Erik ten Hag has told ESPN that relegation from the Premier League is “certainly possible” for the club he left just over two years ago. His former side went into the November international break 17th in the table, with seven points from nine games and a winless run of nine, their longest without a victory since 1984.
Michael Carrick’s position is to be reviewed over that break. Wilcox, the man who has hired three permanent managers in less than two years, is not getting off any lighter. Five calls, in particular, keep coming back to him.
Backing Ten Hag with over £200m
Wilcox arrived in 2024 and almost immediately signed off on keeping Ten Hag after a season that ended with United eighth and the club’s worst goal difference since 1989-90. More than £200m was then spent on new arrivals to support him. Nine Premier League games into the following campaign, Ten Hag was gone.
Three managers, three systems
Replacement Ruben Amorim demanded a 3-4-2-1 that required another expensive bolt-on of specialist players and lasted until January 2026. Carrick is United’s third permanent manager under Wilcox, a cycle Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool have conspicuously avoided.
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Promoting Carrick for good
Carrick earned the permanent appointment through interim form, but his only senior managerial experience before that was three years at Middlesbrough. He is now expected to go.
A midfield-heavy summer window
Wilcox oversaw about £155m of spending in the summer window on three central midfielders: Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos. No left-back arrived despite it being flagged as a priority, leaving Luke Shaw, 31 and chronically injured, as the only senior option in the position. No centre-back came in either.
After a 2-0 Champions League defeat at Atlético Madrid on 14 October, Lisandro Martínez turned on his own hierarchy. In comments reported by Sky Sports, the Argentine said:
“I expect more from our technical director. We expect more from the top, from upstairs, to bring in more players to compete.”
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Martínez issued a clarifying statement the next day but did not apologise.
No overhaul of the senior squad
Harry Maguire, 33, and Shaw are both still at the club despite public criticism from former United figures that neither is at the level the squad now needs. Wilcox has not forced that corner of the dressing room through.
Ten Hag’s warning to ESPN did not stop at the headline.
“If you end up on the wrong side once and you really get into that vicious circle, yes, then it can become very, very difficult,” he said.
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Carrick remains in charge for Tuesday’s Champions League tie with Roma at Old Trafford.
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