Man Utd’s director of football Jason Wilcox has provided an honest assessment after his first 18 months at Old Trafford.
Steven is a senior writer and covers Manchester United for the Manchester Evening News. You can follow Steven on Twitter at @StevenRailston.
Jason Wilcox spoke at an event at Old Trafford.(Image: Man Utd The Religion via YouTube)
Jason Wilcox recently said he “prays” that will get the opportunity to turn Manchester United around.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has suggested Wilcox has the ‘best set of eyes in football’ and eventually promoted him to become the director of football following the shock decision to axe Dan Ashworth.
Wilcox is close to Ratcliffe and has been empowered to oversee football operations, so it was fascinating to hear him say he hopes he’ll get the chance to return the club to its former glories, which suggests he is perhaps fearful for his future in Manchester after United’s disappointing start to the season.
After the Manchester derby defeat, Wilcox spoke at an event at Old Trafford for ex-players and it was illuminating to hear him speak about his challenging start to working at United. YouTube channel Man Utd The Religion recorded interview.
“It has been a rollercoaster,” said Wilcox. “I came in last April, around 18 months ago, and it’s been a real challenge, I can’t lie. I thought the club was in a much better place than it was. We had no football identity, we lacked alignment between ownership, the CEO, football and the academy.
“And we’ve just been working so hard behind the scenes. There’s been a lot of work that’s gone on to change the staff. I know in the media, there’s an awful lot of coverage around the redundancies.
“But the football club needed to go through a period of transformation, without a doubt. Forget the redundancies. The whole structure of Manchester United needed to change… I would have done it from a sporting side. I did the same at Southampton, at Man City.
“It’s important we have a leaner workforce that provides accountability and responsibility for people. It’s really sad to see people lose their jobs, but it needed to be done.”
Wilcox is a close Ratcliffe ally.(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
He continued: “Now we’ve got a platform to rebuild. I didn’t realise how big this club was, even though I’ve competed against this club as a player and as a coach. This club is a wonderful club.
“I just pray we get the opportunity to turn it around. I really feel it’s not ‘will we win again’, I think it’s ‘when will we win again’. It’s going to take time and it’s not a quick fix, especially now with the regulations.
“We needed to change the playing squad. We’ve made some really good additions this summer. Sometimes taking players out of the squad is as important as the players you bring in.
“We have to bring back the culture and respect back to Man United, whether you work for us, or play against us, you feel like you’re part of something special. I’m extremely proud, I’m extremely privileged, but I am extremely frustrated as well because we can’t fix it quickly enough.”
The interview has gained traction because it’s rare to hear Wilcox speak in public – he is usually only quoted alongside the announcements of new signings. It was refreshing to hear him speak candidly.
Will Wilcox get the chance to turn it around? That depends on the results this season. United made an awful start to the campaign, but the outlook is already much better after the win against Chelsea.
If Ruben Amorim fails, it will not reflect well on Wilcox, but he won’t be the only boardroom member who could face consequences. Omar Berrada, United’s CEO, oversaw the appointment of Amorim, and Ratcliffe will point fingers if the Portuguese fails in his mission to succeed.
The breadcrumbs would lead back to Wilcox and Berrada. Ratcliffe has entrusted the pair to mastermind a Premier League title and they would be questioned if sacking Amorim is eventually necessary.
The good news is Brentford and Sunderland look winnable before the October international break, and Amorim has a golden chance to win back-to-back league games for the first time.
However, if the situation worsens this season, even Wilcox and Berrada might not be safe.