Manchester United director of football Jason Wilcox says he hopes he and the club's management team are given "the opportunity to turn it round" at Old Trafford.

United finished 15th under Ruben Amorim last season and have won just one of their opening four top-flight games this term, also exiting to Carabao Cup against League Two Grimsby Town, despite spending £200million in the summer on a new-look forward line of Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha.

The Athletic reported on Thursday co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe had flown into United's Carrington training ground for a series of meetings, including with Amorim. The visit was long-planned, but the team's form was on the agenda.

Wilcox, 54, said he was confident United would be successful again but, like Amorim, he reiterated the need for patience.

"This club is just a wonderful football club, I'm extremely privileged," Wilcox said, speaking in a Q&A at a gala dinner for the 40th anniversary of the Association of Manchester United Players. "I just pray we get the opportunity to turn it round. I really feel that it's not 'will we win again' it's 'when we're going to win again'.

"It's going to take time, it's not a quick fix, especially now with the (profitability and sustainability) regulations. We needed to change the playing squad. We've now made some really good additions this summer. Sometimes taking players out of the squad is just as important as the players you bring in. We've got to try to bring the culture and respect back to Man Utd."

Wilcox was appointed United technical director in April 2024 as part of the club's revamped sporting structure under the minority ownership of Ratcliffe, and he was promoted to director of football in June 2025.

The former Manchester City academy director said his first 18 months at United had been a "real challenge" and described the club he joined as needing significant structural and cultural changes.

"I thought the club was in a much better place than what it was," he said. "We had no football identity, we lacked alignment between the ownership, the CEO, the football and academy. And we've just been working so hard behind the scenes to change the staff."

There have been further structural changes at United since Wilcox joined. Former head coach Erik ten Hag was relieved of his duties in October, sporting director Dan Ashworth departed in December after just five months in the position and Sir Dave Brailsford relinquished his day-to-day role at the club in June.

In February, United confirmed they were set to make 150 to 200 redundancies as part of wider cost-cutting measures under Ratcliffe, following the 250 redundancies made the previous summer. Wilcox said the redundancies were "really sad" but stressed the need for a "leaner workforce that provides accountability for people".

"But it was an exercise that needed to be done," he explained. "But now we have a platform to rebuild."

United return to action against Chelsea on Saturday.

Manchester United director of football Jason Wilcox: 'I pray we get the opportunity to turn it round'