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Itranspired the manager could survive defeat by Grimsby. He weathered a decisive European final versus one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He could survive 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, labeling his team the poorest in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary with whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to engage. You come at the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, similar to numerous top-flight defender during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning campaign, the coach took on the executive and seems to have missed. The most casual observer will notice the irony here: a coach who often railed his squad for losing individual battles succumbing when confronted by the intense pressure and animal charisma of a the Premier League’s most feared football executives.

In truth, this whole bruising episode seems to paint the director in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been easy, based on his brief stint in a similar role with the Saints, to regard Jason Wilcox as merely a functionary within the club's structure: a man who owed his position as much to his close relationship with ex-colleague a fellow executive as any demonstrable skill. How wrong everyone was. By masterfully outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless a previous executive earlier, he has proved himself as one of football's true generals: a strategic mind of which the club's mid-table rivals will now be justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Conflict Regarding Formation & Philosophy

To illustrate, it was the director who being involved in the hierarchy that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his beloved 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties were resisted. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when delivered from the mouth of a man the unimpeachable soccer background he possesses, holder of international appearances and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he may be persuaded to outline his thought processes to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked why Amorim is departing with full compensation, without any penalty clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers in football – men like Jason Wilcox – simply operate at a level exceeding our prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, probably we would perceive would be high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not the same as being ready to receive.

The Ultimate Authority In the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the true genius behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, merely executing the commands of his ultimate superior the billionaire owner, who in private has emphasized his preference for a four-man defense. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also suggested deploying the forward in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for the club to adopt data science and analytics. Per reports, in an executive meeting soon after his minority ownership, he announced that United’s style to football “shall be decided in this room”.

After all, Ratcliffe is an expert in this technical football matters, drawing from his previous experience in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he is incredibly rich, and it is known, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, simply superior. Who else would you trust to oversee an enlightened programme of austerity, the building of a modern arena that appears a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

A New Football Hierarchy: Executives Above Managers

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels football. For decades, clubs foolishly delegated major sporting choices to subordinate staff such as coaches, scouts – even footballers. Maybe previously feasible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with ideas and drive to join an organization and implement their plan through to completion. But how many businesses have such individuals established? What number of mass redundancies have they overseen? Better by far to invest the real power where it belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. Better by far to determine the strategy in the boardroom and appoint a coach who can tailor their methods to suit. If coaches were once chefs, they are now more akin to delivery personnel: not really responsible for the product, but still ultimately answerable should it be delivered poorly or fails to meet standards.

Nowadays, a coach's role has become not about defining the vision and more about selling it: the receptionist on the front desk, the public face for a club they can do little to change. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players into Europe and secures domestic cups, and effectively is dismissed for speaking out. A manager at Celtic sees his standing damaged whereas those individuals who hired him live to blunder another day.

A Neoliberal Game: Accountability Only for the Few

And perhaps in a small way this represents neoliberalism in action: the elevation of a privileged elite who are infallible, whose decisions are always untouchable, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Hire the system coach only to fire them for playing too much that system. Bring in the project manager and then bin them for taking excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for the latest summer signings, for the reality that the adults – however well qualified – remain in control.