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Iturns out he endured a loss to lower-league opposition. Survive a decisive European final versus a particularly poor Tottenham teams in living memory. He could survive losing at home to domestic rivals, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, laying waste to the team's most promising homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the poorest the club has ever seen. But there was a single opponent against whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to tango. You come at the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous top-flight defender in Blackburn’s title-winning 1994-95 season, Amorim took on Jason Wilcox and appears to have failed. Even the most casual observer can see the irony here: a coach who frequently berated at his players for losing one-on-one duels succumbing in the face of the intense pressure and formidable presence of a England's top division's most feared football executives.

In truth, this whole bruising episode seems to paint the director in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been easy, given his nine months of experience with the Saints, to regard Jason Wilcox as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: an individual who owed his position as much to his friendship with his former boss Omar Berrada as any demonstrable skill. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outsmarting United’s feted manager, just as he bested the hapless Dan Ashworth before him, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated to be among the sport’s strategic masterminds: a tactical intellect that the club's mid-table rivals will now be justifiably concerned.

The Strategic Conflict Over Formation and Philosophy

For example, this was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the leadership that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim in the first place, played a key role in attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his beloved formation. Naturally, these entreaties faced pushback. But perhaps such directives carry more weight when issued from the mouth with the unimpeachable soccer background he possesses, holder of three England caps and a role in a title-winning side decades past.

Perhaps in time he might agree to explain his reasoning publicly. Maybe one day questions may arise why Amorim is departing with full compensation, without any penalty clause in place. The director seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – men like him – function at a level beyond our own mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, probably we would perceive is a series of high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Wanting is not quite equivalent to being prepared to comprehend it.

An Supreme Authority In Command

Naturally, in training our focus on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the true genius behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the commands of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has made very clear his desire for a back four. According to reports, the owner has also proposed deploying the forward in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for United to adopt data science and analytics. Per reports, in an executive meeting early in his investment, he announced that the team's approach of play “shall be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is an expert in this technical footballing stuff, leveraging his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he is immensely wealthy, and it is known, the wealthy are superior: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, simply better. Whom else would you trust to oversee a strategic plan of austerity, the building of a new stadium that looks similar to an abstract design, the acquisition of a new striker?

A Modern Soccer Order: Executives Above Coaches

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent in top-tier football. For decades, teams mistakenly delegated big footballing decisions to subordinate staff like managers, talent spotters – players themselves. Perhaps it was once feasible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with a philosophy and drive to join a club and implement their plan supported to fruition. But how many businesses have these guys established? How many mass redundancies have they managed? Better by far to invest genuine authority where it belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with impressive LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to decide the tactics in the boardroom and appoint a coach who can tailor their methods to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not responsible for the food, but still finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out of the box.

Nowadays, their job has become not about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the receptionist on the front desk, the visible figurehead for a club they can do little to change. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of very young players into Europe and wins domestic cups, and essentially gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his standing damaged while those individuals who appointed him live to blunder another day.

The Neoliberal Football: Responsibility Only for the Few

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this represents neoliberalism in action: the elevation of a gilded overclass who are infallible, whose decisions remain untouchable, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Hire the 3-4-3 coach and then dismiss them for using excessively that system. Bring in the process guy and later bin them for taking excessive time. And above all be grateful; for your modest increases in ticket costs, for the latest player acquisitions, for the reality that the adults – however well qualified – remain in control.