Former Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards has urged the club to drop its plans for a new stadium, arguing that results on the pitch should come before any rebuild of the stands.
Edwards, who led the club from 1980 to 2002, has told Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the board to focus on the team. United are pushing ahead with proposals for a new ground estimated to cost £2bn, which would form part of a wider regeneration project.
Fan backlash over leaving Old Trafford
Ratcliffe wants the 100,000-seater stadium to become the "Wembley of the North", and United hope to host the Women's World Cup final there in 2035. However, the project has drawn criticism from supporters who do not want to leave Old Trafford, where the club has played since 1910.
During Tuesday's 3-2 Champions League win over Roma, some fans chanted "You can stick your new stadium up your a***" as part of anti-Glazer and anti-Ratcliffe protests. Edwards, 81, said he sympathises with those supporters, telling Keys & Gray Unleashed: "The crowd have been vociferous about what they could do with the new stadium. And I tell you what, I can sympathise with that."
Team form takes priority
"You can talk about new stadiums and everything else but the most important ingredient is always the players and what's happening on the field - and success. Now the last thing the United fans want to hear is a new stadium when they've got a team that's languishing 17th in the league, below Coventry."
He added: "The priority has to be the team. Concentrate on getting that right. United now needs investment. I mean, they probably need investment on the stadium itself. So the club needs investment spending. The team definitely needs investment, doesn't it?"
"When I look at the team sheet, I think, why isn't it performing? You know, there's some good individuals on that. It's down to choice. Did they need midfielders? Do they need a left-back or centre-forward?"
Manager under pressure
Edwards famously appointed Sir Alex Ferguson to usher in the club's most successful era, but current boss Michael Carrick is now fighting to keep his job. United have won only three of their 14 games this season, and Carrick could be sacked if they lose to Aston Villa on Sunday.
Edwards was unsure whether dismissing Carrick would be the right decision, saying: "I can't judge, you need to be inside to know. I was on the inside. I had knowledge the supporters didn't, which enabled me to make the right decisions. I still go to games. It's always special for me."
