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Transpired Ruben Amorim was able to withstand defeat by Grimsby. Survive an important European final versus one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood losing at home against domestic rivals, a lowly league position, his rigid approach, laying waste to the team's best homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, labeling his team the worst the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed a single opponent with whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to tango. If you challenge the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, like many a top-flight right-back in Blackburn’s championship 1994-95 season, the coach took on the executive and appears to have missed. The most casual observer can see the irony here: a coach who frequently berated at his players 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 sporting directors.

In truth, this entire bruising episode seems to paint the director in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been tempting, based on his nine months of experience with the Saints, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a functionary within the club's structure: an individual whose appointment was due largely to his friendship with ex-colleague a fellow executive as any demonstrable skill. How wrong we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, he has proved himself to be among football's true generals: a tactical intellect that United’s mid-table rivals will now be rightly wary.

A Tactical Conflict Over Formation & Philosophy

To illustrate, this 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 ditch his favored formation. Naturally, these pleas were resisted. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when delivered from the mouth of a man the impeccable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, holder of international appearances and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he may be persuaded to outline his thought processes to the rest of us. Maybe one day questions may arise why Amorim is departing with full compensation, without any compensation reduction clause activated. But Jason Wilcox speaks rarely publicly, for excellent reasons. The true intellectuals in football – men like him – function on a plane exceeding our mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, most likely we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not quite equivalent to being prepared to comprehend it.

The Supreme Authority In the Throne

But of course, in training our focus on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the directives of his superior the billionaire owner, who privately has emphasized his preference for a four-man defense. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also proposed deploying the forward as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to adopt analytics and analytics. Per reports, during a leadership summit early in his investment, he declared that United’s style of play “will be decided in this room”.

After all, Sir Jim is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, drawing from his previous experience in industry and sailing. Above all he is incredibly rich, and it is known, the wealthy are superior: more insightful, more wise, more tactically astute, simply better. Whom else could one trust to manage a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a new stadium that looks similar to an abstract design, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

A Modern Football Order: Executives Over Managers

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent in top-tier football. Historically, clubs foolishly entrusted big footballing decisions to low-level employees such as coaches, talent spotters – players themselves. Maybe previously possible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with a philosophy and energy to join a club and implement their plan through to completion. But how many companies have such individuals set up? How many large-scale layoffs have they overseen? Far preferable to invest the real power where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the tactics in the boardroom and appoint someone who will adapt their offering to suit. If managers were once chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not creating the food, but still ultimately answerable should it be delivered poorly or fails of the box.

Nowadays, a coach's role is increasingly less about defining the vision and more about selling it: the receptionist of the operation, the visible figurehead for a club they can do little to influence. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of very young players into Europe and wins domestic cups, and effectively gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his standing damaged while those individuals who appointed him live to blunder indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Football: Accountability Only for the Coaches

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this is simply corporate governance in action: the rise of a gilded elite who can never be wrong, whose choices remain untouchable, whose mistakes can always be sacked away without justification. Appoint the system coach only to fire them for playing too much 3-4-3. Hire the project manager and then discard them for taking excessive time. And above all be grateful; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for your new player acquisitions, for the fact that the adults – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.