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Iturns out he could survive a loss to lower-league opposition. Survive losing a crucial European final versus one of the worst Tottenham teams in living memory. He could survive losing at home to West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, squandering the team's most promising academy products, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the worst the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed one adversary against whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to engage. You come at the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, like many a Premiership right-back during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning campaign, the coach took on Jason Wilcox and seems to have failed. The most distracted of readers will notice the irony here: a coach who frequently berated at his players for losing one-on-one duels succumbing when confronted by the white heat and animal charisma of one of the Premier League’s most intimidating football executives.

And frankly, this whole painful saga seems to paint the director in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been easy, given his brief stint in a similar role at Southampton, to regard him as little more than a functionary in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position largely to his close relationship with his former boss Omar Berrada as any demonstrable skill. How wrong everyone was. In brilliantly outsmarting the club's celebrated head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated to be among the sport’s strategic masterminds: a tactical intellect that the club's competitors are now justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Conflict Regarding Formation and Philosophy

For example, it was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the hierarchy that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach in the first place, played a key role in attempting to convince Amorim to ditch his favored 3-4-3. Naturally, these pleas were resisted. However, these judgements carry more weight when issued by a man with the unimpeachable football pedigree he possesses, holder of three England caps and a role in a title-winning side decades past.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox might agree to outline his reasoning publicly. Perhaps at some point questions may arise why Amorim is walking away with full compensation, with no penalty clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals of this sport – individuals such as him – function at a level beyond our own prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, most likely we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Wanting is not the same as being ready to receive.

An Supreme Power Behind the Throne

But of course, in training our focus on the sporting director we overlook the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, after all, merely executing the commands of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has emphasized his desire for a back four. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for United to embrace analytics and analytics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit early in his investment, he declared that United’s style of play “shall be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is a specialist in these intricate football matters, leveraging his background in industry and yachting. Above all he is immensely wealthy, and it is known, the rich are superior: more perceptive, sagacious, more tactically astute, fundamentally better. Whom else would you trust to oversee an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the construction of a modern arena that appears similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of a new striker?

The New Soccer Order: Executives Over Managers

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels of the game. For decades, teams mistakenly delegated big footballing decisions to subordinate staff like managers, scouts – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, innovative manager with ideas and energy to join a club and see their vision supported to fruition. But how many businesses have such individuals set up? How many large-scale layoffs have they managed? Better by far to invest genuine authority where it rightly belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with impressive professional resumes. Better by far to decide the tactics in the boardroom and appoint someone who will adapt their offering to suit. If managers were once chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not really responsible for the product, yet finally accountable if it arrives poorly or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, a coach's role has become less about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the receptionist of the operation, the public face for a club they have minimal power to change. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of very young players into the Champions League and wins two medium-sized trophies, and essentially gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his reputation ruined while those individuals who appointed him live to blunder indefinitely.

A Modern Corporate Game: Accountability Only for the Coaches

And possibly in a small way this is simply neoliberalism at work: the rise of a gilded elite who are infallible, whose choices are always untouchable, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Hire the system coach and then fire them for playing too much that system. Hire the project manager and then bin them for taking excessive time. And above all be grateful; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for the latest summer signings, for the reality that the adults – however well qualified – are in charge.