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Itranspired Ruben Amorim was able to withstand defeat by lower-league opposition. Survive losing a crucial European final against one of the worst Tottenham teams for many years. He withstood losing at home against West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, his rigid approach, undermining some of the club’s most promising homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, labeling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary with whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to dance. You come at Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, like many a Premiership defender in Blackburn’s championship campaign, Amorim took on the executive and appears to have failed. Even the most casual observer can see the irony here: a coach who often railed his squad for losing individual battles succumbing in the face of the white heat and formidable presence of a England's top division's most intimidating sporting directors.

And frankly, this whole painful saga seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been tempting, based on his nine months of experience at Southampton, to view him as merely a functionary within the club's structure: an individual who owed his position as much to his close relationship with his former boss a fellow executive as any demonstrable skill. How mistaken everyone was. By masterfully outmanoeuvring United’s feted manager, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, he has proved himself as one of the sport’s strategic masterminds: a tactical intellect that United’s mid-table rivals are now justifiably concerned.

The Strategic Conflict Over System & Ideology

To illustrate, this was the director who having been part of the leadership that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach in the first place, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his beloved 3-4-3. Naturally, these pleas were resisted. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when delivered by a man of a man the impeccable soccer background he possesses, holder of three England caps and a role in a championship team decades past.

Maybe eventually he may be persuaded to outline his reasoning publicly. Perhaps at some point questions may arise why Amorim is departing with a full payout, without any penalty clause in place. The director seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – individuals such as him – function on a plane exceeding our mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, probably all we would hear is a series of ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not quite the same as being prepared to comprehend it.

An Ultimate Authority In the Throne

But of course, in training our focus on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the club's current leadership. The director is, in reality, simply carrying out the directives of his ultimate line manager the billionaire owner, who in private has made very clear his preference for a four-man defense. It is reported, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to embrace data science and analytics. Per reports, during a leadership summit soon after his minority ownership, he declared that United’s style of play “will be decided by this group”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, drawing from his previous experience in industry and sailing. Most importantly he remains incredibly rich, and as we all know, the rich are the best of us: more perceptive, sagacious, more tactically astute, fundamentally better. Who else would you trust to oversee an enlightened programme of austerity, the construction of a modern arena that looks a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

The Modern Football Order: Executives Over Managers

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent in top-tier of the game. Historically, clubs foolishly entrusted major sporting choices to low-level employees such as coaches, talent spotters – even footballers. Maybe previously feasible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with ideas and drive to join an organization and see their vision through to completion. Yet how many companies have such individuals set up? What number of mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to place genuine authority where it rightly belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the guys with impressive LinkedIn profiles. It is wiser to determine the tactics by the directors and hire a coach who will adapt their offering to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they are now more like delivery personnel: not responsible for the product, but still ultimately answerable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out to meet standards.

Nowadays, their job is increasingly less about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the visible figurehead for a club they have minimal power to change. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of very young players into Europe and secures domestic cups, and essentially gets sacked for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy finds his reputation ruined while the people who hired him live to blunder indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Game: Responsibility for the Coaches

And possibly in a small way this is simply neoliberalism at work: the elevation of a gilded elite who can never be wrong, whose choices are always untouchable, whose errors can invariably be resolved by sacking without explanation. Hire the 3-4-3 coach only to fire him for using too much that system. Bring in the project manager and then discard him for taking too long. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for the latest player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – however well qualified – are in charge.