Manchester United fans fly Ed Woodward banner over Burnley match labelling him a ‘specialist in failure’

A group of fans are protesting against the United executive vice-chairman after blaming him for their poor start to the new Premier League season

A banner was flown over Turf Moor ahead of Manchester United’s Premier League encounter with Burnley that saw fans of the Old Trafford club criticise their executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

The banner, which was organised and paid for by a supporters group known as ‘A Voice from the Terrace’, appeared above Turf Moor 20 minutes before kick-off.

It read: “Ed Woodward: A specialist in failure.”

A banner reading 'Ed Woodward a specialist in failure!' is flown over Turf Moor (Getty)

The criticism is a response to United’s summer transfer business, which despite early acquisitions of Fred, Diogo Dalot and Lee Grant, fell flat as the club failed to sign any big-name players before the deadline on 9 August, as well as the defensive addition that manager Jose Mourinho desired.

United fans have thrown their support behind Mourinho despite the difficult start to the season, with United losing successive games to Brighton and Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur, and they kicked off against Burnley nine points behind Premier League pace-setters Liverpool and Chelsea.

Should they fail to earn at least a draw against the Clarets, it will be the club’s worst start since 1986, which resulted in the sacking of manager Ron Atkinson.

Woodward took over the reins at United as executive vice-chairman following the exit of former chief executive David Gill in 2013, but United have failed to challenge for the Premier League title ever since and although they finished last season in second, they were well-beaten by rivals Manchester City.

Former United chief executive David Gill was in attendance at Turf Moor (Reuters)

This isn’t the first time that a section of United fans have flown a banner over a Premier League match. In March 2014, a message reading “David Moyes: The Wrong One” appeared above Old Trafford in protest against Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor, and the club eventually sacked Moyes a month later.