Cantona even said that his request for input in the United revamp was turned down by the current powers that be. During his stage show, An Evening with Eric The King Cantona, he said: "I have many other passions and projects, but I thought that for two or three years I could maybe put those to the side and try to give something to this club, which has given everything to me. But [Ratcliffe] didn’t seem interested. I did what I had to do, so I don’t feel guilty anymore. I tried my best. Sir Alex Ferguson created a style of beautiful attacking football, which the new owners should have used. Instead, they destroyed it."
"The atmosphere in the stadium is different, unfortunately. I went to Old Trafford last season for the game against Manchester City, and I thought it was quiet. United fans prefer to go to away matches, to be with the real fans, than to be surrounded by people who come from different parts of the world just to go to the merchandise store," he added.
This is not the first time Cantona has said things have made a turn for the worse at United. He believes the focus on money, the drop-off in success after Sir Alex Ferguson's era, and the new stadium plans are turning off supporters.
He said earlier this year: "I support United because I really love United, but now if I was a fan and I had to choose a club I don’t think I would choose United. Because I don’t feel close to these kinds of decisions. They have another strategy, another project. Do you feel close to this project? I don’t think so. For me, it is very important to respect these people like you [the fans], respect your manager and your team-mates. I think since Ratcliffe arrived it’s the complete opposite and, this team of directors, they try to destroy everything and they don’t respect anybody. They even want to change the stadium."
After an up and down start to the season, things appear to be improving under Amorim at United. They spent more than £200 million on players in the summer and that has helped them rise into the top half of the table, with the Red Devils currently seventh in the Premier League. But they still seem a long way from being a force to be reckoned with in the English top-flight. When the international break concludes, they host Everton at Old Trafford on November 24.
Despite their upturn in form, Amorim is staying grounded. After the Tottenham draw, he said: "We have a lot of problems. We are just in the beginning. I know that sometimes the results show to people that we are improving, but we have a lot to do.
"The three points were there, the space was there, and I think we felt too comfortable during the game, and we need to expect that in one play anything can happen and change the mood of the stadium, and today was that. We controlled the game well, but we need to do better, because the game was there for the taking."
