Paul Merson swung a wrecking ball at Manchester United’s £2billion stadium plans as he branded them ‘pathetic’ and insisted Sir Jim Ratcliffe is making a grave error.
The pundit believes the plans are pointless, distract from the club’s on-field plight, and should have fans up in arms.
Manchester United will try to build ‘the world’s greatest stadium’ with a 100,000 capacity in the space of five years, the club announced on Tuesday.
But Mail Sport’s Simon Jordan questioned the lack of concrete funding plans while fans took a sledgehammer to the design concept, likening it to a ‘circus tent’.
‘You know what, no interest at all. I think it’s pathetic,’ began Merson in an explosive interview with Sky Sports.
‘If I’m a Man United fan, I’d be fuming.
Manchester United’s £2bn plans for a 100,000-seater stadium are ‘pathetic,’ says Paul Merson
United should focus on the first team rather than updating an already supreme ground, he says
‘They’re at Old Trafford, got one of the biggest stadiums in the Premier League.
‘I could understand if it’s Chelsea, and Chelsea go, “we want to move stadium,” because Chelsea get around 38,000 (40,000), so they need a bigger stadium to keep on living with the big boys.
‘But when it’s Man United and they already hold 70-odd thousand, more than anybody else, why would they need a new stadium?
‘You need new players. They need a team. This is what I can’t work out.
‘I heard Jim Ratcliffe going, “oh, this is going to be a stadium, England will be able to play here.”
‘Don’t worry about England. Don’t worry about the national team. Worry about Man United. Worry about getting them into the top six, let alone into the Champions League.
‘I just can’t believe what I’ve been seeing over the past couple of days. I’m flabbergasted.’
United’s new home will be built next to the existing Old Trafford and will apparently be visible from almost 40 kilometres away in the Peak District.
The club insists it could boost the UK economy by £7.3bn-a-year, create 92,000 jobs, 17,000 homes and attract an additional 1.8million visitors annually.
This new Old Trafford will sit beneath a vast ‘umbrella’ – complete with a public plaza twice the size of Trafalgar Square and their own version of Wembley Way in a breathtaking ‘city of the future’.
A new stadium had been a key part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid to become co-owner of the Red Devils and, without divulging details on funding, when work will start, or where United will play while it is under development, he purred over the project.
‘Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium, at the centre of a regenerated Old Trafford,’ he said at the headquarters of architects Foster + Partners, who have been appointed to design the stadium district.
‘Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport.
‘By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience only footsteps from our historic home.
‘Just as important is the opportunity for a new stadium to be the catalyst for social and economic renewal of the Old Trafford area, creating jobs and investment not just during the construction phase but on a lasting basis when the stadium district is complete.
‘The Government has identified infrastructure investment as a strategic priority, particularly in the north of England, and we are proud to be supporting that mission with this project of national, as well as local, significance.’
More to follow.
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