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Tbecame clear Ruben Amorim was able to withstand defeat by Grimsby. Survive losing a crucial continental showpiece versus a particularly poor Spurs sides in living memory. He could survive losing at home against domestic rivals, finishing 15th, his rigid approach, laying waste to the team's most promising academy products, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the poorest in Manchester United history. But there was one adversary with whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to tango. If you challenge the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, similar to numerous Premiership right-back during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning campaign, the coach took on the executive and seems to have missed. The most distracted of readers will notice the paradoxical situation: a manager who often railed his squad for failing in individual battles crumbling when confronted by the white heat and animal charisma of one of the Premier League’s most feared sporting directors.

And frankly, this entire painful saga seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. It may have been tempting, based on his nine months of experience at Southampton, to view him as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position as much to his close relationship with his former boss Omar Berrada as any verifiable talent. How mistaken we all were. By masterfully outsmarting United’s feted head coach, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive before him, he has proved himself to be among the sport’s strategic masterminds: a tactical intellect of which United’s competitors are now justifiably concerned.

A Tactical Conflict Regarding System & Ideology

To illustrate, it was the director , after having been part of the hierarchy that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach in the first place, played a key role in attempting to convince him to ditch his beloved formation. Unsurprisingly, these pleas met a certain resistance. But perhaps such directives carry more weight when delivered by a man with the impeccable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, holder of three England caps and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he may be persuaded to outline his reasoning publicly. Perhaps at some point questions may arise regarding why the coach is walking away with a full payout, with no compensation reduction clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals in football – 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 complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not quite equivalent to being prepared to comprehend it.

The Ultimate Authority Behind the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we overlook the real power behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the commands of his ultimate line manager Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has emphasized his preference for a four-man defense. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also suggested deploying the forward in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for the club to adopt analytics and metrics. Per reports, during a leadership summit soon after his investment, he declared that the team's approach of play “shall be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, drawing from his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Most importantly he remains immensely wealthy, and it is known, the wealthy are superior: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, simply superior. Who else would you trust to manage a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the construction of a modern arena that appears a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of a new striker?

The Modern Soccer Order: Directors Above Coaches

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent in top-tier football. Historically, teams mistakenly delegated big footballing decisions to subordinate staff such as coaches, talent spotters – even footballers. Maybe previously feasible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with ideas and drive to go into an organization and see their vision supported to fruition. But how many businesses have such individuals set up? What number of mass redundancies have they managed? Far preferable to place the real power where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the guys with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. Better by far to decide the tactics by the directors and hire someone who will adapt their offering accordingly. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more like Deliveroo drivers: not really creating the food, yet ultimately answerable should it be delivered cold or fails of the box.

Nowadays, their job is increasingly less about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the visible figurehead of an organisation they can do little to influence. Enzo Maresca leads a team of literal children into Europe and secures two medium-sized trophies, and effectively gets sacked for talking. A manager at Celtic finds his standing damaged while those individuals who hired him live to blunder indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Game: Responsibility for the Few

And possibly on some microcosmic level this represents neoliberalism in action: the rise of a privileged overclass who can never be wrong, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose errors can invariably be sacked away without justification. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach only to fire them for playing excessively 3-4-3. Bring in the process guy and then discard him for requiring too long. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for the latest summer signings, for the fact that the grownups – however well qualified – remain in control.