Manchester United director of football Jason Wilcox has shed further light on how the club intends to manage future transfer windows and why there are signs of progress at Old Trafford.
United’s recent surge in form has seen Ruben Amorim start an impressive four-match unbeaten run – a period which has included a three-match winning streak in the Premier League, the first time the club have achieved the feat under Amorim.
The Portuguese manager saw his side earn a late draw at Nottingham Forest to mark his first year at United. After a turbulent 12 months for Amorim and signs seemingly pointing to a corner being turned at Old Trafford, what have we learned from Wilcock’s assessment of United and vision for the future?
Wilcox believes ‘progress is being made in all areas’
United’s form has picked up. Last season, a record low 15th place finish in the Premier League did not affect Old Trafford’s confidence going into the new season.
However, after a summer of changes to the playing squad, there are currently green shoots that suggest things are moving in the right direction.
United are currently eighth in the Premier League, in touch with the top five positions that could secure United a return to Europe. Amorim’s side can go second in the Premier League if they beat Tottenham in the lunchtime match on Saturday.
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Sky Sports’ Danial Khan looks at the statistical differences between Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United side and former boss Eric ten Haag’s side from last season
“The most important thing is internally, we know what we have to do,” Wilcox told Manchester United’s official channels.
“We know where we are as a group. The players understand that and we are improving on and off the pitch.
“I spoke last week with IN TVand when I say we are moving forward with our processes, facilities, structures and staff – what we need to do is, despite all the noise, we just have to stay calm, realize that we are moving in a positive direction.
“We’re going to have bumps in the road, and it’s important that we just smooth out the bumps and not get too excited and let down too much.”
“I really feel this football club is moving in the right direction now. That’s my personal view. It’s not a biased view, because I work here.
“When I think about the athletic department, we’re making progress in every area.
Manchester United is working on rebuilding and establishing its identity
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During an interview with Piers Morgan, Cristiano Ronaldo shared his honest thoughts on Manchester United. Credit: Piers Morgan Uncensored on YouTube
In an interview broadcast on Tuesday, Cristiano Ronaldo has given a scathing review of United’s current identity and lack of structure. Amorim has also received considerable scrutiny for his perceived rigid 3-4-3 formation. However, Wilcox disagrees and believes the current work being done is helping to establish United’s identity and playing model.
“We just have to keep building the spirit,” Wilcox said.
“Keep building on Reuben’s idea. He has a very clear idea. He’s a lot more flexible than people give him credit for.”
“We have to start with the end in mind and to understand the model of the game, which Manchester United is, is really important.”
“And we have to put the puzzle together. We’d like to have all the pieces in place where we can see a very clear picture.”
“But as we build the image, it’s really important. It’s even harder when you lose some football games, because people start to question things. But we’re really clear, me, Ruben, Omar (Berrada) and the ownership. We’re really clear about the direction to go. And this is really important.”
How transfers work at Old Trafford
Transfers have been a mystery at Old Trafford for many years. Although United have always been active in the windows, the opaque nature of United’s transfer strategy has opened the door to criticism for allegedly slow deals and reported missed targets.
However, Wilcox has lifted the lid on how United’s hierarchy work with head coach Amorim navigating transfers.
Manchester United’s new signings got off to a positive start at Old Trafford
“The input will come from me and Reuben,” Wilcox said.
“It goes into Chris (Wivell), a lot of debate and discussion around the profile of what we need, and then the scouts will go out on the market.”
“We’ll combine that with the data team, and they’ll just be in constant dialogue. Right now, I have weekly meetings with the recruiting team on different profiles.”
“Different age groups, costs, are they available and with Reuben. So it’s a real collaborative approach.”
“When we sign a player, there are so many people involved in the process, the data team is involved in the process.
“Then we’ll focus all our attention on specific players. And that’s when it’s really important to do a background check.”
“Are they pure professionals? This is really important. This year we looked at players ready for the Premier League.
“Certainly with Brian (Mbeumo) and Mateus (Cunha), we couldn’t take too many risks in this area.
“We needed players we could plug in and play with a bit of transition time. Sene (Lamens), we’ve always looked at goalkeepers who have huge potential and Sene was available. We decided to move, but it wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction.
“Tony Cotton (Manchester United goalkeeping scout) was putting Sene on my radar 12 months ago and he was relentless about it.
“‘This guy is going to be a top signing for us. And he’s off to a good start, but he’s got to keep it up. He’s very reflective and he’s very professional in his approach.’
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Look back at Senna Lammens’ confident Premier League debut for Manchester United against Sunderland
Wilcox identifies the “right” signings for Manchester United and promises to invest
Summer signings Matheus Cunha, Brian Mbeumo and Senne Lammens they have played their part in improving United’s form, with fans impressed not only by their performance but also their attitude.
Jason Wilcox has promised to invest in the “right” players
Ski Sports News understands United will make signing a new midfielder a key target next summer. The club is not expected to be busy in January, having invested significantly in the squad in the previous period; however, the club continues to work in the market, looking ahead to next summer.
United’s recent transfer success is a trend that Wilcox suggests will continue at Old Trafford as the club aim to re-establish themselves at the top of the Premier League as well as being able to compete in Europe.
“We have a clear plan,” Wilcox told United’s website.
“We know what we have to do, we know the areas of the team that we have to improve.”
“To get into the top four and constantly fight for places in the Champions League, win the Champions League, win the Premier League, we have to invest in the team.
“We have to buy the right players. The right players who are talented but can handle pressure, who can take the team forward. It’s not always just about signing elite talent; they have to have the right character and be someone who can bring something different to the team.