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Turns out Ruben Amorim endured losing against lower-league opposition. Survive an important European final against one of the worst Tottenham teams for many years. He could survive losing at home against domestic rivals, a lowly league position, his rigid approach, 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 the Portuguese coach was not permitted to dance. You come at Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous Premiership defender in Blackburn’s championship 1994-95 season, Amorim came at Jason Wilcox and appears to have missed. Even the most distracted of readers can see the irony here: a coach who often railed at his players for failing in individual battles succumbing in the face of the intense pressure and formidable presence of a the Premier League’s most feared football executives.

In truth, this whole painful saga appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. It may have been easy, given his nine months of experience with the Saints, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a functionary 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 verifiable talent. How wrong everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring United’s feted head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated to be among football's strategic masterminds: a tactical intellect that the club's competitors will now be rightly wary.

A Strategic Conflict Regarding System and Philosophy

To illustrate, it was the director who having been part of the leadership that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach in the first place, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his beloved formation. Naturally, these entreaties faced pushback. But perhaps such directives hold greater authority when issued by a man of a man the impeccable soccer background of Jason Wilcox, holder of three England caps and a role in a championship team decades past.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to outline his reasoning publicly. Perhaps at some point questions may arise why Amorim is walking away with full compensation, without any penalty clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – function on a plane beyond our own mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, probably we would perceive would be ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not equivalent to being prepared to comprehend it.

The Supreme Power In Command

But of course, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the commands of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has made very clear his preference for a back four. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for the club to adopt analytics and analytics. Per reports, in an executive meeting early in his minority ownership, he declared that United’s style to football “shall be determined by this group”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in this technical football matters, drawing from his background in industry and yachting. Most importantly he is incredibly rich, and as we all know, the rich are superior: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, fundamentally better. Who else could one trust to oversee an enlightened programme of austerity, the construction of a new stadium that appears a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

A Modern Football Hierarchy: Directors Over Managers

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing in top-tier of the game. For decades, clubs foolishly delegated big footballing decisions to subordinate staff such as coaches, scouts – even footballers. Maybe previously feasible for a young, visionary coach with a philosophy and energy to go into an organization and implement their plan through to completion. But how many companies have such individuals set up? How many mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to place the real power where it belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with impressive LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the tactics by the directors and appoint someone who can tailor their methods accordingly. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not creating the product, but still finally accountable should it be delivered cold or leaks out to meet standards.

Nowadays, their job is increasingly less about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the receptionist on the front desk, the public face 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 effectively gets sacked for speaking out. A manager at Celtic finds his standing damaged whereas those individuals who hired him live to blunder indefinitely.

A Modern Corporate Football: Responsibility for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this is simply neoliberalism at work: the rise of a privileged overclass who can never be wrong, whose decisions remain sacrosanct, whose errors can invariably be resolved by sacking without justification. Hire the 3-4-3 coach only to dismiss him for using too much 3-4-3. Hire the process guy and later bin them for requiring too long. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for the latest player acquisitions, for the reality that the adults – however well qualified – are in charge.