Manchester United have announced plans to build a new £2billion stadium, leaving many – including Roy Keane – unimpressed given the extensive cost-cutting going on at the club at
Roy Keane on the Stick to Football podcast
Roy Keane isn't happy with Sir Jim Ratcliffe (Image: Stick to Football / YouTube)
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Roy Keane has stuck the knife into Sir Jim Ratcliffe following news of Manchester United's jaw-dropping £2billion stadium plans.
He accused the INEOS chief of hypocrisy, with the exorbitant project being announced amidst a backdrop of ruthless cost-cutting measures at the club which have resulted in hundreds of redundancies. "On one hand they're getting rid of lots of people and on the other, they're going to spend £2bn on a stadium. He can still look after people a little bit better," Keane said on the latest episode of the Stick To Football podcast.
"He [Ratcliffe] is on about saving money at the club and we know the way that a lot of ex-players have been treated, the fund they had available, the staff that have been at the club for years – on one hand he's still treating them badly, and I understand it's a business and you've got to try and make the right decisions.
"But the next day they're building a £2bn stadium for their fans around the world. You have to show loyalty to people that have been at the club for years."
The stadium announcement came just 24 hours after Ratcliffe claimed United would have "run out of cash" by Christmas if it weren't for his cost-cutting measures. In an eye-opening interview with Keane's former team-mate Gary Neville, the 72-year-old defended his financial prudency, including the controversial decisions to sack staff, cancel free lunches and end the club's work-from-home culture.
"I recognise I'm unpopular at the moment – but I am prepared to be, and I can deal with being unpopular for a period of time because I believe that what we're doing is the right thing," he said.
United's new stadium will seat 100,000 spectators, making it the biggest in the UK, and the second biggest in Europe once Barcelona's Camp Nou renovations are completed. It will be built close to Old Trafford, and could be operational within the next five years.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe speaks with Gary Neville
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has come under fire over his handling of the club's finances
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Image:
YouTube/TheOverlap)
The design features three masts described as 'the trident', as well as a public plaza that, according to architects, will be "twice the size of Trafalgar Square". Once completed, Old Trafford – United's home since 1910 – is expected to be demolished.
Ratcliffe criticisms aside, Keane, 53, admitted he liked the look of the stadium plans. "When you look at the new stadium, the plans, it would be fantastic wouldn't it? For the area, for the supporters. It looks special," he said.
However, fan group The 1958, who staged a protest against the club's ownership on Sunday, weren't happy at all, insisting the plans "fail to reflect the club's deep-rooted heritage, traditions, and connection to its supporters".
Man United's new stadium will feature three masts that resemble a trident
In a statement, the group said: "The design resembles a generic, soulless corporate structure, more akin to a modern entertainment venue than a football cathedral.
"Its circus-like aesthetic disregards the club's working-class origins and the identity of a fanbase that spans generations. Rather than honouring the past and strengthening the bond with the local community, it prioritises spectacle over substance, alienating those who have defined United's legacy for decades."
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