Floating platform becomes sea of red as Manchester United fans see stars

SINGAPORE — The floating platform at Marina Bay was a sea of red as Manchester United fans swarmed the venue on Sunday (July 21), patiently waiting for their chance to see their idols.

And then they appeared, the likes of Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Aaron Wan-Bissaka being welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd chanting the Red Devils’ battle hymn, “Glory Glory, Man United”.

Singapore football legend Fandi Ahmad was also in attendance, participating in a series of games on stage with Pogba, Mata and Wan-Bissaka, along with some members of Singapore’s Young Lions.

It was a day after United beat Inter Milan 1-0 at the National Stadium, thanks to Mason Greenwood’s 76th-minute strike, in an International Champions Cup match on Saturday.

Manchester United fans at the event on Sunday. Photo: Nuria Ling/TODAY

In an interview with the media, Mata shared that while the team were “happy” with the victory, they expect more difficult tasks ahead.

United will take on fellow Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Hongkou Stadium in China on July 25. They will face Italian giants AC Milan at the Millennium Stadium in Wales on Aug 4 in their final warm-up ahead of their Premier League opener against Chelsea on Aug 11.

“Tottenham is going to be tough, (AC Milan) is going to be tough. So we still have a few difficult games but (we planned) to use these games to get ready for the Chelsea game which is our first official game and that’s the important one and the one that we have to be ready to win,” Mata said.

The Spaniard had just extended his contract with United, who finished sixth in the English Premier League in the 2018-19 season, and he insists that the team can only improve on their league position.

“We know that last season wasn’t good enough. So we need to improve, we need to try our best in this upcoming season,” he said.

“What we have to do is raise our level and compete and let’s see where we end up.”

Mata believes that the challenge will not just come from the top sides.

“You know, the level in the Premier League is racing every single year… All the clubs have been bringing very good players. So we need to try to be at our best,” he said.

United fans were also greeted by Wan-Bissaka at the event, the first time the Englishman appeared in the team’s red jersey in Singapore since he signed for the club last month.