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Itbecame clear the manager could survive a loss to lower-league opposition. Survive an important European final against one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood home defeats against West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, squandering some of the club’s best academy products, the 32% win rate, labeling the squad the poorest the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed a single opponent against whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to tango. You come at the sporting director, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, similar to numerous Premiership right-back during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning campaign, the coach came at Jason Wilcox and appears to have failed. Even the most distracted of readers will notice the paradoxical situation: a manager who often railed his squad for losing individual battles succumbing when confronted by the intense pressure and animal charisma of one of England's top division's most intimidating football executives.

In truth, this entire painful saga seems to paint the director in a whole new light. It may have been tempting, based on his brief stint of experience at Southampton, to view him as little more than a drudge within the club's structure: an individual whose appointment was due as much to his friendship with his former boss Omar Berrada rather than any demonstrable skill. How wrong everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated manager, just as he bested the hapless a previous executive before him, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated to be among the sport’s true generals: a tactical intellect that the club's competitors are now justifiably concerned.

The Tactical Clash Regarding System and Philosophy

To illustrate, it was Jason Wilcox , after having been part of the leadership that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach originally, was instrumental in trying to persuade Amorim to abandon his beloved formation. Naturally, these pleas were resisted. However, these judgements carry more weight when issued from the mouth of a man the unimpeachable soccer background he possesses, a veteran of international appearances and a contributor to a title-winning side decades past.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to outline his reasoning publicly. Maybe one day he might be asked why Amorim is walking away with a full payout, without any penalty clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks publicly, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers of this sport – men like him – simply operate at a level exceeding our mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, probably we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not quite equivalent to being ready to comprehend it.

An Ultimate Power In the Throne

Naturally, in training our focus on the sporting director we are obscuring the real power behind the modern United throne. The director is, after all, merely executing the directives of his ultimate line manager the billionaire owner, who in private has emphasized his preference for a four-man defense. According to reports, the owner has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for United to adopt analytics and metrics. Per reports, during a leadership summit early in his minority ownership, he declared that United’s style of play “shall be decided by this group”.

After all, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate football matters, drawing from his previous experience in industry and sailing. Most importantly he remains immensely wealthy, and it is known, the rich are superior: more insightful, more wise, more tactically astute, simply better. Who else would you trust to manage a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a modern arena that looks similar to an abstract design, the acquisition of a new striker?

A Modern Football Hierarchy: Executives Above Managers

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent in top-tier of the game. For decades, clubs foolishly entrusted major sporting choices to subordinate staff like managers, talent spotters – even footballers. Perhaps it was once feasible for a young, innovative manager with a philosophy and energy to go into a club and implement their plan supported to fruition. But how many companies have these guys set up? How many mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to place genuine authority where it belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. Better by far to decide the strategy in the boardroom and hire a coach who can tailor their offering to suit. If managers were formerly chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not really responsible for the product, but still ultimately answerable if it arrives cold or fails of the box.

Nowadays, their job has become less about defining the vision and more about selling it: the receptionist of the operation, the visible figurehead for a club they can do little to influence. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of literal children into Europe and secures two medium-sized trophies, and effectively is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined whereas the people who hired him continue to make errors another day.

The Neoliberal Game: Responsibility Only for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this is simply neoliberalism at work: the elevation of a gilded overclass who are infallible, whose decisions remain sacrosanct, whose errors can always be sacked away without justification. Appoint the system coach and then fire him for using too much that system. Hire the process guy and later discard them for requiring too long. And above all show gratitude; for the incremental increases in ticket costs, for the latest summer signings, for the fact that the adults – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.