Jason Wilcox was spotted at Old Trafford as Manchester United reached another embarrassing low following their third-round FA Cup exit.
Manchester United were eliminated from the FA Cup at the third-round stage on Sunday afternoon after suffering a 2–1 defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford.
Brighton made an energetic start and broke the deadlock early on, Brajan Gruda turning the ball home after Lisandro Martínez had managed an initial clearance on the line. The visitors looked dangerous throughout the opening period and nearly added a second when a poor pass from Senne Lammens gifted Danny Welbeck an opening, though the forward failed to take advantage.
United attempted to respond before the interval, with Diogo Dalot and Benjamin Šeško both going close, but they headed into half-time trailing by one goal. Brighton extended their lead in the second half as Welbeck made amends, powering in a finish with 25 minutes left.
Šeško gave United late hope by pulling a goal back, prompting a brief spell of pressure, but the hosts were unable to force an equaliser. The task became even harder late on when substitute Shea Lacey was sent off for a second yellow card, allowing Brighton to comfortably see out the tie and advance to the next round.
What happened to Wilcox before United’s FA Cup exit
Throughout the game on Sunday night, the TV cameras regularly panned over to Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada in the stands. Fans are getting tired of the mistakes being made by the new-look board.
No matter how many reports come out about their ‘best-of-class’ leadership team, the facts are that they have made several high-profile errors that have cost the club time and money during their time in charge so far.
Wilcox’s comments from earlier in the season, saying that he tends to interfere with managers, have not gone down well with fans after Ruben Amorim’s exit.
When the United executive arrived at Old Trafford on the weekend ahead of the game, United fans booed him as he entered the stadium, showcasing the general feeling towards the hierarchy right now.
Fletcher is right about situation
Following on from the FA Cup defeat, interim boss Darren Fletcher explained how fans were within their rights to be frustrated with the club at the moment.
“Fans weren’t happy at the end but they’ve got every right to air their grievances and I don’t think it was toxic by any stretch of the imagination, so they showed their disappointment and they have every right to do that.” he stated.
“The fans have supported the team for a long, long time and got behind them. Old Trafford is an amazing atmosphere.
“They went out of the cup today so understandably they are disappointed but I’m sure if the players show the right reaction, the fans will get behind them like they always do.”
For Wilcox, this should also be a reminder that he will be supported once he starts making good decisions that benefit the club. Until that happens, he should expect frosty encounters to continue at Old Trafford.
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