Nobody at Manchester United seems quite sure when they last saw the Glazers.

There was an alleged sighting of Avram, one of Joel’s brothers and fellow directors, at the home victory over Bolton Wanderers last month and there was a big family outing to the showdown with Chelsea in November, but otherwise United’s most compelling season in years has unfolded with barely an appearance from their American owners, the ones who said they bought the club to “get goose bumps” and have “tears roll from their eyes”.