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Transpired he endured defeat by lower-league opposition. He weathered an important European final versus one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood losing at home to West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, the tactical inflexibility, squandering the team's most promising homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, labeling the squad the poorest the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed one adversary with whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to dance. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, similar to numerous top-flight defender during Blackburn Rovers' championship 1994-95 season, the coach came at the executive and seems to have failed. Even the most distracted of readers can see the paradoxical situation: a coach who frequently berated his squad for failing in individual battles succumbing when confronted by the intense pressure and formidable presence of a the Premier League’s most intimidating sporting directors.

And frankly, this whole bruising episode appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. It may have been easy, based on his brief stint in a similar role with the Saints, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a drudge within the club's structure: a man who owed his position as much to his friendship with his former boss Omar Berrada as any verifiable talent. How wrong we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring United’s feted manager, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless Dan Ashworth before him, Jason Wilcox has proved himself as one of football's true generals: a strategic mind of which United’s competitors are now justifiably concerned.

The Tactical Conflict Over System & Ideology

To illustrate, it was the director , after being involved in the hierarchy that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach originally, played a key role in trying to persuade him to abandon his beloved 3-4-3. Naturally, these entreaties faced pushback. However, these judgements carry more weight when delivered from the mouth of a man the unimpeachable soccer background of Jason Wilcox, holder of international appearances and a role in a championship team from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually he may be persuaded to outline his reasoning publicly. Maybe one day he might be asked why Amorim is walking away with full compensation, with no penalty clause in place. The director seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals in football – men like Jason Wilcox – simply operate at a level exceeding our prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, probably all we would hear would be high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not equivalent to being ready to receive.

The Ultimate Authority In Command

But of course, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we overlook the real power behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the commands of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has emphasized his preference for a four-man defense. According to reports, Ratcliffe has also suggested deploying the forward in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for the club to embrace data science and metrics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting soon after his investment, he declared that the team's approach to football “shall be decided in this room”.

After all, Sir Jim is a specialist 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 rich are superior: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, simply better. Whom else would you trust to oversee a strategic plan of austerity, the building of a new stadium that appears similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of a new striker?

A Modern Football Order: Directors Above Managers

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels football. Historically, teams mistakenly entrusted big footballing decisions to subordinate staff such as coaches, talent spotters – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, visionary coach with ideas and drive to go into an organization and implement their plan supported to fruition. But how many businesses have such individuals established? How many large-scale layoffs have they managed? Far preferable to invest genuine authority where it belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the guys with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the strategy by the directors and appoint someone who can tailor their methods to suit. If managers were once chefs, they are now more like delivery personnel: not really creating the food, but still ultimately answerable should it be delivered poorly or fails to meet standards.

Nowadays, a coach's role has become less about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the receptionist on the front desk, the visible figurehead of an organisation they can do little to influence. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players into the Champions League and secures domestic cups, and essentially is dismissed for talking. A manager at Celtic sees his reputation ruined while the people who hired him live to blunder indefinitely.

The Neoliberal Football: Responsibility Only for the Few

And possibly in a small way this is simply corporate governance in action: the rise of a privileged elite who are infallible, whose choices remain untouchable, whose mistakes can always be resolved by sacking without explanation. Hire the 3-4-3 coach only to fire them for playing too much that system. Hire the project manager and later bin him for taking excessive time. And above all be grateful; for your modest increases in ticket costs, for the latest summer signings, for the fact that the adults – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.