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Turns out Ruben Amorim endured a loss to lower-league opposition. He weathered losing a crucial continental showpiece versus one of the worst Spurs sides for many years. He could survive losing at home to domestic rivals, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, undermining the team's most promising academy products, the 32% win rate, labeling the squad the worst the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed a single opponent with whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to tango. You come at Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous Premiership defender during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning 1994-95 season, the coach came at Jason Wilcox and seems to have missed. The most casual observer can see the irony here: a manager who often railed his squad for failing in individual battles crumbling when confronted by the intense pressure and formidable presence of a the Premier League’s most intimidating sporting directors.

In truth, this entire painful saga seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been tempting, based on his nine months in a similar role with the Saints, to regard him as merely a functionary within the club's structure: an individual who owed his position as much to his friendship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada rather than any demonstrable skill. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring United’s feted head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate Dan Ashworth earlier, he has demonstrated to be among football's true generals: a strategic mind that United’s competitors are now rightly wary.

The Strategic Clash Over System & Ideology

To illustrate, it was Jason Wilcox , after being involved in the leadership that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim in the first place, was instrumental in attempting to convince him to abandon his beloved formation. Naturally, these entreaties faced pushback. However, such directives hold greater authority when delivered by a man of a man the unimpeachable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, holder of three England caps and a role in a championship team decades past.

Perhaps in time he might agree to explain his thought processes to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point questions may arise why Amorim is departing with a full payout, with no penalty clause in place. The director seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals of this sport – men like him – function on a plane beyond our own mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, probably all we would hear is a series of ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not equivalent to being ready to receive.

The Ultimate Power Behind the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, after all, simply carrying out the commands of his line manager Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has made very clear his desire for a four-man defense. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for the club to adopt analytics and metrics. Per reports, in an executive meeting early in his minority ownership, he declared that United’s style of play “will be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in this technical footballing stuff, leveraging his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Most importantly he is incredibly rich, and it is known, the wealthy are the best of us: more perceptive, more wise, more tactically astute, fundamentally better. Who else could one trust to manage a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the construction of a modern arena that looks similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

A Modern Soccer Hierarchy: Executives Above Coaches

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent in top-tier of the game. For decades, teams mistakenly entrusted major sporting choices to low-level employees like managers, talent spotters – even footballers. Maybe previously possible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with ideas and energy to go into an organization and see their vision supported to fruition. But how many companies have these guys set up? What number of large-scale layoffs have they managed? Far preferable to place the real power where it belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the strategy by the directors and hire a coach who can tailor their offering accordingly. If coaches were formerly chefs, they are now more akin to delivery personnel: not really creating the food, but still ultimately answerable if it arrives poorly or leaks out of the box.

Nowadays, a coach's role is increasingly less about defining the vision 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. Enzo Maresca leads a team of literal children into Europe and secures two medium-sized trophies, and effectively gets sacked for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his standing damaged whereas the people who hired him continue to make errors indefinitely.

A Modern Corporate Game: Responsibility for the Few

And possibly on some microcosmic level this represents neoliberalism at work: the rise of a privileged elite who can never be wrong, whose decisions remain sacrosanct, whose mistakes can invariably be resolved by sacking without explanation. Appoint the system coach only to dismiss him for playing excessively 3-4-3. Bring in the project manager and later discard them for requiring excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for your modest increases in ticket costs, for your new summer signings, for the fact that the grownups – however well qualified – are in charge.