Paul Merson has blasted Manchester United's plans to build a new stadium amid their struggles this season. The Red Devils have been at their poorest in a generation, languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table with 10 games left.
Reacting to the club's plans to build a new stadium in an explosive Sky Sports interview, Merson blasted the club and its overseers, saying (via the Daily Mail):
> "You know what, no interest at all. I think it's pathetic. If I'm a Man United fan, I'd be fuming. 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.'"
Merson added:
> "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."
Manchester United are still alive in the UEFA Europa League, which represents their only chance of claiming any silverware this season. They will face Real Sociedad at Old Trafford in the Round of 16 second leg on Thursday, March 13.
Manchester United co-owner hopeful of success in time
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Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is hopeful the club will achieve sporting success in time despite their current poor form. The Red Devils have failed to win the Premier League since 2013.
In a recent interview with the BBC, the INEOS boss admitted it was not impossible to get the team firing again, saying (via FotMob):
> "I don't think it's mission impossible. If you look at Arsenal, if you look at Liverpool, if you look at the period of time it took them to get the house in order and get back to winning ways, that's probably slightly on the short end of the spectrum. But it's not impossible."
Sir Jim Ratcliffe will hope his stewardship can return Manchester United to the heights fans got used to under the legendary stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson, the last manager to win the league with the side.
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Edited by Arshit Garg