Overview

• Speaking at a gala event, Manchester United’s director of football publicly asked Sir Jim Ratcliffe for the opportunity to finish the long-term rebuild, insisting the club will win again.
• Ratcliffe visited Carrington this week to discuss form and review team data with Ruben Amorim, who said he felt supported by ownership after the meeting.
• United have taken four points from their first four league games following last season’s 15th-place finish, with a Carabao Cup upset against Grimsby adding to early pressure.
• Wilcox framed the summer as a culture reset and goal-fix, with more than £200m spent on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and goalkeeper Senne Lammens, plus youth additions.
• High-profile departures were pursued from Amorim’s ‘bomb squad’, with Antony sold to Real Betis, Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea, and season-long loans for Jadon Sancho to Aston Villa and Marcus Rashford to Barcelona, leaving only Tyrell Malacia from that group.