Manchester United are pressing on with plans to leave Old Trafford and build a new £2billion stadium, but ex-Red Devils chairman Martin Edwards is firmly against the move

Former Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards has told the club abandon their plans to build a new stadium. Edwards, who called the shots at Old Trafford from 1980 to 2002, has told Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co. to prioritise results on the pitch before thinking about the stands around it.

United are continuing to press on with plans to construct the stadium, which would cost an estimated £2billion and serve as part of a wider regeneration project. Ratcliffe wants to the 100,000-seater ground to become the 'Wembley of the North' and United want to host the Women's World Cup final there in 2035.

But the project has received backlash from fans who are against leaving Old Trafford, where United have played since 1910. "You can stick your new stadium up your a***," some chanted as part of anti-Glazer and anti-Ratcliffe protests on Tuesday as the Red Devils beat Roma 3-2 in the Champions League.

Edwards, 81, 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.

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"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.

"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?"

Edwards famously appointed Sir Alex Ferguson to spark the club's glory days, but now Michael Carrick is in the hot seat clinging to his job. United have only won three of their 14 games this season and Carrick could be sacked if they lose to Aston Villa on Sunday.

Edwards isn't sure whether that would be the right call, adding: "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."