No matter what Manchester United decide to do, it is always going to be the wrong decision in the eyes of millions of fans. The club is a behemoth, one that boasts hundreds of millions of supporters worldwide. There is never going to be one decision on which everyone agrees.
The redevelopment of Old Trafford has been long overdue, though it never quite felt like it was going to actually happen. But after news this week confirming that United are considering three different plans for the future, it has suddenly made it all feel so real.
United say they are open to all ideas for the redevelopment of Old Trafford, including dramatic plans put forward to rebuild the ground on the current site, though it is just one of three plans currently being considered. Another option is to renovate each existing stand without any great need for expansion, while the other would see the south stand extended over the railway lines that currently limit the room around the ground.
READ MORE: Manchester United exploring plans to redevelop Old Trafford
At this stage, there are obvious arguments for and against all of the proposals, though it is quite clear that Old Trafford is in desperate need of rejuvenation after years of neglect. United have vowed to consult fans during the process and any plan would be a phased build, which would allow them to continue playing at their spiritual home during the work.
On Monday night, Gary Neville voiced his opinion on the issue, and he provided plenty of food for thought when he revealed he'd support plans for Old Trafford to be rebuilt on land already owned by the club.
"I actually think that it would be the right move," he told viewers on Instagram Live. "I think by the time that they have spent money on Old Trafford, the existing one, then I think you would be better off building a brand new, better, super stadium.
"I do think that Manchester United should always be at the forefront of stadiums, have the best facilities and they have fallen behind."
Neville makes a very good point. If you want to be the best team in the world and live up to your grand self-promotion, then you need the evidence to back it up. Old Trafford is no longer one of the elite stadiums in world football, but instead mirrors the issues at the club, which are held back by an indulgence in history and nostalgia.
Neville added: "I do think the stadium needs redevelopment; it has fallen behind the other stadiums, not just in this country but also in Europe. I do think that they need to rebuild that stadium."
There is certainly plenty of argument in favour of a totally new stadium, though supporters also have every right to feel sceptical about the replacement of their place of worship and what it symbolises.
However, the reality is that Old Trafford has already changed so much in plain sight over the years. While the original tunnel is still in place, it hasn't been used for decades, and the current set-up shares as much in common with the original grounds as Trigger's Broom does with its original in Only Fools and Horses.
It's an example of the Ship of Theseus, a hypothetical thought experiment that poses the question of whether an object that has had all of its components replaced remains fundamentally the same object.
If indeed supporters view the current Old Trafford as pure as the original bricks and mortar which were laid in 1909, then surely by the same logic, any new rebuild could be viewed the same way, particularly if it is built in an innovative way that marries the old and the new, rather than in the form of a soulless bowl designed to cater for corporate guests and selfie-stick supporters.
Ultimately, it comes down to the lack of trust in the owners and a concern that any rebuilding would be done so with money-making at the heart of it rather than respect for the history of the club and the working class fans who made a weekly pilgrimage to its doors.
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If solid plans can be established, ones that pay tribute to the unique history of the club and are created in partnership with supporter groups, then maybe an Old Trafford rebuild isn't such a bad idea.
