Manchester United players were stunned by yesterday's fans protest.

The Daily Mail says United stars were shocked at how easily angry fans were able to breach security at their Carrington training base before confronting manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Thursday.

The group of around 20 fans belong to the self-styled 'Men in Black' who attacked United chief Ed Woodward's house in Cheshire in January last year.

Solskjaer came out to try to placate them, accompanied by new technical director Darren Fletcher, coach Michael Carrick and 6ft 4in Serbia midfielder Nemanja Matic, on the condition that their conversation was not recorded.

The fans are said to have asked Solskjaer why he opposed the Glazer takeover when becoming a patron of Shareholders United while he was still a player in 2005, but did not join other Premier League managers in condemning the ESL, which collapsed earlier this week.

"There was one meathead shouting the odds who soon piped down when Ole started talking to them," a source said.

"But the players were concerned at how easily the fans got through. There weren't enough security guards to keep away an angry group like that. It needs beefing up to stop this happening again."