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Iturns out Ruben Amorim endured losing against lower-league opposition. He weathered losing a crucial European final versus one of the worst Tottenham teams in living memory. He could survive losing at home to West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, his rigid approach, undermining the team's most promising homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, labeling his team the poorest in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary with whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to dance. If you challenge the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous top-flight defender in Blackburn’s championship 1994-95 season, the coach took on Jason Wilcox and seems to have failed. The most casual observer will notice the paradoxical situation: a coach who often railed 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 whole bruising episode seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. It may have been easy, based on his nine months in a similar role at Southampton, to view him as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man whose appointment was due largely to his friendship with ex-colleague a fellow executive as any demonstrable skill. How mistaken everyone was. By masterfully outmanoeuvring United’s feted head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate a previous executive before him, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated to be among the sport’s true generals: a strategic mind that United’s mid-table rivals are now rightly wary.

A Strategic Conflict Over System & Ideology

For example, it was Jason Wilcox , after being involved in the leadership that hired the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim 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 carry more weight when issued by a man of a man the unimpeachable soccer background of Jason Wilcox, a veteran of three England caps and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox might agree to outline his thought processes to the rest of us. Maybe one day questions may arise regarding why the coach is walking away with full compensation, with no penalty clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals of this sport – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate at a level beyond our own prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, most likely all we would hear is a series of ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not quite the same as being prepared to receive.

The Supreme Power In Command

But of course, in training our focus on the sporting director we are obscuring the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, after all, merely executing the directives of his superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has made very clear his preference for a back four. According to reports, Ratcliffe has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to embrace analytics and analytics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting early in his investment, he announced that the team's approach of play “will be decided by this group”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is a specialist in these intricate footballing stuff, drawing from his previous experience in petrochemicals and sailing. Most importantly he remains incredibly rich, and it is known, the rich are superior: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, simply better. Whom else would you trust to manage an enlightened programme of austerity, the construction of a modern arena that looks a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

A Modern Football Hierarchy: Executives Over Managers

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels football. Historically, clubs foolishly entrusted big footballing decisions to low-level employees such as coaches, scouts – players themselves. Maybe previously possible for a young, innovative manager with ideas and drive 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? Better by far to invest genuine authority where it rightly belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. It is wiser to determine the strategy by the directors and hire someone who will adapt their offering accordingly. If coaches were formerly chefs, they are now more like delivery personnel: not responsible for the food, but still finally accountable if it arrives poorly or leaks out of the box.

In the meantime, a coach's role is increasingly less about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the receptionist on the front desk, the public face for a club they have minimal power to influence. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players into Europe and secures domestic cups, and essentially is dismissed for speaking out. A manager at Celtic finds his standing damaged while the people who appointed him live to blunder another day.

The Neoliberal Game: Responsibility Only for the Few

And possibly in a small way this is simply neoliberalism in action: the rise of a gilded elite who can never be wrong, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose mistakes can always be resolved by sacking without justification. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach only to fire them for playing too much that system. Bring in the project manager and then discard him for requiring excessive time. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.