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Itranspired the manager could survive a loss to Grimsby. Survive losing a crucial continental showpiece versus one of the worst Tottenham teams in living memory. He could survive home defeats against domestic rivals, finishing 15th, the tactical inflexibility, squandering the team's most promising academy products, the 32% win rate, labeling his team the poorest the club has ever seen. But there was one adversary with whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to tango. You come at Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous top-flight right-back in Blackburn’s championship campaign, Amorim took on the executive and appears to have failed. The most casual observer will notice the paradoxical situation: a manager who frequently berated his squad for failing in individual battles succumbing in the face of the intense pressure and formidable presence of a England's top division's most intimidating sporting directors.

In truth, this whole painful saga appears to portray the director in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been easy, based on his nine months of experience with the Saints, to regard Jason Wilcox as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man whose appointment was due largely to his friendship with his former boss a fellow executive rather than any demonstrable skill. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring United’s feted head coach, just as he bested the hapless a previous executive earlier, he has demonstrated as one of the sport’s strategic masterminds: a tactical intellect of which the club's mid-table rivals are now justifiably concerned.

The Tactical Clash Regarding System and Philosophy

For example, this was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the hierarchy that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach originally, played a key role in attempting to convince him to abandon his beloved 3-4-3. Naturally, these entreaties were resisted. However, these judgements hold greater authority when delivered by a man of a man the impeccable soccer background of Jason Wilcox, holder of international appearances and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to outline his reasoning to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked regarding why the coach is walking away with full compensation, with no penalty clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The real thinkers in football – men like Jason Wilcox – function on a plane beyond our own prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, probably we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not equivalent to being ready to receive.

The Ultimate Authority In Command

But of course, in training our focus on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the true genius behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, after all, merely executing the directives of his superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has emphasized his preference for a back four. According to reports, Ratcliffe has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for United to adopt data science and analytics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit soon after his minority ownership, he announced that United’s style of play “will be decided by this group”.

After all, Ratcliffe is a specialist in these intricate football matters, drawing from his previous experience in petrochemicals and yachting. Above all he is incredibly rich, and as we all know, the wealthy are superior: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, fundamentally better. Whom else would you trust to manage a strategic plan of austerity, the building of a modern arena that looks a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of a new striker?

A Modern Soccer Order: Executives Above Managers

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent in top-tier of the game. For decades, teams mistakenly entrusted big footballing decisions to low-level employees like managers, scouts – even footballers. Perhaps it was once feasible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with ideas and drive to go into a club and see their vision through to completion. Yet how many businesses have such individuals set up? How many mass redundancies have they managed? Better by far to place genuine authority where it belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. Better by far to decide the strategy by the directors and appoint a coach who can tailor their methods accordingly. If coaches were once chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not really responsible for the product, but still finally accountable if it arrives poorly or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, their job has become less about defining the vision and more about selling it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the public face for a club they can do little to change. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players into Europe and secures domestic cups, and essentially gets sacked for speaking out. A manager at Celtic finds his reputation ruined whereas those individuals who appointed him live to blunder indefinitely.

The Modern Corporate Football: Accountability Only for the Coaches

And possibly in a small way this is simply neoliberalism at work: the elevation of a privileged overclass who can never be wrong, whose decisions remain untouchable, whose errors can invariably be sacked away without justification. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach only to fire them for playing too much 3-4-3. Hire the project manager and later bin them for taking too long. And above all show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for your new summer signings, for the fact that the adults – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.