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Transpired the manager endured defeat by Grimsby. He weathered a decisive European final versus one of the worst Spurs sides for many years. He could survive home defeats to West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, his rigid approach, undermining the team's most promising academy products, a poor winning percentage, labeling his team the worst the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed a single opponent with whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to tango. If you challenge the sporting director, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, similar to numerous Premiership defender 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 irony here: a coach who often railed his squad for failing in individual battles crumbling when confronted by the intense pressure and formidable presence of one of the Premier League’s most feared sporting directors.

In truth, this entire bruising episode seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. It may have been tempting, based on his nine months in a similar role with the Saints, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a drudge in the United exoskeleton: an individual who owed his position as much to his close relationship with ex-colleague a fellow executive rather than any verifiable talent. How wrong we all were. By masterfully outmanoeuvring United’s feted head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate a previous executive before him, he has demonstrated to be among football's true generals: a tactical intellect of which the club's competitors are now rightly wary.

A Tactical Conflict Regarding System and Ideology

For example, this was the director , after being involved in the leadership that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach in the first place, played a key role in trying to persuade him to abandon his beloved 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties faced pushback. But perhaps such directives hold greater authority when delivered by a man of a man the unimpeachable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, a veteran of international appearances and a role in a title-winning side decades past.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox might agree to outline his thought processes publicly. Maybe one day questions may arise regarding why the coach is walking away with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause activated. But Jason Wilcox speaks rarely in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate at a level exceeding our prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, most likely all we would hear is a series of ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Wanting is not quite equivalent to being prepared to receive.

An Ultimate Power Behind the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we are obscuring the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, after all, merely executing the commands of his line manager Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has emphasized his desire for a four-man defense. According to reports, the owner has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to embrace data science and analytics. Per reports, during a leadership summit early in his minority ownership, he declared that the team's approach to football “will be determined in this room”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in this technical footballing stuff, leveraging his previous experience in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he is immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, more wise, more tactically astute, simply superior. Whom else would you trust to oversee a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the construction of a new stadium that appears a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

The Modern Soccer Order: Executives Above Coaches

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent in top-tier football. For decades, teams mistakenly delegated big footballing decisions to subordinate staff such as coaches, talent spotters – players themselves. Perhaps it was once feasible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with ideas and energy to join a club and see their vision supported to fruition. Yet how many businesses have these guys established? What number of mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to invest genuine authority where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the guys with impressive professional resumes. Better by far to determine the tactics in the boardroom and hire a coach who will adapt their offering to suit. If coaches were once chefs, they are now more like delivery personnel: not responsible for the product, but still finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, a coach's role is increasingly not about defining the vision and more about selling it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the public face for a club they have minimal power to influence. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of very young players into the Champions League and secures domestic cups, and effectively is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined whereas the people who hired him live to blunder indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Football: Responsibility for the Few

And possibly on some microcosmic level this represents neoliberalism at work: the elevation of a privileged elite who can never be wrong, whose decisions remain untouchable, whose errors can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach only to dismiss them for playing excessively that system. Bring in the project manager and later bin him for taking excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for your new summer signings, for the reality that the adults – however well qualified – are in charge.