If you're using google - you should know that Wilcox got them promoted in his time there.
Personally, I think none of your points are well researched. A lot of inaccuracies.
Jason Wilcox - Director of Football
- Thread starter reddevilchennai
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Personally, I think none of your points are well researched. A lot of inaccuracies.
Was this guy involved in signing guys like Lammens, Sesko, and Dorgu? If so, he’s definitely got some ticks in the boxes. Plenty of crosses too, assuming he was involved in recruiting Amorim, Ashworth, and Ugate. He does seem to have landed a few genuine hits though.
Ayden Heaven.
Doubt he had anything to do with Ashworth, given he now occupies his role
It mostly comes down to interpretation. You’ve picked the version that fits your narrative, but the same facts can be framed differently.
He earned recognition for helping rebuild Man City’s youth academy. We all know how dominant they were at youth level—they used to win everything. Being part of that setup naturally links you to a lot of talented players who later had professional careers, a bit like Ralf Rangnick—even if your direct involvement with each player was limited.
When he moved to Southampton, I can’t recall whether it was just before or after their promotion, but either way he was involved during their time in the Premier League. He used his City connections to bring in players, including Shea Charles, who is now starting to make a name for himself. He also brought in coaches with a philosophy built around entertaining, possession-based football. By the time he left to join us, Southampton were on the verge of another promotion, which they went on to achieve.
On the point about him being the key decision-maker regarding Erik ten Hag, that doesn’t really line up with what’s been reported. Multiple briefings suggested he felt Ten Hag should be sacked, which is why other managers were being interviewed. There was also talk he asked Ten Hag to switch to a 4-4-2 late in the season, although that was later attributed to someone else. Ultimately, the decision to keep Ten Hag was made above him, as the new director and CEO wanted stability.
With Manuel Ugarte, once Ten Hag stayed, recruitment had to balance long-term planning with players suited to the manager. The thinking behind Ugarte—still valid in theory, was his strength in interceptions and recovery runs. One of the main issues with Ten Hag’s system was midfielders being isolated and overrun, so Ugarte was meant to address that. It hasn’t worked out, but the logic is clear. If anything, it highlights the limits of relying too heavily on data analytics in football. They don’t always translate on the pitch. The eye test still matters, with data used to support it rather than lead it.
On signings, Ayden Heaven cost £1.5m, and Ruben Amorim has publicly praised Wilcox for that; it’s documented. Aside from Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee (who I actually like stylistically), there aren’t many clear flops. You could argue that’s around an 85% success rate. Earlier, you said it’s unrealistic to expect a Director of Football to get everything right, and that supports the point.
As for Amorim, there’s no real evidence Wilcox specifically prefers a 3-4-3—it’s not part of his track record. Even so, he’s still approved adaptable players suited to that system, particularly addressing goals as a key issue from last season. This year, that improvement is reflected in the team sitting third in the league. Yes, he may have intervened tactically, but that was well after Amorim continued to underperform. A good sporting director should offer guidance when needed. The alternative is what we saw under Ed Woodward; a hands-off approach that left managers to struggle, only to be criticised later for a lack of football expertise at board level.
Reportedly he had reservations on Ashworth. He was involved in decision making it seems but his voice wouldn't have carried the same remit as it does today, as he was promoted to Ashworths role after.
Mitten said Ugarte was an opportunistic signing that was in part made to help Yoro sign with us as they share the same agent. Not sure of the Wilcox involvement there, but I think for Heaven and Chido he'd have been a lot more pivotal. Since his promotion he likely works closely with Vivell on the targets, and I think Lammens and Sesko can be a feather in their cap, since Amorim was more of a Martinez/Watkins guy.
Wilcox would have been involved to some extent, whether that's being a direct part of the decision to sign them or whether it's trusting and delegating people (the likes of Vivell and Coton) to have the power to largely make those decisions.
DoF's come in all different types, depending on how they and the club see that role. Some are very hands-on with pretty much all the decisions, while others (like Ashworth seemed to be) tend to hire and supervise specialists who are then the main ones making the decisions in their respective roles. From what we've seen of Wilcox so far I think he's somewhere in between. More involved in things than Ashworth was, but still delegating to specialists and not trying to single-handedly run everything himself.
He would have had little, if any, involvement in hiring Ashworth though. It seemed both of them were approached by INEOS at about the same time, and Ashworth was hired as Wilcox's boss. But it seems Ratcliffe, INEOS and Berrada ultimately wanted someone who was more hands-on than Ashworth was. Which begs the question of why they wanted Ashworth in the first place as it was well known how he worked, but there's always going to be teething issues when you basically rebuild the entire top structure of a club at the same time.
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It was rumoured at the time that Wilcox was the one person in the organisation that recommended ETH be fired at the end of that second season, but got overruled by the others above him. If that were the case, it may well have been him being proven right in that regard that played a part in his promotion later on to the DoF role.
As for getting involved in ETH and Amorim's tactics, somebody in his role absolutely should be getting involved if things aren't working and the manager refuses to change. The alternative is to just sit back and let the manager do whatever they want until the day they are fired. The club giving constructive criticism before things reach that stage is exactly what should happen. And in regards to Amorim, he told the media and fans that he would start off playing that system exclusively but would become more flexible as things settled down. Presumably he told the club the same thing when he was hired.
Wilcox certainly hasn't got everything right, but overall I'm cautiously optimistic. Only time will tell.
That signing of Heaven is really a ridiculous signing and Wilcox was a major factor in that.
We've signed a 50m player for 1.5m, it's just mental.
We've signed a 50m player for 1.5m, it's just mental.
Wilcox has already excelled in youth signings and academy work and he worked in City’s academy before becoming Head Of Academy which produced Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, James Trafford, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Rico Lewis, Nico O’Reilly and other players that have all gone on to have decent PL careers.
I bet he did, he wanted his job. It's all been a bit game of thrones with him. He seems to have had reservations about everyone but himself, been involved in decision making, but not responsible for any of the bad decision - somehow. We'll see this summer, there's no where to hide now. He has to pick the manager and build a squad for him, from a very strong position.
What the actual feck
You've riddled the thread with various anti Wilcox posts but this one takes it. He wanted his job and it's been a bit of game of thrones with him?
He's been involved in decision making, but not materially in any of the bad ones? Is it our or his fault he wasn't in the role at the time of Amorims hire? Is it his fault he helped oversee a marked improvement in summer signings?
It has, in general. He's climbed to the top of the pole and booted everyone out the way, yet stayed completely grease free, supposedly. He had reservations about Ashworth, Amorim, Ten hag, etc. be good to see his preference this summer. Somehow has not involved with Ugarte, even though I can't find the post where we interacted, but it was definitely his signing and he didn't want to sell him in Jan either. He most definitely helped with this summer, but has some big decisions to make this summer and can't hide behind a DOF choice or a manager choice this time. I hope he has it in him, he just strikes me as someone who's never at fault, which isn't great in a leadership position.What the actual feck
You've riddled the thread with various anti Wilcox posts but this one takes it. He wanted his job and it's been a bit of game of thrones with him?
He's been involved in decision making, but not materially in any of the bad ones? Is it our or his fault he wasn't in the role at the time of Amorims hire? Is it his fault he helped oversee a marked improvement in summer signings?
Which former players said that about Wilcox? I know he said it himself, but I'd take that as a bit tongue in cheek, more meaning that he likes to be more hands on than some other DoFs who sit in the office all day.
Amorim got to the point where it was either change up the tactics or leave. I'd that be communicated to Amorim on the small chance that it works than just sack him.
He booted everyone out the way?
Can you explain how he booted everyone out the way?
He joined as a technical director and said to be in all the decision making, that has gone through two managers and a DOF. He has ended up in the DOF position, he hasn't just fallen into this position, he obviously had ambition for it. He's got all the power now, and he is clear to enact his vision for the club, so I hope he wealds it well - I'm sceptical.
People just want to piss and moan. Its a fecking disgrace.
He has ambition, but I'm asking why you think he "booted" everyone out the way.
It's quite widely reported that there were some failures and incompetencies with those who left, but you are claiming he booted these guys from a junior position. You say it's game of thrones like. All sounds a bit weird, a clear agenda you've displaced for months in this thread.
Not really, I've been consistent on him and I think this summer is the key moment to judge him.
To get to the DOF position and he obviously has his own ideas of what he wants, hence supposedly being skeptical of every single person in a position of power. I'm not implying he sabotaged them, if that's what you think I mean.
I mean that's always going to happen, no one's gonna shit all over the people that are still there. I think the idea that people like sir Jim, berrada and Wilcox aren't in anyway at fault for the shambles we ended up in is farcical. I'm saying he's the last one standing, in a position of power, after a series of organisational massacres that's why it's game of thrones - it's a pop culture reference that literally implies that. It's not really an agenda, I think he has a lot to prove this summer and I hope he does. I'm allowed to be skeptical without having an agenda.
But no one said Jim Berrada and Wilcox weren't at fault in any way for Amorim? We are just pointing out that Wilcox in particular didn't have the remit to really put meaningful conviction on the he debate compared to the role he has now.
For me the biggest culprit in the decision making for Amorim is Berrada.
Everyone is judged by their ongoing performance.
Its a very big summer, to try to take us from an above average Premier League team playing once a week to a sustainable Champions League side.
Judging his past performance based on his time as DoF he's just done the unprecedented thing of taking a side up (hopefully) 12 places in the Premier League after a squad overhaul to get rid of flops and dickheads and restructure salary and balancing PSR compliance and cash flow problems.. without Champions League money or attractiveness to boot
Personally, I think that's a cop out and sort of implying his opinion was irrelevant and I don't think that's how we operated. If we did, that's mental.
Berrada isn't working in a vacuum and just overruling everyone, it was definitely his plan at city, but I think Wilcox wilfully went with it.
I don't ever think we were ever actually a 15th position side, even with the old squad. That was just a decision to completely pivot philosophy mid season, with a squad not set up to play it. He's made a good decision to move on Amorim and get in an interim that gets the best out the current squad, albeit half forced, but we spent £250m and bought the two best attackers in the league. He didn't really have any budget problems and I still think we're some big investment away from competing on all fronts. He needs to show his leadership with this window, deciding the manager and vision of the team. That should inform the priorities for the window, I still don't think we're sure what direction we're going currently - that's a concern for me.
'He didn't have any budget problems '
Not this year, because last year we made the tough decisions and only just missed a PSR breach by a few million
Not this year, because last year we made the tough decisions and only just missed a PSR breach by a few million
Would be Luis Campos for meI don’t think they exists. It’s just a bunch of guys good at their job. It’s not like they rotated between the top clubs like managers.
Who’s the Pep Guardiola of DoF?
I hope if they appoint Carrick that they build the team toward a team that could be taken over by an Enrique in a year or two, and that Carrick will be judged on whether or not he can actually build a team that can play in a proactive style consistently.
I feel we've kind of reverted to being steady, like under Ole, to stop the madness under Amorim but will it ever be good enough to challenge for the PL or CL? I'm not convinced it will be but maybe taking small steps is the answer right now.
We definitely have no style of play other than get it to our talented attackers and make less mistakes at the back. As far as short term plans go you can't fault the logic but I have a worrying suspicion this, right now, will be as good as gets if we stick with things as they are.
We definitely have no style of play other than get it to our talented attackers and make less mistakes at the back. As far as short term plans go you can't fault the logic but I have a worrying suspicion this, right now, will be as good as gets if we stick with things as they are.
Nothing wrong with being steady. Sir Alex in his later years managed to win titles despite United playing really boring football (no thanks to the stingy Glazers).
I didn’t even know he was an arachnologist, much less a relic hunter.
Unless of course you mean he is a vampire killer.
Yeah fair enough. What would constitute an improvement for us next year? Finishing in the top 2 and getting to the last eight of the CL?
Another Top 4 finish while getting to the knockouts of the CL.
Even if we don't finish 3rd it would be progress as competing on multiple fronts.
A good cup run wouldn't go a miss.
Post 93, Fergie never played "really boring football" apart from a brief period around 2004/2005.
With CL next season, he’ll do well to maintain 3rd finish. Depends on summer recruits, of course. With at least 2 new mf he will be able to play more if a high pressing game instead of sitting on a lead because we haven’t got the legs, but playing up to 60 games will challenge that. Think there’ll be a more aggressive/attacking game with Cas/Ugarte replaced. Hopefully an improvement at fb too.
We'll also need to see the direction of the team long term, ie are we going to dominate the ball or continue to be a transition team, etc. At minimum it will be a consolidation year, playing far more games, as a foundation for longer term success.