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Itbecame clear the manager endured losing against lower-league opposition. He weathered an important European final versus a particularly poor Tottenham teams in living memory. He could survive home defeats against West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, his rigid approach, undermining some of the club’s best homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the poorest the club has ever seen. But there was a single opponent with whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to tango. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, similar to numerous top-flight defender in Blackburn’s championship 1994-95 season, Amorim took on Jason Wilcox and appears to have missed. Even the most distracted of readers can see the irony here: a coach who often railed his squad for losing individual battles crumbling in the face of the white heat and formidable presence of one of England's top division's most intimidating sporting directors.

In truth, this entire bruising episode seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. It may have been tempting, based on his nine months of experience at Southampton, to view Jason Wilcox as little more than a drudge within the club's structure: an individual who owed his position largely to his close relationship with ex-colleague a fellow executive as any verifiable talent. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring United’s feted manager, just as he bested the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, he has proved himself as one of football's strategic masterminds: a tactical intellect of which the club's mid-table rivals are now justifiably concerned.

The Tactical Conflict Regarding Formation & Philosophy

For example, this was the director , after having been part of the hierarchy that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach originally, was instrumental in trying to persuade him to ditch his favored 3-4-3. Naturally, these pleas met a certain resistance. However, such directives carry more weight when delivered by a man of a man the impeccable soccer background of Jason Wilcox, holder of three England caps and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually he might agree to outline his thought processes to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point questions may arise regarding why the coach is departing with a full payout, without any penalty clause in place. The director speaks rarely publicly, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals of this sport – men like him – simply operate at a level exceeding our prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, most likely we would perceive would be ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not quite equivalent to being ready to comprehend it.

An Supreme Power Behind the Throne

Naturally, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we are obscuring the real power behind the modern United throne. The director is, after all, simply carrying out the directives of his superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has made very clear his preference for a four-man defense. It is reported, the owner has also proposed deploying the forward as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for the club to embrace data science and metrics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit early in his minority ownership, he declared that the team's approach to football “shall be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is a specialist in these intricate footballing stuff, leveraging his previous experience in petrochemicals and sailing. Most importantly he remains incredibly rich, and it is known, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, fundamentally superior. Who else could one trust to oversee an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the building of a new stadium that looks a lot like an abstract design, the signing of a new striker?

The New Soccer Hierarchy: Executives Over Managers

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels football. For decades, teams mistakenly entrusted big footballing decisions to subordinate staff such as coaches, talent spotters – even footballers. Maybe previously feasible for a young, visionary coach with a philosophy and energy to go into an organization and implement their plan supported to fruition. But how many companies have such individuals set up? How many mass redundancies have they managed? Far preferable 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 appoint a coach who will adapt their methods to suit. If coaches were once chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not creating the product, but still ultimately answerable if it arrives cold or leaks out of the box.

Nowadays, their job is increasingly not about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the receptionist on the front desk, the public face for a club they can do little to influence. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of very young players into Europe and secures two medium-sized trophies, and effectively is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his standing damaged whereas those individuals who hired him live to blunder another day.

A Modern Corporate Game: Responsibility Only for the Few

And possibly in a small way this is simply corporate governance at work: the rise of a privileged elite who are infallible, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose mistakes can invariably be resolved by sacking without justification. Hire the 3-4-3 coach only to dismiss them for playing excessively that system. Bring in the project manager and then bin them for requiring too long. And above all show gratitude; for your modest increases in ticket costs, for the latest summer signings, for the reality that the adults – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.