Glazer plan unsustainable says former Manchester United chairman

The Glazers have come in for criticism (GETTY IMAGES)

Former Manchester United chairman Sir Roy Gardner has denounced the Glazer family's Old Trafford business plan as unsustainable.

Gardner was United chairman at the time of the Glazer takeover in 2005, when he put his name to a statement saying the American owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL franchise were being "too aggressive" with their plans.

Since then, Gardner has departed his post and the notoriously secretive Glazer family have been hit by a storm of controversy over the dire warnings included in what turned out to be a successful £500million bond prospectus earlier this year.

A hugely successful and visual 'Green and Gold' campaign is expected to be followed at the end of the season by a formal bid for the club being launched by the wealthy Red Knights group of United fans.

While the Glazers continue to insist they are not interested in selling the club, there is a feeling amongst the Red Knights that, presented with an offer in excess of £1billion that would see them walk away with a profit, there may be scope for the Old Trafford owners to do a deal.

And, although Gardner has said he is not one of the Red Knights, the newly installed Plymouth chairman has not changed his view about the financial position at United.

"It is no different to what I said at the time," he told The Guardian.

"I did not think it was a sustainable model."