- Man United suffered their ninth home defeat in all competitions this season
- Scenes of Old Trafford’s leaky roof were more damming than defeat by Arsenal
- Erik ten Hag has ‘lost the plot’ in ‘CAR-CRASH’ head coach role at Man United – Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off! podcast
Manchester United‘s ocean of problems were laid bare on Sunday evening with the embarrassing scenes of rain pouring through Old Trafford’s leaky roof as the final whistle blew on another home defeat.
Erik ten Hag‘s side were much improved from their 4-0 humbling at Crystal Palace last Monday but they nevertheless were unable to find the net as they fell to a 1-0 defeat by Arsenal.
Old Trafford had been bathed in sunshine for the majority of the encounter but when thunderstorms broke towards the end of the game, issues with the roof were once again exposed.
A torrent of water cascaded onto the pitch, forcing many fans to run for cover, while many of those watching the heavyweight clash took to social media to lament the sorry state of one of the most important symbols of the club.
‘Absolutely embarrassing, sums up the neglect the Glazers have shown towards the upkeep and maintenance of Old Trafford and Carrington,’ one fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Onlookers were shocked as rain water rushed through Old Trafford’s leaky roof on Sunday evening
Fans were made to quickly vacate the affected areas as thunderstorms began towards the close of their 1-0 defeat by Arsenal
Old Trafford was quickly flooded with water after a thunderstorm exposed the issues with Old Trafford’s roof
‘Their asset stripping has left both unfit for purpose and left us trailing behind other teams on and off the pitch.’
Another wrote: ‘United fans deserve better!! Fix the fu..n roof!!!’ A third said: ‘Clubs rotten in every single aspect.’
‘They still haven’t fixed the roof?? sorry to the people sat right under the hole in the ceiling,’ said another.
Following his £1.3billion purchase, Sir Jim Ratcliffe planned to spend £245million on upgrades to Old Trafford.
In addition to the roof, issues include cramped concourses, inadequate legroom, crumbling concrete, flaking paintwork and lack of space to expand capacity. The myriad of problems have come to symbolise the neglect of the Glazers over the past 18 years.
The so-called Theatre of Dreams, once indisputably England’s best club ground, has been allowed to decline as more and more Premier League rivals enjoy modern and high-tech facilities.
Manchester City fans have started singing ‘Old Trafford is falling down’ in mockery of their neighbours’ plight. On Sunday, it was the Gunners’ supporters who belted t7he damming refrain from the stands.
‘When’s this getting fixed [Ratcliffe]?’ Wrote one fan. ‘It’s poor enough watching this football it’s even poorer watching it in a waterfall.’
Man United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe (middle) was in attendance for the clash. He has promised to invest in improving the stadium
Many United fans took to social media to slam the Glazer family for their lack of investment in the stadium
Another simply commentated ‘disgrace’ on a post of one of many videos circulating online which show rain pouring through the roof.
In one clip, supporters could be seen giving a wide berth to the deluge that was coming through the ceiling in one of the concourses. In another shocking video, streams of rainwater flowed down the stands and out onto the pitch below.
Despite Ratcliffe’s best intentions, as an industry insider told Mail Sport last year, his £245m ‘will not touch the sides’ given the ‘huge amount of work needed.’
It might allow for a fresh lick of white paint on the cantilever roof that is exposed to Manchester’s notoriously inclement weather and the patching up of the holes through which rain often pours onto fans who’ve paid hard-earned money for their ticket.
But without a similar or greater investment from the Glazers, it will be impossible to expand Old Trafford beyond its present 74,310-capacity by building a new tier on the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand and giving everything else a facelift.
Erik ten Hag’s side fell to their ninth home defeat in all competitions this season – the most in the club’s history
United have invested tens of millions into stadium improvements in recent years, including the renovation of the disabled area, smartening executive areas and installing safe standing rails.
They say ‘maintaining one of the world’s most historic stadiums is a never-ending process and one we are committed to continuing.’
