Arsenal fans MOCK Old Trafford’s leaking roof as they celebrate returning to the top of the Premier League after a 1-0 win over Man United – while Red Devils fans SLAM the Glazers after the ‘absolutely embarrassing’ scenes
- Man United suffered their ninth home defeat in all competitions this season
- Scenes from the leaky roof of Old Trafford were more devastating than the defeat to Arsenal
- Erik ten Hag has ‘lost the plot’ in ‘CAR-CRASH’ head coaching role at Man United Listen to It’s All Kicking Off! podcast
Manchester United’s ocean of problems was laid bare on Sunday evening as the embarrassing scenes of rain poured through the leaking roof of Old Trafford as the final whistle blew for another home defeat.
Erik ten Hag’s team was much better after the 4-0 defeat against Crystal Palace last Monday, but nevertheless could not find the net when they lost 1-0 to Arsenal.
Old Trafford had been in the sun for most of the match, but when thunderstorms broke out towards the end of the match, problems with the roof were again revealed.
A torrent of water poured onto the pitch, forcing many fans to take cover, while many watching the heavyweight match took to social media to lament the dire state of one of the club’s most important symbols.
“Absolutely embarrassing, sums up the neglect the Glazers have shown in relation to the upkeep of Old Trafford and Carrington,” wrote one fan on X, formerly Twitter.
Onlookers were shocked as rainwater poured through Old Trafford’s leaking roof on Sunday evening
Fans had to leave the affected areas quickly when thunderstorms started towards the end of their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal
Old Trafford was quickly flooded with water after a thunderstorm exposed problems with Old Trafford’s roof
“Their asset stripping has left us both unfit for purpose and behind other teams both on and off the pitch.”
Another wrote: ‘United fans deserve better!! Fix the nice roof!!!’ A third said: ‘Clubs are rotten in every way.’
“They still haven’t fixed the roof?” Sorry to the people who were right under the hole in the ceiling,” said another.
Following his £1.3 billion purchase, Sir Jim Ratcliffe planned to spend £245 million on upgrades to Old Trafford.
In addition to the roof, problems include cramped concourses, insufficient legroom, crumbling concrete, peeling paintwork and lack of space to expand capacity. The numerous problems have become symbolic of the neglect of the Glazers over the past eighteen years.
The so-called Theater of Dreams, once undisputedly the best club ground in England, has fallen into disrepair as more and more Premier League rivals have modern and high-tech facilities.
Manchester City fans have started chanting ‘Old Trafford is Falling Down’, mocking the plight of their neighbours. On Sunday it was the Gunners supporters who surrounded the checkers chorus from the stands.
‘When will this be resolved? [Ratcliffe]?’ Wrote a fan. “It’s poor enough to watch this football, it’s even poorer to see it in a waterfall.”
Sir Jim Ratcliffe (centre), Man United’s minority owner, was present at the match. He has promised to invest in improving the stadium
Many United fans took to social media to criticize the Glazer family for their lack of investment in the stadium
Another simply responded “shame” to a post of one of the many videos circulating online showing rain pouring through the roof.
One clip showed supporters opening wide for the deluge coming through the ceiling in one of the halls. In another shocking video, streams of rainwater flowed down the stands onto the field below.
Despite Ratcliffe’s best intentions, as an industry insider told Mail Sport last year, his £245 million ‘won’t hit the sides’ given the ‘huge amount of work required.’
It would allow for a fresh coat of white paint on the cantilevered roof, which is exposed to Manchester’s notoriously bad weather, and plug the holes that often let rain fall on fans who paid hard-earned money for their tickets.
But without a similar or greater investment from the Glazers, it will be impossible to expand Old Trafford beyond its current capacity of 74,310 by building a new level on the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand and giving everything else a facelift.
Erik ten Hag’s side suffered their ninth home defeat in all competitions this season – the most in the club’s history
United has invested tens of millions in stadium improvements in recent years, including renovating the disabled area, making executive areas smarter and installing safe standing rails.
They say that ‘maintaining one of the most historic stadiums in the world is a never-ending process and one we are committed to continuing.’
