Watching his new employers from the Wembley stands for the very first time during Sunday’s remarkable FA Cup semi-final with Coventry City, Manchester United’s new technical director Jason Wilcox was given a 120-minute introduction into the various defects he, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Omar Berrada and co will be under pressure to fix.
Almost every bad habit embodied by this Manchester United team was clear to see, exposed by a team sitting eighth in the Championship.
A staggering inability to close a game out; United throwing away countless two-goal leads throughout the campaign and somehow managing to one step further. Turning a 3-0 advantage into a game they were fortunate not to lose.
A mentality with all the fortitude of an underbaked blancmange. A squad who either no longer believe in their manager, or have no idea of the roles they are supposed to play. As extra-time became increasingly frantic, it was not exactly uncommon to see Harry Maguire pop up on the left-wing, Christian Eriksen fill in at centre-half, and Omori Forson do shuttle runs up and down the centre of the park.
Jason Wilcox has a big job at Manchester United
So Jason Wilcox, who’s appointment was ‘reluctantly’ confirmed by Southampton shortly before the game begun, could have been forgiven for reaching for the nearest ice pack, placing it upon his forehead, and spending the next 24 hours wondering just what on earth he had witnessed as Manchester United set up a daunting FA Cup final rematch with bitter rivals Man City.
“Fun first day at work!,” was Wilcox’s rather sardonic response when asked by The United Stand at full-time.
For Wilcox, who will play a major role in a new behind-the-scenes structure led by Omar Berrada and the incoming Dan Ashworth, the ‘fun’ is only just beginning. The former England international can begin work immediately unlike Ashworth and Berrada, who can not yet officially start at Old Trafford as they remain on gardening leave much to the frustration of Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
“It’s a long journey really the football because one of the biggest problems is that you get these new guys to come into the team, really capable people, but they are all on gardening leave,” Ratcliffe told BBC Sport after completing the London marathon at the age of 71, no less.
“So it takes you six months, a year or 18 months. It’s a real issue in football. (The new hires) can’t work for us. The fans are impatient and I have some sympathy with that.
“But it’s a journey and, whether they like it or not, they have to be a bit patient. It’s not a light switch, it takes a bit of time.”
Wilcox and Omar Berrada reunited at Old Trafford
Wilcox, who worked with former Manchester City chief Berrada at the Etihad Stadium, is expected to play a key role in recruitment; arguably the one area where Man United have struggled the most in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
“How many miles is Liverpool away from Man United?,” former Red Devils midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger told The Overlap last week, highlighting the differences between United’s flawed approach and the one favoured by their north west neighbours.
“What did (Jurgen) Klopp do? Did he sign a lot of huge money transfers?,” Schweinsteiger adds, pointing out that such a stance worked wonders for the departing Liverpool boss during Borussia Dortmund’s time at the summit of German football.
“Look at (the £8 million Andy) Robertson. The same with other players. The same thing he did at Borussia Dortmund. He found (Robert) Lewandowski, (Mario) Gotze, (Mats) Hummels, (Lukasz) Piszczek, (Jakub) Blaszczykowski, (Ilkay) Gundogan… All those players.
“You just have to look 45 miles (away) and see how they do it, and (Liverpool have) dominated since.”