Jason Wilcox has become one of the main targets of discontent among Manchester United fans after a series of poor results and the club's controversial transfer policy. Tensions increased after the 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth on October 25, when supporters clearly directed their anger at the director of football.
Wilcox is a former English footballer and part of the Blackburn team that won the Premier League title in the 1994/95 season. He arrived at Manchester United in April 2024 as technical director, after 15 months in a similar role at Manchester City. He also managed the club's academy there.
At Manchester City, Wilcox worked with current United chief executive Omar Berrada. He also knows Steven Torpey, who was appointed head of the Red Devils' academy in August 2025.
When Wilcox was appointed, Manchester United said he would work across all technical areas to achieve the "highest standards of performance". He was initially to report to the sporting director.
This structure changed in December 2025 when Dan Ashworth was sacked after differences with the board over the choice of Erik ten Hag's replacement. Wilcox's role then became more visible, and his presence around new transfers made him one of the public symbols of decisions in the club's football department.
Part of the criticism of Wilcox is related to the fact that Manchester United focused almost entirely on strengthening the midfield in the summer. There was no competition for Luke Shaw at left-back, nor support for striker Benjamin Sesko. Injuries to both made these shortcomings even more visible.
However, there are also factors that did not depend directly on him. Wilcox does not set the transfer budgets. Manuel Ugarte's injury while playing for Uruguay has thwarted plans to sell the midfielder in the summer to help fund new signings.
Another blow was Barcelona's rejection of a £26m deal for Marcus Rashford. The two incidents have limited United's options in terms of both transfer fees and wages.
Wilcox rarely speaks to the media, and the club's lack of public explanation of why it has chosen this particular transfer strategy has left room for speculation and discontent. His position, his involvement in the presentation of new players and his frequent presence in official club communications have put him at the centre of criticism.
Against this backdrop, Michael Carrick is seen as a manager who has not received enough support from the management. Thus, poor results on the field and decisions off it are gathered around a single figure, even when some of the reasons are related to injuries, failed deals and budget constraints.
Sources: bbc.co.uk, sports.yahoo.com