Michael Carrick's sacking on Thursday has shifted attention towards director of football Jason Wilcox, with reports suggesting he faces fresh criticism over Manchester United's underwhelming season.
According to The Times, an unnamed club legend who is said to have made more than 300 appearances for United publicly criticised Wilcox after encountering him at a match at Old Trafford. The individual reportedly shook Wilcox's hand before waiting for him to move out of earshot, then turned to guests and said Wilcox "Hasn't got a clue".
The Times reports that this view is shared by several staff members at the club, with some describing the 55-year-old former Blackburn and England winger as "clueless". Wilcox has held his current role since 2024.
The report credits Wilcox's tenure with some successes, including the signing of Bryan Mbeumo and a cut-price deal for defender Ayden Heaven, while also pointing to costly mistakes elsewhere. The summer transfer window conducted with Carrick in charge saw United spend £150million rebuilding their midfield, though questions remain over squad balance, particularly at left-back and up front.
A source cited by The Times described the summer recruitment process as a mess, pointing to the loss of Casemiro and the added burden of midweek Champions League fixtures, with only a handful of new additions leaving Carrick to try to match the previous season's form.
Former United captain Gary Neville was scathing when discussing the situation on Sky Sports, criticising the club's leadership for being in Monaco while the Pochettino approach was ongoing. "In the last 24-48 hours it's been spectacularly bad to be in Monaco as an executive and an owner whilst your manager, who's a club legend, is taking training on the pitch and simultaneously approaching the US Soccer Federation to approach Mauricio Pochettino," Neville said, calling the situation "quite simply disgusting".
He added: "The optics of being in Monaco whilst the team, the staff, the people who are running the club on a day-to-day basis are in Manchester, it's just not good, and it reflects badly on the leadership. I don't think anybody comes out of this well at all."
Mauricio Pochettino is now expected to take charge in earnest on November 19, giving him several days with the squad before the Premier League trip to Liverpool on November 22. The USA boss has been tipped to take charge of a pair of internationals against Haiti this week before heading to England.
