Manchester United sporting director Jason Wilcox insists the club are “heading in the right direction” as Ruben Amorim’s side continue to show signs of progress following a difficult start to the season.
For the first time under Amorim, United have recorded three consecutive Premier League victories, lifting them to sixth in the table and reviving hopes of returning to the Champions League after two seasons out of Europe’s top competition.
Wilcox, appointed last year as part of sweeping structural changes led by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, said the improvements reflect a long-term plan — even if setbacks are still to come.
“We are going in the right direction,” Wilcox told the club’s in-house media. “We have a clear plan. I am sure there are going to be bumps in the road, but we have just got to make sure we stay calm irrespective of the noise outside.”
United endured one of their worst seasons in recent memory during Ratcliffe’s first full year overseeing football operations, finishing 15th in the Premier League and missing out on European qualification for only the second time in three decades.
Despite sharp financial cutbacks — including two rounds of staff redundancies — Ratcliffe sanctioned an ambitious £200 million outlay last summer to rebuild the forward line. The arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško have already begun to make an impact, with Cunha netting his first goal in Saturday’s 4-2 win over Brighton and Mbeumo scoring three times in his last two appearances.
“For us to get in the top four and consistently challenge for Champions League places, win Champions Leagues, win Premier Leagues, we have got to invest in the squad,” Wilcox said. “We have got to buy the right players — not just talented ones, but players who can handle the pressure and push the squad forward.”
Amorim, however, faces selection headaches over the coming months, with Mbeumo set to represent Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations and Amad Diallo likely to join Ivory Coast for the same tournament, which runs from December 21 to January 18.
“We are going to struggle a little bit, but we already knew that,” Amorim admitted. “Other players will have the opportunity to help us. The change in characteristics is not going to change the idea or momentum of the team. Let’s use Amad and Bryan while we can — and then we’ll see in January.”
United will aim to continue their resurgence this weekend as they travel to face Newcastle, looking to make it four league wins in a row under Amorim.