Man United change colour of red BACKGROUND after players moaned they can’t SEE their team-mates

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that Manchester United have changed the colour of the red banners around Old Trafford because his players cannot see each another properly during games.

Almost 25 years to the day since Sir Alex Ferguson infamously made his team change their grey kit at Southampton on April 13 1996 for the same reason, United have taken steps to ensure the players’ red shirts are not lost against the background during home games.

Asked ahead of Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second leg against Granada why United’s form is better away from Old Trafford, Solskjaer said: ‘You’ll see a change now. You see the banners round the club, they’re not red anymore. We’ve looked into this. 

The lower tier seating at Old Trafford has been covered with a red wrapping with supporters not permitted to attend amid the Covid-19 pandemic

The red seat covering at Old Trafford contains quotes and other slogans 

Solskjaer said United’s players were sometimes unable to see red-shirted team-mates against the red backdrop in the stands

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said the wrapping inside Old Trafford had been changed

‘There shouldn’t be any reason really but some of the players have mentioned that split second decision you have to make you, look over your shoulder if your teammate is there or not, and the red shirt is on a red background with the red seats.

‘So we have tried to change that along with an anti-racism campaign so it was important it wasn’t red anymore.’

It has led former United captain Gary Neville to compare the situation with the infamous grey shirt game at Southampton in 1996. 

He tweeted: ‘This is Ole’s grey shirt moment.’  

Former United captain Gary Neville tweeted the comment was Solskjaer’s ‘Grey shirt moment’ in reference to the game in 1996 when United swapped from a grey kit at half-time

United’s players claimed they couldn’t see each other during the 3-1 defeat to Southampton

The black and white ‘United Against Racism’ banners have been installed by pitch-side which should help the players, although Solskjaer believes United’s two home ties in Europe – draws against Real Sociedad and AC Milan – were not bad results.

‘There shouldn’t be any reason but then again if you have a 4-0 advantage (from the first leg against Sociedad) you don’t really have to win that game, 0-0 was a good result. Then the first game against Milan, we conceded in the last minute.

‘I still think we’ve played some good football at home. We started off badly with three defeats to Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Arsenal very early on, but we’ve improved.’ 

Eric Cantona and his team-mates returned for the second-half at The Dell in another strip

United’s Dell debacle in grey 

Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side were charging towards a Premier League and FA Cup ‘Double’ in the Spring of 1996 but the run-in wasn’t without embarrassment.

They went unbeaten in the league from New Year’s Day until April 13, when a trip to play Southampton at The Dell resulted in a hasty half-time costume change.

United’s players were unable to see one another while wearing the infamous grey kit

 Man United’s drab grey kit has pride of place in a hall of shame at National Football Museum

United had a grey away strip that season and only wore it five times, losing four games and drawing once.

And Ferguson famoulsy ditched it with United trailing Southampton 3-0 thanks to goals from Ken Monkou, Neil Shipperley and Matt Le Tissier.

To the amusement of Saints fans, Eric Cantona led United out for the second period wearing their blue and white striped third kit.

Ryan Giggs gained a late consolation in a 3-1 defeat that ultimately didn’t derail United’s title bid but the kit swap went down in infamy.

United returned for the second half in blue and white colours but still lost the game 3-1

In 2019, the drab kit was given pride of place in a football shirt hall of shame at the National Football Museum in Manchester.

Explaining the decision to include the shirt in his hall of shame, exhibition curator Jon Sutton said: ‘Probably because this shirt has become infamous, being blamed for United’s 3-1 defeat to Southampton during that season.

‘The light grey colour supposedly made team-mates harder to pick out on the pitch against the background of the crowd. A clear case of colour and design being instrumental when picking a team’s colours.’

The Man United team that day was: Peter Schmeichel; Denis Irwin, Steve Bruce, Gary Neville; David Beckham, Nicky Butt (Paul Scholes), Lee Sharpe (David May), Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs; Andrew Cole, Eric Cantona

United are in a strong position against Granada after winning the first leg 2-0 last week, although they will be without Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay through suspension after they were booked in Spain.

Solskjaer feels the yellow cards – United picked up five in total – were harsh but insists his team play the game the right way.

They were caught up in a controversy against Tottenham on Sunday when the United manager accused Son Heung-Min of ‘conning’ the referee into disallowing a goal by Edinson Cavani with his theatrical reaction to a hand in the face from McTominay.

Goal was overturned after Scott McTominay’s hand made contact with Son Heung-min’s face

Chris Kavanagh made the decision after being advised to check the incident at the monitor

On the more general issue of managers condoning simulation by their players, Solskjaer recalled the moment in April 1998 when he was sent off for racing the length of the field to bring down Rob Lee in a game against Newcastle.

‘I think every manager has a certain values,’ he added. ‘When I got sent off against Newcastle many moons ago, I thought I’d done the right thing for the team. Sir Alex Ferguson lambasted me after the game and said ‘we don’t win that way at Man United’.

‘I’ve lived by that ever since. We want to win in the right manner, it doesn’t matter who we play against we want to win playing by the book.

‘I’m not saying someone else doesn’t, I’m just saying I think every manager wants to win in a fair way.’