Wilcox under renewed scrutiny after Martinez's post-match criticism
Jason Wilcox's position at Manchester United has come under fresh scrutiny after Lisandro Martinez publicly criticised the club following the 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid, making his remarks while appearing as a post-match interviewer for US broadcaster CBS. Martinez said: "I expect more from our technical director."
The focus on Wilcox recalls a similar episode almost 10 months ago when Ruben Amorim publicly chastised United's director of football after the Leeds match, saying: "I will do my job and every department, the scouting department, the sporting director, needs to do theirs," and was sacked less than 24 hours later; dressing-room sources subsequently told BBC Sport the club needed more signings than the three who arrived in the summer — Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba — and that it was "fairly obvious" they needed reinforcements at left-back and striker, with one source describing the situation as "a mess".
During the CBS interview, Peter Schmeichel attempted on four occasions to steer Martinez away from questions about United's summer recruitment but Martinez persisted, adding: "We don't have the best squad at the moment compared to other top teams," and: "I'm not going to close my mouth. We need more ambition. If we don't say the truth, nothing will change." The defender said he felt it was important to speak out and many United fans welcomed his intervention, while the article also raises the question: "By being so outspoken against senior figures at the club, was he trying to ensure that option is not triggered, which would allow him to leave for nothing in the summer, or, potentially, for a lower fee in January?"
Martinez spoke to Atletico defender Cristian Romero after the game; the pair are close friends and Romero was notably critical of Tottenham's hierarchy last season. Inside United, the comments add to dressing-room tensions, with sources saying manager Michael Carrick must manage a delicate dynamic at a time when he needs collective focus; those same sources add they believe there is "no better person to handle the turmoil" and that Carrick's calmness is a major strength. When Tielemans was asked about Martinez's remarks by Amazon Prime he replied with a "no comment".
Club sources insist Wilcox, 55, is not at risk of losing his job and that the recruitment department is already working on potential January targets, with an acceptance at Old Trafford that failing to sign left-back competition for Luke Shaw and striking support for Benjamin Sesko was flawed. Sesko has been sidelined for an indefinite period after suffering a recurrence of the shin issue that flared up in May and prevented him from playing any part in United's pre-season matches.
The article notes there is no expectation in England for technical or sporting directors to address the media regularly; former United sporting director Dan Ashworth made one public appearance alongside chief executive Omar Berrada during a five-month spell. Wilcox's only extensive interview since his April 2024 appointment came in United's in-house media, where he said: "I am a coach at heart," and: "I am a coach inside, even though I know I have a different job now. That is a strength in my role, but it also causes me a bit of a problem because I always want to interfere in what the managers are doing." On coping with stress he added: "My wife will know when I am bogged down with frustration. When I re-energise, I do it on my own. Me and the dog, walking."
Wilcox has briefly spoken to the media after matches on a couple of occasions — telling journalists to "trust the process" after the 2-1 win at Crystal Palace last November and expressing enthusiasm in Gothenburg about the potential pairing of Tielemans and skipper Bruno Fernandes after the pre-season match with Paris St-Germain. The club's recruitment was praised in summer 2025 when Senne Lammens was signed ahead of Emi Martinez and Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo plus Sesko were credited with reinvigorating United's attack, but questions have been raised about this summer's £155m outlay: Baleba missed the first six weeks of the season with injury, Santos has been an unused substitute in the last three Premier League games, and Tielemans' form has been described as patchy. Sources have specifically questioned why Tielemans, signed for £35m and described as having a similar profile to Kobbie Mainoo, was chosen and whether the £50m committed to Santos would have been better spent elsewhere.
Trust among some fans in the club's minority ownership, agreed on Christmas Eve in 2023, is said to be eroding; critics have pointed to increased ticket prices and a ticket touting investigation among season-ticket holders, and referenced the performance of other clubs with Ineos influence, noting Nice are ninth in the French league and Lausanne-Sport are bottom in Switzerland. Past managerial departures are highlighted: Erik ten Hag was sacked after nine Premier League games in 2024 and Amorim left after 20 matches last season, while United's accounts show overall debt of £1.1bn and the club spent £63.5m on land for a new 100,000-capacity stadium that is set to cost in excess of £2bn, a decision some fans criticised rather than using funds to strengthen Carrick's squad.
Carrick is due to speak to the media before Sunday's trip to Leeds, when he is expected to be asked about Martinez's comments, and players lined up to talk around the Elland Road trip will face similar questioning.
