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Itranspired Ruben Amorim was able to withstand defeat by lower-league opposition. Survive losing a crucial continental showpiece versus a particularly poor Tottenham teams for many years. He could survive home defeats against West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, squandering some of the club’s best academy products, a poor winning percentage, labeling the squad the poorest the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed one adversary against whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to tango. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, like many a top-flight right-back during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning campaign, the coach took on Jason Wilcox and seems to have missed. Even the most casual observer can see the paradoxical situation: a coach who often railed at his players for failing in individual battles succumbing in the face of the intense pressure and formidable presence of one of the Premier League’s most feared sporting directors.

In truth, this entire painful saga seems to paint the director in a different perspective. It may have been easy, given his brief stint in a similar role at Southampton, to view him as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position as much to his close relationship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada as any verifiable talent. How wrong everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive before him, he has demonstrated as one of the sport’s true generals: a tactical intellect that the club's competitors will now be justifiably concerned.

A Tactical Clash Regarding System & Philosophy

For example, it was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the hierarchy that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to ditch his beloved 3-4-3. Naturally, these pleas faced pushback. But perhaps these judgements hold greater authority when issued from the mouth with the unimpeachable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, holder of three England caps and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox might agree to outline his thought processes publicly. Perhaps at some point questions may arise regarding why the coach is departing with a full payout, without any penalty clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals in football – individuals such as him – simply operate at a level exceeding our prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, most likely all we would hear would be ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Wanting is not equivalent to being ready to receive.

The Ultimate Power Behind the Throne

Naturally, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, after all, merely executing the directives of his line manager Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has emphasized his preference for a four-man defense. According to reports, the owner has also proposed deploying the forward in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to adopt analytics and metrics. Per reports, during a leadership summit soon after his minority ownership, he announced that the team's approach to football “will be determined by this group”.

After all, Sir Jim is an expert in this technical football matters, leveraging his background in industry and yachting. Above all he remains immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, more wise, more tactically astute, fundamentally superior. Whom else would you trust to manage a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a new stadium that appears similar to an abstract design, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

The New Football Order: Executives Over Managers

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent in top-tier football. For decades, clubs foolishly entrusted major sporting choices to subordinate staff such as coaches, talent spotters – even footballers. Maybe previously feasible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with ideas and drive to join an organization and implement their plan supported to fruition. But how many businesses have these guys established? What number of large-scale layoffs have they managed? Far preferable to place the real power where it belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the guys with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. Better by far to determine the strategy in the boardroom and appoint someone who can tailor their offering accordingly. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not creating the food, yet finally accountable if it arrives poorly or leaks out to meet standards.

Nowadays, their job has become not about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the public face of an organisation they have minimal power to change. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of literal children into the Champions League and secures two medium-sized trophies, and essentially gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his standing damaged while the people who appointed him live to blunder another day.

The Neoliberal Game: Accountability Only for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this is simply corporate governance in action: the rise of a privileged overclass who can never be wrong, whose choices remain untouchable, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Appoint the system coach and then fire him for using excessively 3-4-3. Bring in the project manager and then bin him for requiring too long. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – however well qualified – remain in control.