Ronaldo hat-trick rescues Man United amid fan anger

Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick saved Manchester United’s blushes as they made hard work of beating relegation-threatened Norwich on a day of protests against the Glazer family.

Green and gold flares filled the air along with chants against the long-despised owners before kick-off on Saturday, with thousands joining the protest organised by a recently-formed supporter group called The 1958.

Anti-Glazer songs continued throughout an Old Trafford encounter that looked set to end in a surprise draw after Kieran Dowell and Teemu Pukki goals cancelled out Ronaldo’s brace.

"You’re not fit to wear the shirt" bellowed some as fan discontent grew, only for star man Ronaldo to rifle home a stunning 25-yard free-kick and seal a hard-fought 3-2 win against Canaries.

A first win in five weeks for Ralf Rangnick’s side was hardly a resounding response to last week’s loss at Everton, but surprise defeats for Tottenham and Arsenal on Saturday have injected new life into United’s top-four hopes.

By contrast, Dean Smith’s rock-bottom Canaries saw their chances of beating the drop dim as Ronaldo proved their undoing on an afternoon when off-field anger dominated the pre-match conversation.

The protestors made their feelings loud and clear before the game, with a number of fans remaining outside until the 17th minute – one minute for every year of the Glazer’s ownership.

Those inside Old Trafford let their feeling known from the outset as the team kicked on after an early Pukki chance that David De Gea stood up to.

Anthony Elanga, Jadon Sancho and Ronaldo had early attempts for the attack-minded hosts, who pressed Norwich into a costly seventh-minute mistake.

Elanga has been a rare bright spot in a wretched season for the Old Trafford giants and his