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Itbecame clear the manager could survive losing against lower-league opposition. Survive a decisive European final against a particularly poor Tottenham teams for many years. He withstood home defeats to West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, undermining the team's best homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. But there was a single opponent with whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to engage. You come at Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous Premiership defender during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning campaign, the coach 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 at his players for losing one-on-one duels crumbling when confronted by the intense pressure and animal charisma of a England's top division's most feared football executives.

And frankly, this whole bruising episode seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. It may have been tempting, based on his brief stint in a similar role at Southampton, to regard him as merely a functionary within the club's structure: an individual who owed his position largely to his close relationship with his former boss Omar Berrada as any verifiable talent. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless Dan Ashworth earlier, he has demonstrated as one of football's true generals: a tactical intellect that United’s mid-table rivals are now rightly wary.

A Tactical Clash Regarding System & Ideology

To illustrate, this was the director , after having been part of the leadership that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim in the first place, was instrumental in trying to persuade Amorim to abandon his favored formation. Naturally, these pleas were resisted. However, these judgements carry more weight when issued from the mouth of a man the impeccable soccer background of Jason Wilcox, holder of international appearances and a role in a championship team from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he may be persuaded to explain his thought processes to the rest of us. Maybe one day he might be asked regarding why the coach is departing with full compensation, with no penalty clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals in football – men like him – simply operate at a level exceeding our mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, probably we would perceive would be high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not equivalent to being ready to receive.

An Ultimate Authority In Command

But of course, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the real power behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, after all, merely executing the directives of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has emphasized his preference for a back four. According to reports, Ratcliffe has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for United to embrace analytics and metrics. Per reports, in an executive meeting early in his investment, he announced that United’s style to football “shall be determined in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is a specialist in these intricate football matters, leveraging his background in petrochemicals and yachting. Above all he remains immensely wealthy, and it is known, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, fundamentally better. Who else could one trust to manage a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the building of a modern arena that looks similar to an abstract design, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

The New Football Hierarchy: Directors Above Managers

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing in top-tier football. Historically, clubs foolishly entrusted big footballing decisions to low-level employees like managers, scouts – players themselves. Maybe previously possible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with ideas and energy to go into a club and see their vision through to completion. But how many businesses have such individuals set up? How many large-scale layoffs have they managed? Better by far to invest genuine authority where it rightly belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the guys with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. Better by far to determine the tactics in the boardroom and appoint a coach who can tailor their offering accordingly. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not really creating the food, but still finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, their job has become not about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, 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 wins domestic cups, and effectively is dismissed for talking. A manager at Celtic finds his standing damaged whereas those individuals who hired him live to blunder another day.

A Neoliberal Game: Responsibility for the Coaches

And possibly in a small way this represents corporate governance at work: the rise of a gilded elite who can never be wrong, whose decisions are always sacrosanct, whose errors can invariably be sacked away without justification. Appoint the system coach only to dismiss them for using too much that system. Bring in the project manager and later bin him for taking excessive time. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for the latest summer signings, for the reality that the adults – however well qualified – are in charge.