He’s long been a fierce critic of his old club, and Gary Neville hasn’t held back again, taking Manchester United to task this time for allowing Old Trafford to fall apart.
For a team that was once one of the biggest names in world football, the Red Devils have slipped away both on and off of the pitch, and that clearly irks Neville.
“When I think of Manchester United and the land Manchester United own, there should be a Man United World around there,” Neville said on Sky’s The Football Show, cited by the Daily Mirror.
“They should be influencing education and community, there should be entertainment for the public, it should be a real experience of Manchester United around that stadium.
“Old Trafford has been allowed to tire, the team has been tiring, the stadium is starting to look old and it needs investment.
“Around the area, there is a huge opportunity to create a Man United experience, something that can influence not just Manchester – their reach is global. Old Trafford is a special place, it could be so much more special.”
The coronavirus pandemic may well have hit any plans that United might’ve had to improve their stadium, because quite clearly any upgrades are not going to come cheap.
If Neville’s suggestion of making the area surrounding the ground into some sort of entertainment complex is taken on board, then any potential costs will sky-rocket.
The signings of Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes at least show that United are getting things together on the pitch, and if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can go some way to bringing back the glory days, then a refurbished Old Trafford has to follow.
The club simply couldn’t have a world class team playing in a sub-standard stadium, and after Neville’s latest tirade, maybe his advice will be heeded.