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Turns out the manager could survive losing against lower-league opposition. He weathered an important European final versus one of the worst Spurs sides for many years. He could survive losing at home to domestic rivals, a lowly league position, the tactical inflexibility, laying waste to some of the club’s most promising homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, calling the squad the poorest in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed a single opponent with whom the Portuguese coach would not be allowed to tango. If you challenge the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, like many a Premiership right-back in Blackburn’s title-winning 1994-95 season, Amorim came at Jason Wilcox and appears to have failed. Even the most distracted of readers can see the paradoxical situation: a manager who frequently berated at his players for failing in individual battles succumbing in the face of the white heat and animal charisma of a the Premier League’s most intimidating football executives.

In truth, this entire bruising episode seems to paint the director in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been easy, based on his brief stint of experience with the Saints, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a functionary within the club's structure: an individual who owed his position largely to his friendship with ex-colleague a fellow executive rather than any verifiable talent. How wrong everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring United’s feted head coach, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, he has demonstrated as one of the sport’s strategic masterminds: a strategic mind of which the club's mid-table rivals will now be justifiably concerned.

The Strategic Conflict Over System & Ideology

For example, it was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the hierarchy that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach originally, played a key role in attempting to convince Amorim to ditch his favored 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties were resisted. But perhaps such directives hold greater authority when issued from the mouth with the impeccable football pedigree he possesses, holder of three England caps and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually he may be persuaded to explain his reasoning publicly. Perhaps at some point he might be asked why Amorim is walking away with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause in place. But Jason Wilcox speaks rarely publicly, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals in football – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate on a plane beyond our own mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, most likely we would perceive would be high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not equivalent to being ready to receive.

An Supreme Authority Behind the Throne

Naturally, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the modern United throne. The director is, in reality, simply carrying out the directives of his ultimate superior the billionaire owner, who in private has emphasized his desire for a four-man defense. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also suggested deploying the forward in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to adopt analytics and metrics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit soon after his investment, he declared that United’s style of play “will be determined in this room”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in this technical football matters, leveraging his previous experience in industry and yachting. Most importantly he remains immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the rich are superior: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, simply superior. Whom else could one trust to manage a strategic plan of austerity, the building of a new stadium that looks similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of a new striker?

The New Soccer Hierarchy: Executives Above Managers

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels football. For decades, teams mistakenly entrusted big footballing decisions to subordinate staff like managers, scouts – even footballers. Perhaps it was once feasible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with a philosophy and energy to join a club and see their vision supported to fruition. Yet how many businesses have these guys established? What number of mass redundancies have they managed? 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 in the boardroom and appoint someone who can tailor their offering accordingly. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more like Deliveroo drivers: not really responsible for the food, but still ultimately answerable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out to meet standards.

In the meantime, a coach's role has become not about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the visible figurehead of an organisation they have minimal power to change. A coach at Chelsea takes a squad of very young players into Europe and wins domestic cups, and essentially gets sacked for speaking out. A manager at Celtic sees his reputation ruined while the people who hired him live to blunder indefinitely.

The Neoliberal Game: Accountability Only for the Few

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this is simply neoliberalism at work: the elevation of a privileged overclass who can never be wrong, whose choices are always untouchable, whose errors can always be resolved by sacking without justification. Appoint the system coach and then fire them for using too much 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 your new summer signings, for the fact that the grownups – however well qualified – remain in control.