Under-fire technical director Jason Wilcox’s biggest weakness has just been further exposed.

Manchester United will be sticking with Michael Carrick as head coach on a short-term basis. Whether you regard this as a good decision or a bad decision, the past 48 hours have exposed a lack of leadership in the football operations at Old Trafford, specifically with technical director Jason Wilcox.

Manchester United briefings private

Following the defeat to Bournemouth, that made it six consecutive Premier League games without a win, Michael Carrick could offer no assurances over his own future. Most fans and pundits expected him to be fired.

The next 48 hours saw Carrick’s future hang in the wind, with no hint or indication from United on the club’s plans. While keeping high-level talks in-house is commendable, the resolution was inadequate.

United briefed a selection of journalists with the news Carrick would be staying, who all reported the news with minutes of each other.

There was no official communication from the club, and no statement from Jason Wilcox to explain the decision – or even words attributed to an unofficial United spokesperson.

Lack of leadership and accountability

The biggest weakness for Jason Wilcox at Manchester United has been his lack of accountability.

Anybody can make mistakes, make the wrong choice, sign the wrong player or make the wrong choice by not signing anybody. But these mistakes earn distrust when they are not addressed transparently.

Jason Wilcox has not given an interview since October 2025, which was cynically timed after United had finally won three successive matches. As soon as the form dipped – Wilcox went back into hiding.

Wilcox did not come out to address the club’s 2026 transfer window or similar topics like their hopes for the season. Perhaps they are saving it all for the club’s Amazon documentary – if you can bear to watch it.

In the meantime, there is a wall of silence from Manchester United, which has broken the trust between the board and the fans.

Wilcox present at Old Trafford, invisible to the media

Jason Wilcox was present at Old Trafford for Manchester United’s match with Bournemouth, pictured in the stands alongside chief executive Omar Berrada. He also has been invisible in the media over the past year.

Problems with Ineos and the fanbase have festered due to a lack of communication. There were opportune times to bridge that gap in the summer, either at the end of last season or at the beginning of this campaign.

It’s never easy to step into a crisis, but Ineos would garner more respect by coming out and broaching the difficult subjects now, than if they simply wait until the team start winning again; a tomorrow that may never come.

This week would have been the perfect time to start, especially now that some semblance of a decision has been made on Michael Carrick. They are backing him in the short-term. Even if they do not wish to define the specific parameters of what he must do to keep his job – Ineos should come out and explain the current state of play.

The past 48 hours have only served to underline Jason Wilcox’s weakness.