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Turns out Ruben Amorim could survive defeat by lower-league opposition. He weathered losing a crucial continental showpiece versus one of the worst Tottenham teams for many years. He withstood losing at home to domestic rivals, finishing 15th, the tactical inflexibility, undermining some of the club’s best homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, calling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary with whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to tango. You come at Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, like many a Premiership defender during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning campaign, Amorim took on Jason Wilcox and seems to have failed. The most casual observer can see the paradoxical situation: a coach who frequently berated his squad for losing individual battles succumbing when confronted by the intense pressure and formidable presence of one of the Premier League’s most feared sporting directors.

In truth, this whole bruising episode seems to paint the director in a whole new light. It may have been tempting, given his brief stint of experience at Southampton, to regard him as merely a functionary in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position as much to his close relationship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada as any verifiable talent. How mistaken we all were. By masterfully outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated as one of football's true generals: a tactical intellect that the club's competitors are now rightly wary.

A Strategic Clash Regarding Formation & Ideology

For example, this was the director who being involved in the leadership that hired the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince him to ditch his favored 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these pleas met a certain resistance. But perhaps these judgements hold greater authority when delivered by a man with the impeccable soccer background of Jason Wilcox, holder of international appearances and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he might agree to outline his reasoning publicly. Perhaps at some point he might be asked why Amorim is departing 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 of this sport – individuals such as him – simply operate on a plane beyond our own prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, probably all we would hear would be high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not equivalent to being prepared to comprehend it.

The Supreme Power In the Throne

But of course, in training our focus on the sporting director we overlook the true genius behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, after all, simply carrying out the directives of his superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has emphasized his preference for a back four. According to reports, the owner has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for United to embrace data science and metrics. Per reports, during a leadership summit soon after his investment, he announced that the team's approach to football “will be determined by this group”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in this technical footballing stuff, drawing from his background in petrochemicals and yachting. Most importantly he remains incredibly rich, and it is known, the rich are the best of us: more perceptive, more wise, strategically brilliant, fundamentally superior. Whom else would you trust to manage an enlightened programme of austerity, the construction of a new stadium that looks a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the acquisition of a new striker?

The New Soccer Order: Executives Over Coaches

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels football. For decades, clubs foolishly entrusted big footballing decisions to low-level employees such as coaches, talent spotters – even footballers. Maybe previously possible for a young, innovative manager with ideas and drive to join a club and implement their plan supported to fruition. But how many companies have these guys set up? How many mass redundancies have they overseen? Better by far to invest genuine authority where it belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with impressive LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the strategy in the boardroom and appoint a coach who will adapt their offering to suit. If managers were once chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not responsible for the food, yet ultimately answerable if it arrives poorly or fails of the box.

In the meantime, their job has become not about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the visible figurehead of an organisation they have minimal power to influence. A coach at Chelsea takes a squad of literal children into the Champions League and wins domestic cups, and effectively gets sacked for talking. A manager at Celtic finds his standing damaged whereas the people who hired him continue to make errors another day.

A Modern Corporate Game: Accountability for the Few

And possibly in a small way this is simply corporate governance in action: the rise of a gilded overclass who can never be wrong, whose decisions remain untouchable, whose mistakes can invariably be resolved by sacking without explanation. Hire the 3-4-3 coach and then fire them for using too much 3-4-3. Hire the process guy and later discard them for requiring too long. And most importantly be grateful; for your modest increases in ticket costs, for your new summer signings, for the fact that the grownups – however well qualified – are in charge.