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Itranspired Ruben Amorim endured a loss to Grimsby. Survive a decisive European final against a particularly poor Tottenham teams for many years. He withstood losing at home to West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, his rigid approach, undermining some of the club’s most promising academy products, the 32% win rate, labeling the squad the poorest in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary against whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to dance. If you challenge the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous Premiership defender in Blackburn’s title-winning campaign, Amorim took on Jason Wilcox and seems to have missed. The most distracted of readers can see the paradoxical situation: a manager who often railed at his players for losing one-on-one duels crumbling in the face of the white heat and animal charisma of a the Premier League’s most intimidating football executives.

In truth, this entire bruising episode appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. It may have been tempting, based on his nine months in a similar role at Southampton, to regard Jason Wilcox as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position as much to his friendship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada rather than any verifiable talent. How wrong we all were. By masterfully outsmarting United’s feted manager, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate Dan Ashworth earlier, Jason Wilcox has proved himself as one of the sport’s true generals: a strategic mind of which the club's competitors will now be rightly wary.

The Tactical Clash Regarding Formation & Ideology

To illustrate, this was the director , after having been part of the leadership that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach originally, was instrumental in trying to persuade him to ditch his favored 3-4-3. Naturally, these entreaties met a certain resistance. However, these judgements hold greater authority when delivered from the mouth of a man the impeccable soccer background of Jason Wilcox, a veteran of international appearances and a contributor to a championship team from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox might agree to explain his thought processes publicly. Perhaps at some point he might be asked why Amorim is walking away with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause in place. But Jason Wilcox speaks rarely in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – men like Jason Wilcox – function at a level beyond our own prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, most likely we would perceive would be high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not quite the same as being ready to receive.

An Ultimate Power Behind Command

Naturally, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the true genius behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, after all, merely executing the directives of his line manager the billionaire owner, who in private has made very clear his desire for a four-man defense. It is reported, the owner has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for the club to embrace data science and metrics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting early in his investment, he declared that United’s style of play “shall be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is an expert in these intricate football matters, drawing from his background in industry and yachting. Most importantly he remains incredibly rich, and it is known, the rich are superior: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, simply better. Who else could one trust to oversee a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a modern arena that looks similar to an abstract design, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

The Modern Football Hierarchy: Directors Over Managers

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent in top-tier of the game. Historically, teams mistakenly entrusted big footballing decisions to low-level employees like managers, talent spotters – even footballers. Perhaps it was once feasible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with a philosophy and energy to go into an organization and see their vision through to completion. But how many businesses have these guys set up? What number of large-scale layoffs have they overseen? Better by far to invest genuine authority where it belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. It is wiser to decide the strategy in the boardroom and appoint a coach who will adapt their methods accordingly. If managers were formerly chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not really responsible for the food, yet finally accountable if it arrives cold or leaks out of the box.

In the meantime, a coach's role is increasingly less about defining the vision and more about selling it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the public face for a club they have minimal power to influence. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of literal children into the Champions League and secures domestic cups, and essentially is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined while those individuals who hired him continue to make errors indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Football: Accountability Only for the Coaches

And possibly on some microcosmic level this represents neoliberalism in action: the elevation of a privileged elite who can never be wrong, whose decisions remain sacrosanct, whose mistakes can always be sacked away without explanation. Hire the 3-4-3 coach and then dismiss him for playing too much 3-4-3. Bring in the process guy and later discard them for requiring too long. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for the latest summer signings, for the fact that the adults – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.