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Itranspired he could survive a loss to lower-league opposition. Survive an important European final against one of the worst Spurs sides for many years. He could survive losing at home against domestic rivals, finishing 15th, his rigid approach, squandering the team's most promising homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, labeling the squad the worst the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed one adversary against whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to dance. You come at Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Unfortunately, like many a top-flight right-back during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning 1994-95 season, Amorim came at Jason Wilcox and appears to have missed. Even the most casual observer can see the paradoxical situation: a coach who often railed at his players for losing one-on-one duels crumbling in the face of the intense pressure and formidable presence of a the Premier League’s most intimidating sporting directors.

In truth, this whole painful saga seems to paint the director in a different perspective. It may have been easy, given his nine months of experience at Southampton, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a functionary in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position as much to his friendship with his former boss Omar Berrada as any demonstrable skill. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outsmarting United’s feted manager, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless Dan Ashworth earlier, he has proved himself as one of football's strategic masterminds: a strategic mind that the club's competitors will now be justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Clash Regarding Formation & Philosophy

For example, it was Jason Wilcox , after having been part of the hierarchy that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to ditch his beloved formation. Naturally, these pleas faced pushback. But perhaps these judgements hold greater authority when delivered by a man with the unimpeachable football pedigree he possesses, a veteran 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 to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked why Amorim is departing with full compensation, without any compensation reduction clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – individuals such as him – simply operate at a level beyond our own mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, most likely all we would hear would be ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not quite equivalent to being ready to comprehend it.

The Supreme Power Behind the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the commands of his superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has made very clear his desire for a four-man defense. According to reports, Ratcliffe has also proposed deploying the forward in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for United to embrace data science and analytics. Per reports, in an executive meeting soon after his minority ownership, he declared that United’s style of play “will be determined in this room”.

After all, Ratcliffe is a specialist in these intricate football matters, leveraging his previous experience in industry and sailing. Most importantly he is immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, fundamentally superior. Whom else could one trust to oversee a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the building of a new stadium that looks a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of a new striker?

The New Soccer Hierarchy: Executives Above Coaches

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels of the game. For decades, teams mistakenly entrusted big footballing decisions to low-level employees such as coaches, scouts – players themselves. Maybe previously possible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with a philosophy and drive to go into an organization and implement their plan supported to fruition. But how many businesses have such individuals established? What number of large-scale layoffs have they managed? Far preferable to place the real power where it belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the guys with impressive LinkedIn profiles. It is wiser to decide the strategy in the boardroom and hire someone who can tailor their offering accordingly. If coaches were once chefs, they are now more like Deliveroo drivers: not really responsible for the food, yet ultimately answerable if it arrives cold or fails of the box.

Nowadays, their job is increasingly less about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the public face for a club they can do little to change. A coach at Chelsea takes a squad of literal children into the Champions League and wins domestic cups, and effectively is dismissed for talking. Wilfried Nancy sees his standing damaged whereas those individuals who hired him live to blunder another day.

The Neoliberal Football: Accountability Only for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this represents corporate governance in action: the rise of a privileged elite who can never be wrong, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose mistakes can always be resolved by sacking without justification. Hire the 3-4-3 coach and then dismiss him for using excessively 3-4-3. Bring in the process guy and later discard them 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 adults – however well qualified – remain in control.