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Iturns out Ruben Amorim was able to withstand defeat by lower-league opposition. Survive an important European final against one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood home defeats to West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, his rigid approach, undermining the team's most promising academy products, the 32% win rate, labeling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. But there was a single opponent against whom the Portuguese coach would not be allowed to tango. You come at Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, like many a top-flight right-back during Blackburn Rovers' championship 1994-95 season, the coach came at Jason Wilcox and seems to have failed. Even the most casual observer will notice the irony here: a coach who often railed his squad for failing in individual battles crumbling when confronted by the intense pressure and animal charisma of one of the Premier League’s most intimidating sporting directors.

And frankly, this whole painful saga appears to portray the director in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been easy, given his nine months of experience at Southampton, to regard him as little more than a drudge within the club's structure: a man whose appointment was due largely to his friendship with his former boss a fellow executive as any demonstrable skill. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, he has proved himself as one of football's true generals: a tactical intellect that United’s competitors are now rightly wary.

The Tactical Clash Over System & Philosophy

For example, this was Jason Wilcox , after having been part of the leadership that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach originally, played a key role in attempting to convince Amorim to ditch his favored formation. Unsurprisingly, these pleas faced pushback. However, these judgements hold greater authority when issued by a man with the impeccable soccer background he possesses, holder of international appearances and a contributor to a championship team decades past.

Perhaps in time he may be persuaded to outline his thought processes publicly. Maybe one day he might be asked why Amorim is departing with a full payout, with no compensation reduction clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – men like him – function at a level beyond our own prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, probably all we would hear would be ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not the same as being ready to receive.

The Ultimate Authority Behind the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the real power behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, after all, merely executing the directives of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has emphasized his desire for a back four. According to reports, Ratcliffe has also proposed deploying the forward as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for United to adopt data science and analytics. Per reports, in an executive meeting soon after his investment, he declared that United’s style of play “will be determined by this group”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in this technical football matters, drawing from his background in industry and sailing. Most importantly he is immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the wealthy are superior: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, fundamentally better. Whom else could one trust to manage an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the building of a modern arena that looks a lot like an abstract design, the signing of a new striker?

The Modern Football Hierarchy: Executives Above Managers

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels football. Historically, teams mistakenly entrusted major sporting choices to low-level employees like managers, talent spotters – even footballers. Maybe previously possible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with a philosophy and energy to go into an organization and see their vision through to completion. But how many companies have these guys set up? What number of large-scale layoffs have they overseen? Far preferable to place genuine authority where it rightly belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the guys with impressive LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the tactics by the directors and hire someone who will adapt their methods accordingly. If coaches were once chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not creating the food, but still ultimately answerable if it arrives cold or leaks out to meet standards.

In the meantime, a coach's role 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 can do little to change. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of literal children into the Champions League and secures two medium-sized trophies, and effectively gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his standing damaged whereas those individuals who appointed him live to blunder indefinitely.

The Neoliberal 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 choices are always sacrosanct, whose errors can always be resolved by sacking without explanation. Hire the 3-4-3 coach and then fire him for playing too much 3-4-3. Bring in the process guy and then bin him for taking too long. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the fact that the adults – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.