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Tbecame clear he could survive a loss to Grimsby. He weathered a decisive continental showpiece against a particularly poor Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood losing at home against domestic rivals, a lowly league position, the tactical inflexibility, laying waste to some of the club’s most promising homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, labeling his team the worst the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed one adversary with whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to tango. If you challenge the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, like many a top-flight right-back during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning 1994-95 season, Amorim came at the executive and seems to have missed. The most casual observer will notice the irony here: a manager who frequently berated his squad for failing in individual battles succumbing when confronted by the intense pressure and animal charisma of a the Premier League’s most feared football executives.

And frankly, this whole painful saga appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been tempting, based on his nine months in a similar role at Southampton, to regard him as merely a functionary within the club's structure: an individual whose appointment was due largely to his close relationship with his former boss a fellow executive as any verifiable talent. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, he has proved himself to be among the sport’s strategic masterminds: a tactical intellect that United’s mid-table rivals are now rightly wary.

A Strategic Conflict Over Formation & Ideology

For example, this was Jason Wilcox , after having been part of the hierarchy that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim in the first place, was instrumental in attempting to convince him to ditch his favored 3-4-3. Naturally, these entreaties met a certain resistance. But perhaps these judgements hold greater authority when issued from the mouth with the unimpeachable football pedigree he possesses, holder of international appearances and a role in a championship team from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually he might agree to outline his thought processes to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point questions may arise why Amorim is departing with a full payout, with no penalty clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers in football – individuals such as him – function at a level beyond our own mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, probably we would perceive would be ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not equivalent to being prepared to receive.

An Supreme Power Behind the Throne

But of course, in training our focus on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, after all, merely executing the directives of his superior the billionaire owner, who privately has emphasized his desire for a four-man defense. It is reported, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to adopt data science and metrics. Per reports, during a leadership summit early in his minority ownership, he announced that the team's approach of play “shall be determined by this group”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is an expert in this technical football matters, drawing from his background in petrochemicals and yachting. Most importantly he is incredibly rich, and it is known, the wealthy are superior: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, fundamentally superior. Whom else could one trust to manage a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a modern arena that appears a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

A Modern Soccer Order: Executives Above Coaches

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing in top-tier of the game. For decades, clubs foolishly entrusted major sporting choices to low-level employees like managers, talent spotters – even footballers. Maybe previously feasible for a young, innovative manager with ideas and energy to go into a club and implement their plan through to completion. But how many companies have these guys set up? How many large-scale layoffs have they overseen? Better by far 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 decide the tactics by the directors and appoint someone who will adapt their offering to suit. If managers were once chefs, they are now 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, their job is increasingly less about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the public face of an organisation they can do little to influence. A coach at Chelsea takes a squad of very young players into Europe and secures domestic cups, and effectively is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined while the people who appointed him continue to make errors indefinitely.

The Modern Corporate Game: Responsibility Only for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this is simply neoliberalism at work: the elevation of a gilded elite who are infallible, whose choices are always sacrosanct, whose errors can always be resolved by sacking without explanation. Hire the system coach only to dismiss him for playing too much 3-4-3. Bring in the process guy and later discard them for taking excessive time. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for the latest player acquisitions, for the fact that the adults – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.