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Iturns out the manager could survive a loss to lower-league opposition. Survive a decisive European final against one of the worst Tottenham teams for many years. He could survive home defeats to domestic rivals, finishing 15th, the tactical inflexibility, undermining some of the club’s most promising homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, labeling his team the poorest in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed a single opponent against whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to engage. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous Premiership defender in Blackburn’s title-winning 1994-95 season, Amorim took on the executive and seems to have missed. The most distracted of readers can see the irony here: a manager who often railed his squad for failing in one-on-one duels crumbling in the face of the white heat and formidable presence of a the Premier League’s most intimidating football executives.

And frankly, this entire bruising episode appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. It may have been easy, given his brief stint of experience with the Saints, to view Jason Wilcox as little more than a functionary in the United exoskeleton: an individual whose appointment was due as much to his close relationship with ex-colleague a fellow executive rather than any verifiable talent. How wrong everyone was. By masterfully outsmarting United’s feted head coach, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, he has demonstrated to be among football's true generals: a tactical intellect that United’s mid-table rivals are now rightly wary.

The Strategic Conflict Regarding System & Philosophy

For example, this was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the leadership that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach in the first place, played a key role in attempting to convince him to abandon his beloved formation. Naturally, these entreaties were resisted. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when delivered by a man with the unimpeachable football pedigree he possesses, a veteran of international appearances and a role in a championship team decades past.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to explain his reasoning to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point questions may arise regarding why the coach is departing with a full payout, with no penalty clause in place. But Jason Wilcox speaks rarely publicly, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers in football – men like him – simply operate on a plane exceeding our prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, probably all we would hear is a series of high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not quite equivalent to being ready to comprehend it.

The Supreme Power Behind the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the modern United throne. The director is, in reality, merely executing the directives of his superior the billionaire owner, who in private has made very clear his desire for a four-man defense. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to adopt data science and metrics. Per reports, in an executive meeting early in his investment, he declared that the team's approach to football “shall be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is an expert in these intricate football matters, leveraging his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he is incredibly rich, and it is known, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, more wise, more tactically astute, fundamentally superior. Whom else could one trust to manage a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a new stadium that looks a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the acquisition of a new striker?

The Modern Soccer Hierarchy: Executives Above Coaches

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels football. Historically, teams mistakenly entrusted major sporting choices to subordinate staff such as coaches, talent spotters – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with a philosophy and energy to join an organization and implement their plan supported to fruition. Yet how many businesses have these guys set up? What number of large-scale layoffs have they managed? Far preferable to invest the real power where it belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to decide the strategy by the directors and hire someone who can tailor their offering accordingly. If coaches were formerly chefs, they are now more like delivery personnel: not responsible for the product, but still ultimately answerable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out of the box.

In the meantime, a coach's role has become not about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the receptionist of the operation, the visible figurehead for a club they can do little to influence. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of very young players into the Champions League and secures two medium-sized trophies, and essentially gets sacked for talking. A manager at Celtic finds his reputation ruined whereas the people who appointed him live to blunder indefinitely.

The Neoliberal Football: Responsibility Only for the Coaches

And possibly on some microcosmic level this is simply corporate governance at work: the rise of a gilded elite who can never be wrong, whose decisions remain sacrosanct, whose errors can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach only to dismiss him for using too much 3-4-3. Bring in the process guy and later bin him for taking excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for your modest season ticket price rises, for your new summer signings, for the reality that the adults – however well qualified – remain in control.