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Itbecame clear Ruben Amorim endured defeat by Grimsby. Survive an important continental showpiece against a particularly poor Tottenham teams for many years. He withstood home defeats against domestic rivals, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, laying waste to some of the club’s best homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, calling his team the poorest in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary with whom the Portuguese coach would not be allowed to dance. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, like many a top-flight right-back in Blackburn’s title-winning 1994-95 season, the coach took on the executive and appears to have failed. The most casual observer will notice the irony here: a coach who often railed his squad for failing in one-on-one duels crumbling in the face of the white heat and animal charisma of one of the Premier League’s most intimidating football executives.

In truth, this entire bruising episode seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. It may have been tempting, based on his nine months of experience at Southampton, to view him as merely a drudge within the club's structure: a man whose appointment was due largely to his close relationship with ex-colleague a fellow executive rather than any demonstrable skill. How wrong everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring United’s feted manager, just as he bested the hapless a previous executive before him, he has demonstrated to be among the sport’s strategic masterminds: a tactical intellect of which United’s competitors are now rightly wary.

The Strategic Clash Regarding System & Philosophy

To illustrate, it was Jason Wilcox , after being involved in the hierarchy that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim in the first place, played a key role in attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his favored formation. Naturally, these pleas faced pushback. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when issued by a man of a man the unimpeachable football pedigree he possesses, holder of three England caps and a role in a title-winning side decades past.

Perhaps in time he might agree to explain his thought processes to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point questions may arise regarding why the coach is walking away with a full payout, without any penalty clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals in football – individuals such as him – simply operate at a level exceeding our mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, most likely all we would hear is a series of high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not the same as being ready to receive.

An Supreme Power In the Throne

Naturally, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the real power behind the club's current leadership. The director is, in reality, merely executing the directives of his superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has emphasized his desire for a four-man defense. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for United to embrace analytics and metrics. Per reports, during a leadership summit early in his investment, he declared that the team's approach of play “will be determined by this group”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, drawing from his previous experience in industry and sailing. Most importantly he remains immensely wealthy, and it is known, the wealthy are the best of us: more perceptive, more wise, strategically brilliant, fundamentally superior. Who else could one trust to oversee a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the construction of a modern arena that looks similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

The New Football Order: Directors Above Managers

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing in top-tier of the game. Historically, clubs foolishly delegated big footballing decisions to low-level employees like managers, talent spotters – even footballers. Maybe previously feasible for a young, innovative manager with ideas and drive to go into a club and see their vision through to completion. But how many companies have such individuals established? What number of mass redundancies have they managed? Better by far to place the real power where it belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with impressive professional resumes. Better by far to decide the strategy by the directors and hire someone who can tailor their methods to suit. If coaches were once chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not really responsible for the product, yet ultimately answerable if it arrives poorly or leaks out of the box.

Nowadays, a coach's role is increasingly less about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the public face of an organisation they have minimal power to influence. Enzo Maresca leads a team of literal children into the Champions League and secures two medium-sized trophies, and effectively is dismissed for talking. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined while the people who hired him continue to make errors another day.

The Modern Corporate Game: Accountability Only for the Few

And perhaps in a small way this is simply neoliberalism in action: the rise of a gilded overclass who are infallible, whose decisions remain untouchable, whose mistakes can always be sacked away without explanation. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach and then fire them for playing too much that system. Hire the project manager and later discard them for taking too long. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for the latest summer signings, for the reality that the adults – however well qualified – remain in control.