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Iturns out the manager endured losing against Grimsby. He weathered a decisive European final against one of the worst Tottenham teams in living memory. He could survive losing at home to domestic rivals, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, laying waste to some of the club’s most promising academy products, the 32% win rate, labeling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. But there was a single opponent with whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to tango. You come at Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, like many a Premiership right-back during Blackburn Rovers' championship 1994-95 season, Amorim took on Jason Wilcox and appears to have missed. Even 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 intense pressure and formidable presence of a the Premier League’s most intimidating sporting directors.

And frankly, this entire bruising episode seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been easy, based on his brief stint in a similar role with the Saints, to regard him as little more than a drudge within the club's structure: a man whose appointment was due largely to his close relationship with his former boss a fellow executive rather than any demonstrable skill. How wrong everyone was. By masterfully outsmarting United’s feted head coach, just as he bested the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, he has demonstrated as one of the sport’s strategic masterminds: a tactical intellect that the club's competitors are now rightly wary.

A Strategic Clash Regarding Formation & Philosophy

To illustrate, this was Jason Wilcox who being involved in the hierarchy that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim in the first place, was instrumental in attempting to convince him to abandon his favored formation. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties met a certain resistance. However, such directives carry more weight when issued from the mouth of a man the impeccable soccer background of Jason Wilcox, a veteran of international appearances and a contributor to a championship team from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox might agree to explain his thought processes publicly. Perhaps at some point he might be asked why Amorim is walking away with full compensation, without any compensation reduction clause activated. The director seldom speaks in public, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers in football – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate on a plane exceeding our mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, most likely we would perceive would be ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not quite the same as being prepared to receive.

An Ultimate Authority In the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we overlook the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the directives of his line manager Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has made very clear his preference for a back four. According to reports, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for United to embrace data science and analytics. Per reports, in an executive meeting soon after his minority ownership, he announced that the team's approach to football “will be decided by this group”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in this technical footballing stuff, drawing from his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he remains incredibly rich, and it is known, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, fundamentally better. Whom else could one trust to oversee an enlightened programme of austerity, the construction of a modern arena that appears a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the acquisition of a new striker?

The New Soccer Hierarchy: Executives Above Managers

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing in top-tier of the game. For decades, teams mistakenly delegated big footballing decisions to low-level employees like managers, talent spotters – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, visionary coach with ideas and drive to go into an organization and implement their plan supported to fruition. But how many businesses have such individuals set up? How many mass redundancies have they managed? Better by far to invest the real power where it rightly belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with impressive professional resumes. It is wiser to decide the strategy in the boardroom and appoint someone who can tailor their offering to suit. If managers were formerly chefs, they are now more akin to delivery personnel: not really creating the product, but still finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out of the box.

Nowadays, a coach's role is increasingly less about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the receptionist on the front desk, the public face of an organisation they can do little to change. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of very young players into Europe and wins domestic cups, and essentially is dismissed for talking. A manager at Celtic sees his standing damaged whereas those individuals who appointed him continue to make errors indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Football: Accountability for the Few

And perhaps in a small way this represents neoliberalism in action: the elevation of a gilded elite who are infallible, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose mistakes can always be sacked away without justification. Hire the 3-4-3 coach only to fire them for playing too much that system. Bring in the project manager and then bin him for requiring excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for your modest season ticket price rises, for your new summer signings, for the reality that the adults – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.