Manchester United’s woes continued last weekend with a 3-1 defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford, after which Ruben Amorim made the contentious claim that his side are the “worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United”.
Whether or not that is true, things are not looking good on the pitch. The Red Devils are 13th in the Premier League, and despite some shoots of optimism in wins over Manchester City and Arsenal and a draw with Liverpool, are unable to perform consistently.
And the situation off the pitch does not appear to be much better. While Jim Ratcliffe outlined some big ambitions after buying a stake in the club last year, there remain plenty of question marks.
United warned about persistent standing
One of the major issues is Old Trafford, a stadium in dire need of renovation. And reports have emerged that United could see the stadium capacity reduced.
The Daily Mail claim the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA) could close sections of Old Trafford because of “persistent standing” during matches. Stewards took pictures of fans on their feet during the loss to Brighton.
SGSA are reportedly concerned about the safety of supporters standing in seated areas of the stadium. They have reportedly put pressure on United to clamp down on fans standing persistently throughout matches, with a reduced capacity the potential consequence.
United have, however, successfully introduced safe standing in certain sections of Old Trafford since 2022, with rail seating now making up more than 10 per cent of the stadium.
Meanwhile, Ratcliffe is ready to “fast-track” construction of a 100,000-seater Old Trafford, according to the Telegraph. That could be an entirely new stadium or a renovated Old Trafford.
A new stadium would cost a reported £2 billion, while an improved Old Trafford could see a capacity increase from 74,000 to 87,000.
A club statement read: "An Options Report has been submitted by the Task Force to executive bodies at Manchester United, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Trafford Borough Council.
"It sets out a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the historic industrial engine room of Greater Manchester into a vibrant new driver of growth and innovation in sports, entertainment, business, and education. The vision is for Manchester United to develop a world-class stadium, acting as a catalyst for wider regeneration of a re-energised Trafford Park."
