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Transpired Ruben Amorim could survive defeat by lower-league opposition. He weathered losing a crucial continental showpiece versus one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood losing at home against West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, undermining the team's most promising academy products, a poor winning percentage, labeling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary against whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to dance. You come at the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, like many a Premiership defender during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning campaign, the coach came at the executive and appears to have failed. The most casual observer can see the paradoxical situation: a coach who often railed at his players for losing individual battles succumbing in the face of the intense pressure and formidable presence of a the Premier League’s most feared football executives.

And frankly, this entire painful saga seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been easy, given his nine months in a similar role at Southampton, to regard Jason Wilcox as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: an individual whose appointment was due largely to his friendship with ex-colleague a fellow executive rather than any demonstrable skill. How wrong everyone was. By masterfully outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated to be among the sport’s true generals: a tactical intellect that the club's competitors are now justifiably concerned.

The Tactical Clash Regarding Formation & Ideology

For example, it was the director , after having been part of the leadership that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach in the first place, played a key role in attempting to convince him to ditch his beloved formation. Naturally, these pleas faced pushback. However, such directives carry more weight when delivered by a man with the impeccable soccer background he possesses, holder of international appearances and a role in a championship team from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox might agree to outline his thought processes to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked why Amorim is departing with a full payout, with no penalty clause in place. The director seldom speaks publicly, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers of this sport – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate at a level exceeding our prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, most likely all we would hear would be high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not equivalent to being ready to receive.

The Supreme Authority In Command

But of course, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we are obscuring the true genius behind the club's current leadership. The director is, in reality, merely executing the commands of his ultimate superior the billionaire owner, who in private has made very clear his preference for a four-man defense. It is reported, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to embrace data science and analytics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit soon after his investment, he announced that the team's approach to football “will be determined in this room”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate football matters, drawing from his previous experience in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he is immensely wealthy, and it is known, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, simply superior. Whom else could one trust to oversee an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the construction of a new stadium that looks similar to an abstract design, the acquisition of a new striker?

A Modern Football Order: Executives Over Coaches

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels football. For decades, clubs foolishly delegated big footballing decisions to low-level employees like managers, scouts – even footballers. Perhaps it was once feasible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with a philosophy and energy to go into an organization and implement their plan through to completion. But how many companies have such individuals established? What number of large-scale layoffs have they overseen? Better by far to place the real power where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. It is wiser to determine the strategy in the boardroom and appoint a coach who can tailor their methods to suit. 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 fails of the box.

Nowadays, their job is increasingly not about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the visible figurehead for a club they have minimal power to change. A coach at Chelsea takes a squad of literal children into Europe and wins domestic cups, and effectively gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined while those individuals who hired him live to blunder another day.

The Modern Corporate Game: Accountability Only for the Few

And possibly in a small way this represents neoliberalism in action: the elevation of a privileged elite who are infallible, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose errors can invariably be sacked away without justification. Hire the system coach and then fire him for playing too much that system. Bring in the project manager and later discard him for taking too long. And above all be grateful; for your modest increases in ticket costs, for the latest player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.