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Tbecame clear he could survive defeat by Grimsby. Survive losing a crucial European final against a particularly poor Spurs sides for many years. He could survive losing at home against domestic rivals, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, squandering some of the club’s most promising academy products, a poor winning percentage, calling his team the poorest in Manchester United history. But there was one adversary with whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to tango. If you challenge the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous Premiership right-back during Blackburn Rovers' championship campaign, Amorim came at the executive and seems to have missed. Even the most casual observer will notice the irony here: a coach who frequently berated at his players for failing in one-on-one duels succumbing in the face of the white heat and formidable presence of a England's top division's most feared sporting directors.

And frankly, this entire painful saga seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been tempting, given his brief stint of experience with the Saints, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a functionary in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position as much to his close relationship with his former boss Omar Berrada rather than any verifiable talent. How wrong we all were. By masterfully outsmarting the club's celebrated manager, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless Dan Ashworth before him, he has demonstrated as one of the sport’s true generals: a strategic mind that United’s mid-table rivals will now be justifiably concerned.

The Tactical Clash Over Formation & Philosophy

For example, this was Jason Wilcox who being involved in the hierarchy that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim in the first place, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to ditch his favored 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties met a certain resistance. However, these judgements hold greater authority when issued by a man of a man the unimpeachable soccer background he possesses, holder of three England caps and a contributor to a championship team from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to outline his reasoning to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked regarding why the coach is walking away with a full payout, with no penalty clause in place. The director speaks rarely publicly, for excellent reasons. The true intellectuals of this sport – individuals such as him – function at a level beyond our own mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, most likely we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not quite equivalent to being prepared to comprehend it.

An Supreme Power In 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, after all, merely executing the directives of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has emphasized his desire for a four-man defense. According to reports, the owner has also proposed deploying the forward as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for United to embrace data science and metrics. Per reports, in an executive meeting early in his investment, he announced that the team's approach of play “will be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is a specialist in these intricate footballing stuff, leveraging his previous experience in industry and yachting. Most importantly he remains immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the wealthy are superior: more perceptive, more wise, more tactically astute, simply superior. Who else would you trust to oversee an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the construction of a new stadium that looks a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of a new striker?

A New Soccer Hierarchy: Executives Over Coaches

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent in top-tier of the game. Historically, clubs foolishly delegated big footballing decisions to subordinate staff like managers, scouts – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, innovative manager with ideas and energy to go into a club and implement their plan supported to fruition. Yet how many businesses have such individuals established? How many large-scale layoffs have they overseen? Far preferable to invest the real power where it belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the guys with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. Better by far to decide the tactics in the boardroom and hire a coach who will adapt their offering to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they are now more akin to delivery personnel: not really responsible for the food, yet ultimately answerable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out of the box.

In the meantime, a coach's role is increasingly not about defining the vision and more about selling it: the receptionist of the operation, the public face of an organisation they can do little to change. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players into Europe and wins domestic cups, and essentially is dismissed for talking. A manager at Celtic sees his standing damaged while those individuals who appointed him live to blunder indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Football: Accountability Only for the Coaches

And possibly in a small way this is simply neoliberalism in action: the rise of a privileged elite who are infallible, whose choices are always untouchable, whose errors can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach only to dismiss him for using excessively that system. Bring in the project manager and later bin him for taking excessive time. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for the latest player acquisitions, for the fact that the grownups – however well qualified – remain in control.