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Itbecame clear Ruben Amorim was able to withstand a loss to Grimsby. Survive an important continental showpiece versus a particularly poor Tottenham teams in living memory. He could survive home defeats against domestic rivals, a lowly league position, the tactical inflexibility, squandering some of the club’s most promising academy products, the 32% win rate, labeling his team the worst the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed one adversary with whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to tango. You come at Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, like many a Premiership right-back during Blackburn Rovers' championship campaign, Amorim came at the executive and appears to have failed. Even the most casual observer can see the paradoxical situation: a manager who frequently berated at his players for failing in individual battles succumbing when confronted by the intense pressure and formidable presence of a the Premier League’s most feared sporting directors.

And frankly, this entire bruising episode appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been easy, based on his brief stint of experience with the Saints, to regard him as little more than a functionary within the club's structure: a man who owed his position largely to his friendship with his former boss Omar Berrada rather than any demonstrable skill. How wrong everyone was. By masterfully outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive before him, he has proved himself to be among the sport’s true generals: a tactical intellect of which the club's mid-table rivals will now be justifiably concerned.

The Tactical Clash Over Formation & Philosophy

To illustrate, this was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the leadership that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach originally, was instrumental in trying to persuade Amorim to abandon his beloved 3-4-3. Naturally, these pleas met a certain resistance. However, these judgements carry more weight when issued by a man with the unimpeachable football pedigree he possesses, a veteran of three England caps and a role in a championship team decades past.

Perhaps in time he may be persuaded to outline his thought processes publicly. Maybe one day he might be asked why Amorim is departing with full compensation, without any penalty clause in place. The director speaks rarely in public, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers of this sport – men like Jason Wilcox – function on a plane exceeding our prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, probably all we would hear would be ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not the same as being ready to comprehend it.

The Ultimate Authority In Command

Naturally, in training our focus on the sporting director we overlook the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, merely executing the directives of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has made very clear his desire for a back four. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for the club to embrace data science and analytics. Per reports, during a leadership summit early in his investment, he declared that United’s style to football “will be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is a specialist in these intricate footballing stuff, drawing from his previous experience in petrochemicals and sailing. Most importantly he remains immensely wealthy, and it is known, the wealthy are superior: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, simply better. Who else could one trust to oversee an enlightened programme of austerity, the building of a modern arena that appears a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

The Modern Soccer Order: Executives Over Managers

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent in top-tier football. For decades, clubs foolishly delegated big footballing decisions to low-level employees such as coaches, scouts – players themselves. Perhaps it was once possible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with ideas and drive to join a club and see their vision supported to fruition. But how many companies have these guys set up? How many mass redundancies have they managed? Better by far to invest genuine authority where it belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. It is wiser to decide the tactics in the boardroom and hire a coach who can tailor their methods accordingly. If managers were formerly chefs, they have become more like Deliveroo drivers: not really creating the food, yet finally accountable if it arrives cold or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, their job has become not about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the receptionist of the operation, the public face for a club they can do little to change. Enzo Maresca leads a team of literal children into the Champions League and secures two medium-sized trophies, and effectively is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined while the people who appointed him continue to make errors indefinitely.

The Neoliberal Football: Accountability for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this represents neoliberalism at work: the rise of a gilded overclass who are infallible, whose choices are always untouchable, whose errors can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Hire the system coach only to dismiss him for using too much 3-4-3. Bring in the project manager and then bin him for requiring too long. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for the latest player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.