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Itranspired he was able to withstand defeat by lower-league opposition. Survive losing a crucial European final versus one of the worst Tottenham teams in living memory. He withstood home defeats against West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, his rigid approach, undermining some of the club’s most promising homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, calling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. But there was one adversary against whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to tango. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, similar to numerous Premiership right-back in Blackburn’s championship campaign, Amorim took on the executive and appears to have failed. The most distracted of readers will notice the irony here: a manager who often railed at his players for losing one-on-one duels succumbing in the face of the intense pressure and animal charisma of one of the Premier League’s most intimidating football executives.

In truth, this whole bruising episode seems to paint the director in a whole new light. It may have been tempting, given his brief stint in a similar role at Southampton, to regard him as little more than a functionary in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position largely to his friendship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada rather than any verifiable talent. How wrong we all were. By masterfully outsmarting the club's celebrated manager, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive before him, Jason Wilcox has proved himself to be among the sport’s strategic masterminds: a strategic mind of which the club's mid-table rivals are now justifiably concerned.

A Tactical Conflict Regarding System and Philosophy

For example, it was Jason Wilcox , after having been part of the leadership that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim in the first place, played a key role in attempting to convince him to ditch his favored formation. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties were resisted. But perhaps these judgements hold greater authority when issued by a man of a man the impeccable soccer background he possesses, holder of international appearances and a role in a championship team from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he might agree to outline his reasoning publicly. Perhaps at some point questions may arise why Amorim is departing with full compensation, with no compensation reduction clause in place. But Jason Wilcox speaks rarely in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers in football – men like him – simply operate at a level beyond our own prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, most likely we would perceive would be ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not the same as being prepared to receive.

The Ultimate Power Behind Command

But of course, in training our focus on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, merely executing the commands of his ultimate superior the billionaire owner, who privately has made very clear his preference for a back four. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also proposed deploying the forward in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for the club to embrace analytics and analytics. Per reports, during a leadership summit early in his minority ownership, he announced that the team's approach of play “will be determined by this group”.

After all, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, drawing from his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he is immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the rich are the best of us: more perceptive, more wise, more tactically astute, fundamentally superior. Whom else would you trust to manage a strategic plan of austerity, the building of a new stadium that looks similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

The Modern Football Hierarchy: Directors Over Coaches

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent in top-tier of the game. Historically, clubs foolishly entrusted big footballing decisions to subordinate staff like managers, talent spotters – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, visionary coach with ideas and energy to go into an organization and implement their plan through to completion. Yet how many companies have these guys set up? How many mass redundancies have they managed? Better by far to invest the real power where it belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the guys with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. Better by far to decide the tactics in the boardroom and hire someone who can tailor their offering to suit. If managers were formerly chefs, they are now more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not really creating the food, yet finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, a coach's role has become not about defining the vision and more about selling it: the receptionist on the front desk, the visible figurehead for a club they can do little to change. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of very young players into Europe and secures two medium-sized trophies, and effectively is dismissed for speaking out. A manager at Celtic sees his standing damaged whereas those individuals who hired him live to blunder indefinitely.

The Neoliberal Football: Responsibility Only for the Coaches

And possibly in a small way this is simply corporate governance at work: the elevation of a gilded elite who are infallible, whose decisions remain sacrosanct, whose mistakes can always be resolved by sacking without explanation. Hire the system coach and then fire him for playing excessively that system. Bring in the project manager and then bin them for requiring excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for your new summer signings, for the reality that the adults – however well qualified – remain in control.