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Turns out Ruben Amorim could survive losing against Grimsby. Survive a decisive European final against a particularly poor Tottenham teams 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, calling the squad the poorest in Manchester United history. But there was one adversary with whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to engage. You come at the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, similar to numerous top-flight right-back in Blackburn’s championship 1994-95 season, the coach took on the executive and appears to have failed. Even the most casual observer will notice the paradoxical situation: a coach who often railed his squad for losing individual battles succumbing in the face of the white heat and formidable presence of a England's top division's most intimidating sporting directors.

In truth, this whole bruising episode appears to portray the director in a whole new light. It may have been tempting, based on his brief stint of experience with the Saints, to regard him as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man whose appointment was due largely to his close relationship with his former boss a fellow executive as any demonstrable skill. How mistaken everyone was. By masterfully outsmarting United’s feted head coach, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive before him, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated as one of the sport’s strategic masterminds: a strategic mind that United’s mid-table rivals are now justifiably concerned.

The Strategic Clash Regarding System and Ideology

To illustrate, this was Jason Wilcox who being involved in the hierarchy that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach originally, played a key role in attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his favored 3-4-3. Naturally, these entreaties met a certain resistance. But perhaps these judgements hold greater authority when issued 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.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to explain his reasoning publicly. Perhaps at some point questions may arise why Amorim is walking away with a full payout, with no compensation reduction clause activated. The director seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals of this sport – men like Jason Wilcox – function on a plane beyond our own mundane comprehension. Were he to 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.

An Ultimate Power In the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the commands of his line manager the billionaire owner, who in private 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 embrace analytics and analytics. Per reports, during a leadership summit soon after his minority ownership, he declared that the team's approach of play “will be decided in this room”.

After all, Sir Jim is a specialist in this technical football matters, leveraging his background in industry and sailing. Most importantly he remains immensely wealthy, and it is known, the wealthy are superior: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, simply better. Who else would you trust to manage an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the construction of a new stadium that appears similar to an abstract design, the signing of a new striker?

A New Football Order: Directors Over Coaches

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent in top-tier football. For decades, teams mistakenly delegated major sporting choices to low-level employees like managers, talent spotters – players themselves. Perhaps it was once feasible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with a philosophy and drive to go into a club and implement their plan supported to fruition. But how many companies have these guys set up? How many mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to invest the real power where it belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. It is wiser to determine the strategy by the directors and hire someone who will adapt their methods accordingly. If coaches were once chefs, they are now more like delivery personnel: not really responsible for the product, yet ultimately answerable should it be delivered cold or leaks out of the box.

In the meantime, their job is increasingly not about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the receptionist on the front desk, the visible figurehead of an organisation they can do little to influence. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of very young players into the Champions League and secures domestic cups, and essentially gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his reputation ruined while those individuals who appointed him live to blunder another day.

The Modern Corporate Football: Responsibility for the Few

And possibly in a small way this is simply neoliberalism in action: the elevation of a gilded overclass who are infallible, whose decisions are always sacrosanct, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without justification. Appoint the system coach only to fire him for playing too much 3-4-3. Hire the process guy and then discard them for requiring too long. And most importantly be grateful; for your modest increases in ticket costs, for the latest summer signings, for the fact that the adults – however well qualified – are in charge.