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Turns out Ruben Amorim endured losing against Grimsby. Survive a decisive European final against a particularly poor Tottenham teams for many years. He withstood losing at home against domestic rivals, finishing 15th, the tactical inflexibility, laying waste to the team's best academy products, the 32% win rate, 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 Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, similar to numerous Premiership defender during Blackburn Rovers' championship 1994-95 season, the coach came at the executive and seems to have failed. Even the most casual observer will notice the irony here: a manager who frequently berated his squad for losing one-on-one duels crumbling when confronted by the white heat and animal charisma of one of the Premier League’s most intimidating sporting directors.

And frankly, this entire bruising episode seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. It may have been tempting, given his brief stint of experience with the Saints, to regard him as little more than a functionary within the club's structure: an individual whose appointment was due largely to his close relationship with ex-colleague a fellow executive rather than any demonstrable skill. How wrong everyone was. By masterfully outsmarting the club's celebrated head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate a previous executive before him, he has proved himself as one of the sport’s strategic masterminds: a tactical intellect that the club's competitors are now justifiably concerned.

A Tactical Conflict Over Formation and Ideology

To illustrate, this was Jason Wilcox , after having been part of the hierarchy that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim originally, played a key role in attempting to convince him to abandon his beloved formation. Naturally, these pleas were resisted. However, such directives carry more weight when issued by a man with the unimpeachable soccer background he possesses, a veteran of three England caps and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to explain his reasoning publicly. Maybe one day questions may arise regarding why the coach is walking away with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause in place. But Jason Wilcox speaks rarely publicly, for excellent reasons. The true intellectuals of this sport – individuals such as him – simply operate at a level beyond our own prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, most likely we would perceive would be high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not the same as being ready to receive.

The Ultimate Authority Behind Command

But of course, in training our focus on the sporting director we are obscuring the true genius behind the club's current leadership. The director is, after all, simply carrying out the commands of his line manager the billionaire owner, who privately has made very clear his desire for a back four. According to reports, the owner has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for United to embrace data science and metrics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting soon after his minority ownership, he announced that the team's approach to football “shall be decided by this group”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, drawing from his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he is immensely wealthy, and it is known, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, fundamentally superior. Who else could one trust to oversee a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a modern arena that looks a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of a new striker?

A Modern Football Order: Directors Above Coaches

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent in top-tier of the game. Historically, clubs foolishly delegated major sporting choices to subordinate staff such as coaches, talent spotters – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, visionary coach with ideas and energy to join a club and implement their plan supported to fruition. But how many companies have such individuals established? How many large-scale layoffs have they managed? Better by far to invest the real power where it belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to decide the tactics by the directors and appoint someone who will adapt their methods to suit. If managers were once chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not really responsible for the product, yet ultimately answerable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out of the box.

Nowadays, a coach's role is increasingly not about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the receptionist of the operation, the public face of an organisation they can do little to influence. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of literal children into the Champions League and wins domestic cups, and effectively gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy sees his standing damaged whereas the people who hired him continue to make errors indefinitely.

The Neoliberal Football: Responsibility for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this is simply corporate governance in action: the rise of a gilded elite who can never be wrong, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose mistakes can always be resolved by sacking without justification. Appoint the system coach only to dismiss them for playing excessively that system. Hire the process guy and later discard them for requiring excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for the latest player acquisitions, for the fact that the adults – however well qualified – remain in control.