Tag Archives: manchester

Mmm… Skyscraper I Love You

Being the nosey bleeder I am, I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to attend the OT Regeneration Town Hall that took place in the International Suite a couple of weeks back. This was billed as an opportunity for fans to hear the latest on the future of Old Trafford, and I was hoping might provide some indication whether the club are leaning towards re-developing the existing stadium or building a new one from scratch.

After being held outside waiting in line until the permitted entry time and passing through security (slightly OTT I thought), we made our way into the suite where there were a few display boards set up accompanied by fancy 3D models detailing potential construction plans. There was seating for approximately 200 people facing several screens and a small platform from where the presentation would take place. The choice of music was a bit weird. I personally wouldn’t have opted for a disco-infused selection including Macho Man by Village People at 6.30pm on a Tuesday night, but then that’s just me.

The club’s Chief Operating Officer Collette Roche was the first to speak, welcoming guests and detailing the progress made since initial feasibility assessments commenced in April 2022. Since that date a strategic review has been taking place and an OTR Task Force (including the likes of Gary Neville, Andy Burnham and Seb Coe) formed in April this year. September 2024 saw stakeholder engagement begin (tonight’s meeting the first of many planned) and Foster & Partners appointed as the principal architects behind the project.

Aside from the ground re-development, the review has concluded that the project could potentially create a staggering 92,000 permanent jobs and 17,000 homes. There was little detail shared at exactly how they’ve arrived at these numbers, but they’re clearly thinking big. One of the main jobs of the Task Force is to seek outside investment to support the wider development with Roche acknowledging funding the stadium bricks and mortar falls on the club itself, “that’s on us”.

Transport infrastructure was brought up with Roche admitting that despite 3x Metrolink stops and a railway station in place within minutes of the ground, current facilities are unsatisfactory and there is huge room for improvement. This, of course, would require TfGM to be fully on board as well as the railway line operators. I wondered to myself how realistic plans for new facilities were bearing in mind it was the club’s choice to suspend services from the train station in 2018, the poor tram service despite multiple stations within walking distance and the 255F bus service on Chester Road only running intermittently since 2019.

Next up was Patrick Coleman from Foster & Partners who presented a series of expensively commissioned drawings on how the future state OT might look (predictably, lots of kids running around lovingly-curated green spaces amidst the steel, glass and concrete). Patrick was keen to stress that protecting the history and heritage of the club was of optimum importance, so we can rest assured the statues will be moved and the Munich clock won’t end up in a skip. Also, it’s perhaps worth noting that Foster & Partners designed new Wembley which was delivered years late and came in hugely over-budget.

The final speakers were Rick McGagh, a familiar face persisting with his Shed 7 haircut despite wearing a club suit these days and Dan Jones, a member of the OTR Task Force. Rick and Dan went through some of the findings of the fan survey that was circulated in September, although there was no opportunity to challenge them on some of the scarcely believable data it threw up. The claim that most season ticket holders are in favour of a new ground doesn’t match my personal experience, nor does the claim that desire is stronger amongst older fans with younger fans leaning towards redeveloping the current stadium.

A short Q&A session followed that barely scratched the surface of the wide range of questions submitted via an online portal. The club are keen to “invest in the atmosphere” (whatever than means), will “temperature check potential pricing” (before doubling them, no doubt) and “naming rights are under consideration”. Of course they are, and that honestly should be the least of our concerns. Given they’ve got 2 billion quid to raise from somewhere the fact we’ll likely be playing in the Ineos Bowl or the McDonalds Arena at some stage seems patently obvious.

In conclusion, whilst the scale and ambition of the plans are undoubtedly impressive, I just don’t see how they can possibly make this happen within the next decade. This isn’t like the other end of town where you had Abu Dhabi literally pouring money into the Eastlands development in an attempt to make as big a statement as possible. Getting national and local government, planning permission, housing, retail and transport infrastructure in perfect alignment seems a monumental task, and that’s before you even consider how the actual stadium will be funded.

One of the questions asked during the Q&A was how the club plan to balance this task alongside the financial burden of keeping the football team competitive, ie the regular multi-million £ signings that are required on an annual basis. All Collette Roche could offer was that the club were “exploring all funding options” and the chosen pathway was “ultimately the owners’ decision”. Other club’s have funded ground moves through a combination of loans and grants, but MUFC’s lines of credit are already stretched with debts approaching £800M.

Roche admitted the club was still at the start of this journey but was obliged to explore all possibilities given this was a “once in a generation opportunity”. I guess it is, but the reality is the old PLC drew up plans for building over the railway line over 20 years ago and presumably they’ve been left in a drawer untouched ever since. My gut feeling is we’ve got another few years of talking ahead of us before they’ll commit to anything tangible. In the meantime, the focus groups, task forces and Town Hall sessions can’t hide the fact that despite giving the impression they’re fully engaged with this project, it just doesn’t appear viable with the club’s finances in their current state.

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Fetch The Bolt Cutters

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The fact I’ve delayed writing this column until minutes before deadline due to the possibility Ten Hag could be sacked at any moment speaks volumes for how the campaign has begun. Given he was on thin ice to begin with, it was crucial that the new signings hit the ground running and that the team showed a marked improvement on last season’s miserable form. Unfortunately for Erik, instead it’s been a continuation of what we’ve seen for the last 18 months or so. United are still a complete disaster. We might even be getting worse based on the evidence seen so far.

It’s not all been completely terrible, as the first hour at Palace demonstrated what the team could be capable of at some point in the future. That aside, it’s difficult to find any positives at all other than the fact Mazraoui (naturally now unavailable for the foreseeable) looks to be an upgrade on Wan-Bissaka. But that’s pretty much all I can summon up 2 months into the current season. The main highlight I can recall is a goalless draw at Selhurst Park where we actually looked like a functioning football team for a brief period. And that’s your lot, really. It’s been almost laughably grim viewing for the most part.

Ten Hag really doesn’t help himself at times, and his reading of the game can be perplexing to say the least. Attackers are repeatedly withdrawn from games for purposes of rotation, he says – but when they’ve been the most threatening presence on the pitch (Rashford at Porto for example) the substitutions make no sense. I thought the same thing when he hooked Zirkzee at Palace, rather than providing fresh momentum, the subs tend to interrupt the flow and kill any attacking impetus. I understand the need to rotate and give players minutes, but surely what’s happening on the pitch should inform these decisions.

As well as the seemingly preordained attacking substitutions, he’s developed a habit of causing defensive uncertainty by making regular mid-game switches at centre-half. If these changes are forced due to injury or fatigue then fair enough, but there’s been a number of instances where this hasn’t appeared to be the case at all. For a team that needs to develop a spine, it’s a strange way to try and instil any kind of confidence or consistency. We don’t look to have progressed in the slightest – it’s the same incoherent mess that was a struggle to watch throughout the duration of last season.

Out of all the summer signings made, the one we desperately needed to work out was Ugarte in midfield. Casemiro looks like he’d struggle with the pace of Soccer Aid these days, Mainoo is suffering from starting every game and Bruno gets more erratic by the week. Based on the evidence seen so far, I’m not convinced Ugarte is anywhere near the level needed to improve the team’s ability to control games and dominate possession. I always forget that Mason Mount plays for United given how infrequently he’s seen. Anyway, he made a brief re-appearance before promptly getting injured again to no one’s great surprise.

I’ve always been a staunch defender of Bruno and overlooked his shortcomings due to the fact he provides a goal threat in a team that largely doesn’t. However, the moments of inspiration are becoming less frequent and his bad games are starting to outnumber the good ones. The worse the team is performing, the more risks he takes. Honestly, I’m starting to see logic in the school of thought that suggests we’ll never progress whilst he’s handed a license to roam around the pitch and do pretty much whatever he fancies.

It’s probably the recent sending offs that have tipped me over the edge, but I’m getting tired of watching the same things happen over and over again. If United were a better team we could probably accommodate his recklessness, but we aren’t. The midfield consists of vast swathes of empty space for the most part so it’s no wonder we struggle to control games. I said after the Spurs game that the 3 game suspension might turn out to be a blessing in disguise given it would force Ten Hag to try something different. Then, naturally, the red card gets overturned. Of course it does. More chaos incoming, then.

I was pleased that Ten Hag was given the opportunity to stay on this summer, but suspected deep down that we were headed for this juncture sooner rather than later. Ineos appeared to explore every possible alternative before offering him a chance to turn things around, but clearly the gamble has backfired spectacularly. We’re currently sitting 14th in the PL table and 21st in the Europa League. If we’re being honest, an 8th place finish flattered us last season when our form was more akin of a mid-table team. Right now it’s no longer a question of if they sack him, it’s more a question of when.

Despite being confounded by many of his decisions, the stubborn part of me still hopes they keep their nerve and give him more time. I maintain that Ten Hag is a top man and think he’s done a lot of positive things (in difficult circumstances) in trying to change the culture around the club. We all acknowledged it would likely take 2-3 years to eradicate the failings of the previous regime and become serious contenders again. Having decided to put their faith in him in June, is it really the right call to reverse on that decision before the end of October?

On balance, it probably is – as I don’t expect to see any sudden upturn in form over the next few months. Although I’m loathe to admit defeat and return to the cycle of sacking managers every 2 years, it now feels inevitable that he’ll be gone in a matter of weeks. The club can’t afford a season floundering in mid-table without any signs of progress. Qualification for Europe looks to be a stretch at present, never mind finishing in the top 4. My expectation is he’ll limp on until the next international break, by which time the board will have lined up the next recipient of the poisoned chalice. I’m sorry, Erik – but it’s just not happening, is it?

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Not Like Us

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The long, frustrating slog of last season was forgotten in an instant. I’d anticipated a summer not thinking about United but instead I’ve spent weeks floating round in a contented daze, thoughts constantly cycling back to the unbridled joy that was triggered by the final whistle at Wembley. What an incredible tonic it was. Mad how something so insignificant to the majority of people can send thousands of us into a state of near delirium. It’s been a long time since we last experienced a day like that. Absolute perfection. Football, bloody hell.

The good vibes continued when it was eventually confirmed that ETH would be staying on as manager. I’m still to be convinced that he’s the right man for the job long term, but given the lack of credible alternatives and the manner of the cup win, sacking him would have been incredibly harsh. Against a backdrop of the takeover, disciplinary issues in the dressing room and a never ending injury crisis, delivering a trophy and European football was a fine achievement. Merely extending his current deal can hardly be interpreted as a vote of confidence, however – it’s more of a stay of execution.

It’s pretty grim that the manager’s future is being questioned before a ball has been kicked, but clearly the new regime isn’t messing about. Anything resembling a repeat of last season won’t be tolerated. And, quite frankly, nor should it be. Unless Ten Hag can deliver a marked improvement in both consistency and results, he’ll be lucky to last until the end of the season. United have to do better, and fresh changes to the coaching staff indicate there’s a clear pathway for someone (hello, Ruud) to step up and replace him as an interim the moment Ineos decree that enough is enough.

Nevertheless, all that is hopefully some distance off. The club were unusually proactive early in the window (another welcome change) although there’s still lots of work to do if we’re going to see anything resembling the squad overhaul that’s needed. At the moment we still look short considering Martial, Varane, Amrabat, Van de Beek, Greenwood and Kambwala have all left the club. We need at least 3 more in before the end of the window otherwise it’s difficult to see how Ten Hag has any hope of improving on last season’s position – especially given the additional Europa fixtures this year and the fact the number of injuries shows no sign of abating.

With Ten Hag citing fatigue as a factor at the end of another jaunt to the USA, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to make a case for these fixtures being in anyway helpful to preparations ahead of a new season. For the umpteenth year in a row we’re set to begin the campaign missing players through injury and with others still at various stages of recovery from the Euros/Copa America. Flying 5,000 miles around the globe to play some meaningless friendlies might be commercially astute, but it seems detrimental to the squad’s conditioning if there are multiple casualties to contend with by the time the tour has concluded.

Obviously, such concerns didn’t stop me booking flights as soon as Los Angeles was announced. I’d never visited the West Coast before and this seemed like as good an opportunity as any. LA is absolutely massive and unlike when visiting NYC, the public transport links are bafflingly insubstantial. If you aren’t hiring a car then Uber is a must when travelling late at night if you don’t fancy taking your chances on the Metro, where you’re highly likely to encounter some of the city’s more eccentric inhabitants.

As for what it’s actually like, well it’s a culture shock. I stayed in Santa Monica on the coast and you quickly realise that whilst the streets feel very safe, there’s a not-insignificant homeless population – many of whom are in the throes of fentanyl addiction which makes their actions unpredictable to say the least. You just have to accept that amidst all the boutique shops, Michelin-starred restaurants and miles of golden beaches you’re highly likely to stumble across a sizeable number of people with their entire earthly possessions in a shopping trolley… and they might decide to stop and drop their kecks at any moment.

I got chatting to an Irish ex-pat who has been out there for 25 years and we were discussing the contrast to living over here. He said the year-round sunshine never got old and that his life consisted of regular, ‘pinch me’, LA moments. I think the most LA thing I experienced was whilst walking through Palisades Park on a Friday afternoon. You had a group of a dozen or so well-to-do women striking Yoga poses and there was a bloke with a massage table enthusiastically offering his services to anyone passing. Meanwhile, just a few feet away you had a couple of homeless guys arguing over the contents of a bin. It was quite a scene. Talk about opposite ends of the California lifestyle happily co-existing.

The United game was being played at the SoFi in Inglewood, an outrageously opulent $5.5 billion NFL stadium that opened its doors in 2020. It’s absolutely incredible, both the architecture and the facilities – little wonder it’s being cited as one of the inspirations behind the decision to build Old Trafford 2.0 as opposed to developing what we have now. Although it’s hugely impressive, I’ll still be disappointed if United commit to such a move in the coming months. Yes, it’s shiny and new and looks great on the photographs but ultimately it’s just a high-end, soulless Enormodome. I certainly wouldn’t want to play there every week.

I’m not just being contrary for the sake of it, but undertaking a project like that would be a disaster in my eyes. Any new stadium would arrive years late, hugely over budget and bearing no resemblance to the place we’ve considered home for decades. I know the YouTube lads are ecstatic at the prospect, but I’m more concerned with United remaining accessible to my friends and I as we hurtle through middle age. Make no bones about it, if we go down this road expect your ST renewal to come in at a couple of grand minimum. I don’t want a 200% increase in ticket prices for the sake of a padded seat and a cup holder. That isn’t scaremongering or shortsightedness, it’s simply the reality of what will happen.

Everything we’ve grown up with would quickly be eroded. Some will cling on because they can still just about afford it, but the bulk of our core support will be sacrificed in the name of progress. We’re going to be told a lot of lies in the coming months when the decision is inevitably greenlit, about how it’s necessary for the club to be competitive and sign the best players and all that nonsense… please don’t buy into it. One of the main drivers behind this is that it will accelerate a purging of our traditional fanbase so they can milk additional millions from an entirely different breed of MUFC supporter. Ineos might appear preferable the Glazers, but their motivation for being here is ultimately the same.

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