point of protest is to kick up a fuss and have their voice heard.

There’s clearly no guarantee that the Glazer family will listen to these dissenters any more than the original green-and-gold protests made a difference, but they cannot give up. If the European Super League attempted breakaway has caused a rush in communal action and added dedication to the cause, so be it.

And these supporters tried polite complaints. They boycotted matches, set up their own phoenix club and waved their gold-and-green scarves. They asked the government to protect their social institution and saw nothing done to protect their interests.

And what did that achieve, bar a continuation — at best — of the status quo that is so emphatically to their dislike?

While you have some pundits defending the Glazers actions at Manchester United, you will have righteous anger that fights against it. Nobody should condone criminal damage, but you cannot stop people protesting about a cause they deeply believe in and nor should we try.

Most importantly for these supporters, they have seen that their protest can make a difference. They have made it news, more important than the dead rubber league game that they forced the postponement of.

And if it worked this time, who is to say that they won’t try it again?

Can Tuchel continue to keep faith in Werner?

Having started on the bench last week in Madrid, Thomas Tuchel made the point of praising Kai Havertz for his response in scoring both goals in a comfortable home win over Fulham that tightened Chelsea’s grip on a top-four place that they might not need if their Champions League form continues.

Havertz started as the most advanced forward in a front three with Timo Werner one of the two flanking him. That reduces the pressure on Werner to score goals, helpful given his poor chance conversion this season.

But it is also easier to move Werner out of the team if Havertz is scoring goals. He is just as capable of playing as one of the two behind the striker, meaning that Havertz could take Werner’s position this Wednesday with Olivier Giroud or Tammy Abraham leading the line. That might also have a lasting impact at Chelsea with Roman Abramovich likely to allow further investment in the squad to fuel a title challenge next season.

Can they really count on Werner in his current form?

Everton’s home form has destroyed their ambition

This is becoming another wasted season. Everton have been brilliant on the road this season, but again stumbled at Goodison to effectively end their hopes of a top-four finish. They have a worse home record (in terms of points per game) than every team bar Brighton and the bottom three.

After the defeat to Aston Villa, Carlo Ancelotti expressed his disappointment at the inability to address the issue.

“Not good enough. Not good enough,” he said. “It was completely different from the last game we played against Arsenal where we played with more concentration, more spirit and more attitude. There was no concentration, a lot of passes were wrong and there was no balance. We had opportunities we also conceded a lot and, at the end of the day, we deserved to lose.”

With the attitude of his players called into question by the manager, Everton face a big summer, with work beginning on their new stadium. You can forgive flaws in technique and concentration, but not in application.

A campaign that promised so much could well end with Everton missing out on Europe entirely.

Potter deserves to be linked with bigger jobs

Looking at Brighton’s numbers, it’s very hard to work out why it has taken until May for them to secure their Premier League safety. Brighton’s inability to take chances has been the standout issue all season (they rank seventh in the league for shots and chances created), but they are also incredibly impressive defensively. Only Chelsea and Manchester City have faced fewer shots on target than Brighton.

When you watch Brighton dismantle Leeds as they did on Saturday, you immediately see why Graham Potter is linked with clubs higher up the league. If Brighton had a reliable striker (Patrick Bamford, Ollie Watkins, Danny Ings), they would be knocking on the door of the top eight.

It’s easy to see how Potter could recreate this Brighton system more effectively at a bigger club.

He has a strategy that is very easy to identify and that players buy into. He has improved a group of players at Brighton that includes converting midfielders into wing-backs, making Yves Bissouma one of the best central midfielders in the country and turning Lewis Dunk, Aaron Webster, and Ben White into central defenders that at least four of the ‘big six’ should be interested in.