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Itranspired Ruben Amorim was able to withstand losing against lower-league opposition. Survive an important continental showpiece against one of the worst Spurs sides for many years. He could survive losing at home against West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, squandering some of the club’s best academy products, a poor winning percentage, calling his team the poorest in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary with whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to engage. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous top-flight defender during Blackburn Rovers' championship campaign, the coach came at the executive and seems to have missed. The most casual observer will notice the paradoxical situation: a manager who often railed his squad for failing in one-on-one duels succumbing when confronted by the white heat and animal charisma of one of England's top division's most intimidating football executives.

And frankly, this whole painful saga seems to paint the director in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been easy, given his nine months in a similar role with the Saints, to regard Jason Wilcox as merely a drudge within the club's structure: an individual whose appointment was due as much to his friendship with his former boss Omar Berrada rather than any verifiable talent. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outsmarting the club's celebrated head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless a previous executive before him, Jason Wilcox has proved himself to be among football's true generals: a strategic mind of which United’s mid-table rivals are now justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Clash Over System & Philosophy

For example, it was the director who having been part of the leadership that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach in the first place, played a key role in attempting to convince him to ditch his favored 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these pleas met a certain resistance. But perhaps these judgements hold greater authority when delivered from the mouth of a man the unimpeachable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, a veteran of international appearances and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox might agree to outline his thought processes publicly. Perhaps at some point questions may arise why Amorim is departing with full compensation, without any penalty clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, for excellent reasons. The true intellectuals in football – individuals such as him – simply operate at a level beyond our own mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, probably all we would hear would be high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not the same as being prepared to receive.

The Supreme Authority In the Throne

But of course, in training our focus on the sporting director we overlook the true genius behind the modern United throne. The director is, in reality, merely executing the commands of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has emphasized his desire for a back four. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for United to adopt data science and metrics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting soon after his investment, he declared that United’s style of play “shall be determined in this room”.

After all, Sir Jim is an expert in this technical footballing stuff, leveraging his previous experience in petrochemicals and yachting. Most importantly he is incredibly rich, and it is known, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, simply superior. Who else would you trust to oversee an enlightened programme of austerity, the building of a modern arena that appears a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the acquisition of a new striker?

The Modern Soccer Hierarchy: Executives Over Managers

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels football. Historically, teams mistakenly entrusted big footballing decisions to low-level employees like managers, talent spotters – players themselves. Maybe previously possible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with ideas and drive to go into an organization and implement their plan supported to fruition. Yet how many businesses have such individuals established? What number of mass redundancies have they managed? Far preferable to place genuine authority where it rightly belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the guys with impressive professional resumes. It is wiser to determine the tactics in the boardroom and hire someone who can tailor their methods to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they are now more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not responsible for the food, but still ultimately answerable if it arrives poorly or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, their job is increasingly less about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the public face of an organisation they can do little to change. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of very young players into Europe and secures domestic cups, and effectively gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy sees his standing damaged whereas the people who hired him continue to make errors indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Football: Responsibility for the Few

And possibly in a small way this represents neoliberalism in action: the rise of a privileged overclass who are infallible, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose errors can always be sacked away without justification. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach and then fire him for using too much 3-4-3. Hire the process guy and later discard them for taking too long. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for your new player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.