Man Utd fans plead for Wilcox sack after season ends v Brighton

Man Utd fans are a bit fed up – split between anger at Jason Wilcox and amusement about Oliver Glasner’s job audition.

We also have views on Arsenal and more. E-mail us at theeditor@football365.com

Historically, when a manager of a club was shown the door the temporary replacement was called the Caretaker Manager. In recent years this term as been replaced by Interim Manager.

I don’t like this and wish for it to revert back to the old way. I will take no questions.

Also, why appoint a caretaker manager at all?

Bring back the Gullit/Vialli days of Player Manager. Eoin (shaking my fist at the clouds) Ireland

Darren Fletcher said the first thing he did after becoming caretaker was phone Sir Alex Ferguson for his blessing.

Two games later it’s a draw with Burnley and an FA Cup exit to Brighton.

So perhaps it’s worth another call — not for approval, but to find out where the managing part of managing a football team is meant to happen. Ant (can’t wait for Solskjær to come back and proudly announce he still won’t park in Sir Alex’s parking space, despite him not being manager for almost 13 f***ing years)

Brighton have just gone 2-0 up at Old Trafford, against a 4-2-3-1 Man Utd, just as the commentators were saying Amorim’s 3-4-3 was leaving us too open. It’s almost as if having poor personnel in midfield can’t be compensated for regardless of system.

I was pro keeping Amorim, the direction of travel was right (even if the velocity left something to be desired). Ole was massively underrated when with Utd, and I hope he comes in and does well, but whatever happens let’s please get rid of Wilcox. If such a senior exec is going to make emotional decisions because he got told to back off, he’s not the right guy.

Champions League is still attainable, but I reckon the season will be written off by the end of the month, and that will be squarely on Ineos. Stephen Mears

Oliver Glasner must be aware that he’s quite high up on the various manager shortlists at Manchester United , and now he’s starting to morph into one.

Squandering a chance to retain the cup you won last season by losing to a non-league side at the earliest opportunity fits right in the Old Trafford team’s wheelhouse. Doing so while having to swallow your own words in the form of an unappetising humble pie – he would seamlessly pick up where the shambolic Mourinhos, Ten Hags and Amorims left off! Guy in Cape Town

…Well, looks like he has passed his United audition with flying colours. Dave, Manchester

Four and a bit years ago I wrote you the email below. I don’t think you published it then, but having once more read the live feed on BBC website and seen references to the watching Alex Ferguson ( he apparently at 18.11 as I write this has a ‘face of thunder’ at the 0-2 scoreline I see once more that the focus lies on the past. Whilst my references to Marcus and Scott have aged, the point hasn’t, a club (and a fan base) spending so much time looking backwards can never expect to move forwards…

I read Zlatan’s comments about Manchester United’s mentality with interest this weekend, and then watched the match against Palace and one thing struck me – how rooted they are in former glories. I’ve a friend Dave who longs to be back at university. Constantly brings up the night’s out we had, the people who we mixed with, the controversies over who said who/did what. We left 20 years ago. He’s a lovely fella, but constantly harping back to a time long since past and not moving on. He’s married, has kids and something of a career but cant forget those glory days of 1998-2001. Watching the game the United fans stuck me as the same – all the songs were about Cantona, about Solksjaer (I appreciate he’s just left as manager), even one about Scholes. It’s not just the singing, they wanted Ronaldo, not just because he was once one of the world’s top two but more strongly because he was a link to the past. How many times does the camera cut back to the crowd to pick out Ferguson? United fans it’s time to move on. Whilst you spend time looking backwards football has moved on. Old Trafford is rapidly going the way of the old Wembley – full of football nostalgia but in no way a stadium for the 21st century. Your team and club lack direction as too long is focused on the glory days of the past. Move forward. Focus on what’s in front you not what once was. Sing about Rashford, who’s done more for poverty in this country than successive governments, or McTominay, who actually is a youth product you could build up for the future. Or Fernandes. Or even Fred. Don’t be like Dave.

Peter, DRFC in exile, Suffolk

I mean really… you have to admire Arsenal’s dedication to the bit don’t you?

Concede an early goal, then get back into it with not only a set-piece, but an own goal set-piece no less.

If I was an Arsenal fan, like a certain multi-accounted chap suggests on the regular, then I’d be hoping to lose a 12 point lead for City to win the league, only for a point deduction to hit unprecedented in late April for Arsenal to win, Homer Simpson style.

The two greatest words in the English language, de-fault.

Happy Monday folks, let’s be nice this week? Harold Eggert Hooler

…I see Martinelli has found his level at last. Good shop window for him to display his skills to mid-lower tier Champo sides, very generous of Arteta to help him in this regard in a knockout tie. Still better than Gyokeres mind you. RHT/TS x

I wrote last week that the repetitively slow horseshoe “U” approach that we Liverpool fans were being subjected to needed to change if Slot is to keep his job and secure Champions League football next season. I also wrote that I don’t think he has been helped by “Handsome Hughes” changing half the team. Allow me to explain a bit further.

Last year, as soon as we won the ball, a defender would look to Diaz or Nunez for a quick break; a ball over the top or down the line was often the option. If that wasn’t on, VVD would look for the cross-field ball to Salah. However, with those two quick outlets now gone, and the resulting change in style, these options are no longer available.

The slower transition has led to a more congested midfield, which in turn has negated last year’s other outlet: the drilled pass into Gravenberch, allowing him to turn the press and glide through the centre of the park.

With Slot putting Frimpong wide and high on Thursday, the team finally seemed to rediscover a bit of last year’s mojo. Yes, there were no shots on target, but Frimpong’s pace and directness forced Arsenal to drop deeper in the second half. This, in turn, gave Gravenberch and Mac Allister space to pass between the lines and break the press, something we had not managed for several months.

I only hope that Slot recognised this and keeps Frimpong higher up the pitch despite Bradley’s injury. Sometimes, playing a lesser player in the correct position, while keeping the other ten in their natural roles, is the better option. I am reminded of when we lost all four centre-backs five years ago and played the inexperienced Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams. Keeping them at centre-back allowed Henderson and Fabinho to remain in midfield and helped us secure a top-four finish.

Speaking of the top four, I am heartened by Man United reverting to type when trying to find a solution to their 253rd crisis since Sir Alex left. However, if I were on the interview panel and a candidate mentioned “Fergie” and DNA, I would thank them, end the interview, and reject them out of hand. Sir Alex is a legend, one of the best managers of all time. He deserves his stand, a statue, and everything that comes with it.

But hearing that interims, caretakers, and members of the Class of ’99 still seek his advice, permission, and even refuse to park in his space is embarrassing. Guys, it’s been 13 years. Bill Shankly was asked to stop coming to the training ground because of his status. In Klopp’s first interview, he said (circa) that the weight of history is like a backpack, it needs to come off. United (and I am quite happy that they are) are choosing to carry this Fergie-sized bag.

Onto another example of sycophancy. I am surprised that so little has been made of the atrocious coverage of the Arsenal–Liverpool game on Thursday. I don’t think Liverpool were praised as much for winning the league as Arsenal are for being six points clear. The noises from Nevillier and the fawning adjectives pouring from the a$$-chapped lips of Drury were embarrassing. The producer and director also spent more time showing the Lego Sith Lord than I have seen devoted to other managers combined this season.

This continued, unwarranted flattery is one of the reasons the club, in general, behaves so appallingly. The manager demands, and receives, respect he has not yet earned. A reminder to the suck-ups: he has spent close to a billion pounds and has one FA Cup and three second-place finishes in a beauty contest to show for it. Being constantly told you are brilliant and the best has fuelled Arteta’s ego and afforded him a level of impunity, evident in his touchline antics.

Persistently operating outside his technical area, instructing his players to slow the game down at set pieces (then complaining when others do the same), and, in one instance, dragging an injured player back onto the pitch to time-waste sends a message to his squad. This is why I think Martinelli acted as he did. It is learned behaviour from the one person at the club who should know and act better. A few years ago, F365 ran an excellent comparison of Klopp and Arteta ; it may be worth dusting off for a new generation.

So I am torn. I don’t believe Liverpool or Villa will win the league, which leaves a choice between this Arsenal side or Man (115) City. Which of the two would be the least soul-destroying?

I need a drink already.

Have a great week all, Ian H

I beg you to sell this thing. Beg you.

You are motivated by money. That’s ok. We live in late-stage capitalism. Everything is for sale. Bezos once sold books, which is quite cute, now he sells whatever the f he wants.

You would get an astonishing return on your investment. Which is what motivates you.

Because you sure as hell can’t claim that you genuinely have the interests of the fans at heart? Surely?

In 2017/18, Spurs were better than Liverpool. Since then they’ve won 2 league titles and a champs league. In 2019 Villa were in the championship and Spurs were in the champions league. Now look at them.

In that 7 years you have appointed numerous managers none of whom you’ve been able to empower in to achieving anything close to what the club is capable of achieving. You have had some world class footballers and not built around them. You currently have some footballers who actually seem to care. They’re as angry as the fans. But you have a manager who despite being a nice fella, is a bit of a doughnut. Micky Van der Van does not like or respect Thomas Frank. It’s clear. That isn’t the basis for a successful team.

There is still some lingering gratitude for what you’ve done. Genuinely. The club is in a far far better shape than the one you took over. But your leadership / ownership actually peaked on the last day at White Hart Lane.

It really is time to go.