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Iturns out the manager endured defeat by lower-league opposition. Survive losing a crucial continental showpiece against one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He could survive losing at home to West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, laying waste to some of the club’s best homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the poorest in Manchester United history. But there was one adversary against whom the Portuguese coach would not be allowed to engage. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, similar to numerous top-flight right-back during Blackburn Rovers' championship campaign, Amorim took on the executive and seems to have missed. Even the most distracted of readers can see the paradoxical situation: a manager who often railed at his players for failing in individual battles crumbling in the face of the intense pressure and animal charisma of a the Premier League’s most feared sporting directors.

In truth, this entire bruising episode appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been tempting, based on his brief stint of experience at Southampton, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a drudge within the club's structure: an individual who owed his position largely to his close relationship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada as any verifiable talent. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outsmarting United’s feted manager, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive before him, Jason Wilcox has proved himself to be among the sport’s true generals: a strategic mind of which United’s competitors will now be rightly wary.

A Tactical Clash Over System and Philosophy

To illustrate, this was the director who having been part of the hierarchy that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach originally, played a key role in trying to persuade him to abandon his favored 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these pleas faced pushback. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when delivered by a man with the impeccable soccer background he possesses, holder of three England caps and a role in a title-winning side decades past.

Perhaps in time he may be persuaded to outline his thought processes publicly. Perhaps at some point he might be asked regarding why the coach is walking away with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause activated. But Jason Wilcox speaks rarely in public, 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. If he ever did speak, most likely we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not equivalent to being prepared to receive.

An Supreme Authority In the Throne

Naturally, in training our focus on the sporting director we are obscuring the true genius behind the modern United throne. The director is, after all, merely executing the commands of his line manager Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has emphasized his desire for a four-man defense. It is reported, the owner has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to adopt data science and analytics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit early in his investment, he announced that the team's approach of play “shall be decided by this group”.

After all, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, drawing from his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Most importantly he remains immensely wealthy, and it is known, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, fundamentally superior. Who else could one trust to oversee a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the construction of a modern arena that looks a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of a new striker?

The Modern Soccer Order: Directors Above Managers

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing in top-tier of the game. For decades, teams mistakenly entrusted big footballing decisions to low-level employees like managers, talent spotters – players themselves. Maybe previously feasible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with ideas and drive to join a club and implement their plan through to completion. Yet how many companies have these guys established? How many large-scale layoffs have they managed? Far preferable to invest the real power where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. Better by far to determine the tactics in the boardroom and hire a coach who will adapt their offering to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not really creating the product, yet finally accountable should it be delivered cold or leaks out to meet standards.

In the meantime, their job is increasingly less about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the visible figurehead 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 essentially gets sacked for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy finds his reputation ruined whereas the people who hired him continue to make errors another day.

The Neoliberal Football: Accountability Only for the Coaches

And possibly in a small way this represents corporate governance in action: the elevation of a privileged elite who can never be wrong, whose decisions are always sacrosanct, whose mistakes can always be sacked away without explanation. Hire the 3-4-3 coach and then dismiss them for playing too much 3-4-3. Hire the process guy and later discard them for requiring too long. 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.