Pesky rodents, overflowing toilets and a leaky roof - the contenders for the keys to Old Trafford face a litany of challenges but getting the Theatre of Dreams to sing again may prove the most challenging.

Manchester United on a matchday is a curious paradox; the club’s 113-year old home a citadel for 73,511 supporters to live vicariously through their heroes yet it’s a place of creaking fallibility. Sepia-tinged reminders of former glories, ageing facades, cramped concourses and dodgy phone reception. Old Trafford’s decay mirrors the stagnation in these post-Ferguson years and offers a stark reminder that the Glazer family have stood still while rivals have either updated their homes or moved to a new stadium. Memo to Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani or Sir Jim Ratcliffe: you're going to need to dig deep here, and it'll take more than a lick of paint to liven the place up.

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