NEW PITCH

Last updated : 12 January 2003 By Editor

Fergie:

"There have been too many matches since we laid it down. Ten matches in such a short space of time on a new surface is very punishing."

"It is now falling apart. Big divots were coming up after just five minutes against Blackburn last Tuesday. We were shouting at David Beckham to put some of them back.

"One of the ones he replaced was about a foot and a half long!

"The weather has been against us as well. It has been very hard work for the ground staff and they are really disappointed.

"We are going to have to re-lay it soon. We can't afford to wait until the summer. It has to be done as quickly as possible." Since Old Trafford added a second and third tier to the North Stand and second tiers to both the Stretford End and East Stand United have struggled with pitch problems.