Manchester United supporters expressed their frustration towards the club hierarchy during the team’s latest game against Roma on Tuesday. Even after Michael Carrick’s side turned the momentum in the second half, the sporting director Jason Wilcox remains under intense pressure at Old Trafford.
The former Southampton sporting director joined Manchester United as a technical director in April 2024 and was soon involved in a decision regarding the future of manager Erik ten Hag.
According to a report from The Athletic, Jason Wilcox reportedly recommended Russell Martin as a potential future managerial option during discussions over Erik ten Hag’s position, although the club never made a formal move for the former Southampton boss. However, Wilcox also recognised that Martin lacked the experience required for the Old Trafford job at that stage of his career.
Wilcox recommendation had come before Manchester United’s FA Cup clash against Manchester City. Wilcox had hired Martin at Southampton before the 2023-24 season and was impressed with the English coach after the latter led the Saints to promotion to the Premier League.
Martin, however, failed to impress in his debut managerial role in the Premier League. After recording just one win in 16 league games, he was sacked by the Saints in December 2024. He later endured four months at Rangers and was appointed as head coach by Leicester City in June this season.
Meanwhile, Wilcox reportedly spoke highly of Martin as the pressure built on Erik ten Hag following Manchester United’s eighth-place finish in the 2023-24 Premier League season with 60 points. However, ten Hag managed to lead the club to FA Cup glory in May and earned a new contract before the start of the next season.
Erik ten Hag was eventually sacked in October 2024 after United claimed just 11 points from their opening nine league games. Wilcox was promoted to the sporting director role following the departure of Dan Ashworth in December 2024, and later to the Director of Football in June 2025.
However, the club did not approach Russell Martin despite Wilcox’s early recommendation and went with Ruben Amorim. The report further adds that Wilcox had also recommended the former Manchester City assistant coach Enzo Maresca as a potential successor to Erik ten Hag. Maresca, who led Leicester City to the Premier League promotion in 2024, later joined Chelsea and succeeded Pep Guardiola at Manchester City after the end of the 2025-26 season.
Meanwhile, since his promotion to director of football, Wilcox has faced constant criticism from fans, players, and former managers. Reports said Amorim was sacked after a fiery exchange with Wilcox over the team’s style of play in January 2026. Earlier, during the post-match conference, Amorim lashed out at Wilcox, demanding that he “do his job”.
Most recently, Lisandro Martinez lashed out at Wilcox following the club’s defeat to Atletico Madrid last month. The defender let out his frustration over the lack of support from Wilcox in the summer transfer window.
During Manchester United’s latest game against Roman, it was evident that the supporters are blaming the owners and the directors for the club’s poor performances.
