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Itbecame clear Ruben Amorim was able to withstand a loss to lower-league opposition. Survive a decisive continental showpiece against one of the worst Spurs sides for many years. He withstood losing at home against West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, undermining some of the club’s best academy products, a poor winning percentage, calling his team the worst in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary against whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to engage. You come at the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, like many a Premiership right-back in Blackburn’s title-winning campaign, the coach took on the executive and appears to have failed. The most casual observer will notice the paradoxical situation: a coach who frequently berated his squad for failing in one-on-one duels succumbing when confronted by the white heat and animal charisma of one of England's top division's most intimidating sporting directors.

In truth, 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 him as little more than a functionary within the club's structure: an individual whose appointment was due largely to his close relationship with his former boss Omar Berrada rather than any demonstrable skill. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, just as he bested the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, he has proved himself as one of the sport’s true generals: a strategic mind that United’s mid-table rivals are now justifiably concerned.

A Tactical Conflict Over System and Ideology

For example, it was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the hierarchy that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim in the first place, was instrumental in attempting to convince him to ditch his beloved 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties were resisted. However, such directives hold greater authority when delivered from the mouth with the impeccable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, holder of three England caps and a role in a championship team from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually he may be persuaded to explain his thought processes publicly. Maybe one day questions may arise why Amorim is departing with a full payout, without any penalty clause in place. The director seldom speaks in public, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers of this sport – men like him – function at a level exceeding our mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, probably all we would hear would be high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not the same as being ready to receive.

An Ultimate Authority Behind Command

Naturally, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the true genius behind the modern United throne. The director is, in reality, merely executing the directives of his superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has made very clear his preference for a back four. According to reports, the owner has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for United to embrace analytics and analytics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting early in his minority ownership, he announced that United’s style of play “will be decided by this group”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, leveraging his background in petrochemicals and yachting. Above all he remains incredibly rich, and as we all know, the rich are the best of us: more perceptive, more wise, more tactically astute, fundamentally superior. Whom else would you trust to manage an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the construction of a modern arena that appears similar to an abstract design, the signing of a new striker?

The Modern Football Order: Directors Above Coaches

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels of the game. Historically, teams mistakenly entrusted big footballing decisions to subordinate staff like managers, scouts – players themselves. Maybe previously feasible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with a philosophy and drive to go into an organization and see their vision supported to fruition. Yet how many companies have these guys established? How many mass redundancies have they managed? Better by far to place genuine authority where it belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with impressive LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the strategy in the boardroom and appoint someone who can tailor their methods to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more like Deliveroo drivers: not responsible for the product, yet ultimately answerable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out to meet standards.

Nowadays, a coach's role has become less about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the public face for a club they can do little to change. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players into the Champions League and wins domestic cups, and essentially is dismissed for talking. A manager at Celtic sees his reputation ruined while those individuals who appointed him continue to make errors indefinitely.

The Neoliberal Football: Responsibility for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this is simply neoliberalism at work: the rise of a privileged elite who can never be wrong, whose choices remain untouchable, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without justification. Hire the 3-4-3 coach only to fire them for using too much 3-4-3. Hire the project manager and then bin him for requiring excessive time. And above all show gratitude; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for the latest player acquisitions, for the fact that the adults – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.