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Iturns out Ruben Amorim could survive defeat by Grimsby. Survive a decisive continental showpiece versus a particularly poor Spurs sides in living memory. He could survive losing at home against domestic rivals, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, 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 against whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to dance. You come at Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Unfortunately, like many a Premiership right-back during Blackburn Rovers' championship 1994-95 season, Amorim came at the executive and appears to have missed. The most distracted of readers can see the irony here: a coach who frequently berated at his players for losing one-on-one duels succumbing when confronted by the white heat and animal charisma of a the Premier League’s most intimidating sporting directors.

In truth, this whole painful saga seems to paint the director in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been tempting, based on his nine months in a similar role with the Saints, to view him as merely a functionary in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position largely to his close relationship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada rather than any verifiable talent. How mistaken we all were. By masterfully outsmarting United’s feted manager, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, he has proved himself as one of football's true generals: a strategic mind that the club's competitors will now be justifiably concerned.

A Tactical Clash Over Formation & Philosophy

For example, it was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the leadership that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim originally, was instrumental in trying to persuade Amorim to ditch his favored formation. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties faced pushback. However, such directives hold greater authority when issued by a man with the impeccable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, holder of three England caps and a contributor to a championship team from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox might agree to outline his reasoning publicly. Perhaps at some point questions may arise regarding why the coach is departing with full compensation, with no compensation reduction clause in place. But Jason Wilcox speaks rarely publicly, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – men like Jason Wilcox – function at a level exceeding our prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, probably we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not quite the same as being prepared to comprehend it.

An Supreme Authority In Command

Naturally, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we overlook the true genius behind the club's current leadership. The director is, in reality, simply carrying out the directives of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has emphasized his desire for a back four. According to reports, Ratcliffe has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for United to adopt analytics and analytics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit early in his investment, he announced that the team's approach to football “will be determined by this group”.

After all, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate football matters, drawing from his background in industry and sailing. Most importantly he remains incredibly rich, and as we all know, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, simply better. Whom else would you trust to manage an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the building of a modern arena that appears similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

A New Soccer Order: Directors Over Coaches

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels football. For decades, clubs foolishly entrusted big footballing decisions to subordinate staff such as coaches, talent spotters – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, visionary coach with a philosophy and drive to join a club and implement their plan through to completion. Yet how many businesses have these guys established? What number of mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to invest genuine authority where it belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with impressive LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to decide the strategy by the directors and hire a coach who will adapt their offering to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they are now more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not really responsible for the product, yet finally accountable should it be delivered cold or fails of the box.

Nowadays, their job has become 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. A coach at Chelsea takes a squad of literal children into the Champions League and wins domestic cups, and essentially gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined whereas those individuals who hired him live to blunder another day.

The Neoliberal Game: Accountability Only for the Coaches

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this represents neoliberalism at work: the rise of a privileged overclass who can never be wrong, whose decisions are always sacrosanct, whose errors can always be sacked away without justification. Appoint the system coach only to dismiss them for using excessively that system. Bring in the project manager and later bin him for requiring excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for your new player acquisitions, for the reality that the adults – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.