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Itranspired Ruben Amorim could survive a loss to lower-league opposition. Survive losing a crucial continental showpiece versus a particularly poor Tottenham teams for many years. He could survive losing at home to domestic rivals, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, laying waste to the team's most promising academy products, a poor winning percentage, labeling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. But there was one adversary against whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to engage. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, like many a top-flight right-back during Blackburn Rovers' championship 1994-95 season, the coach came at the executive and appears to have missed. The most distracted of readers can see the irony here: a coach who often railed his squad for failing in one-on-one duels crumbling in the face of the white heat and animal charisma of a England's top division's most feared football executives.

And frankly, this whole bruising episode appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. It may have been easy, based on his brief stint of experience with the Saints, to view him as merely a functionary within the club's structure: an individual who owed his position as much to his friendship with his former boss a fellow executive rather than any demonstrable skill. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outsmarting the club's celebrated head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless Dan Ashworth before him, he has proved himself to be among football's true generals: a tactical intellect that United’s mid-table rivals are now justifiably concerned.

A Tactical Conflict Over System & Ideology

For example, it was Jason Wilcox who being involved in the leadership that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim in the first place, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his beloved 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties met a certain resistance. But perhaps such directives hold greater authority when issued from the mouth of a man the unimpeachable football pedigree he possesses, a veteran of three England caps and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he may be persuaded to explain his reasoning publicly. Maybe one day he might be asked regarding why the coach is departing with a full payout, without any penalty clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers in football – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – function at a level beyond our own prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, probably all we would hear would be high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not quite equivalent to being ready to receive.

The Supreme Authority In the Throne

Naturally, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we are obscuring the true genius behind the club's current leadership. The director is, in reality, simply carrying out the commands of his line manager the billionaire owner, who in private has emphasized his preference for a four-man defense. It is reported, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for United to embrace analytics and metrics. Per reports, during a leadership summit soon after his minority ownership, he declared that United’s style to football “will be determined in this room”.

After all, Sir Jim is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, leveraging his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he is immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, simply superior. Whom else would you trust to oversee a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a modern arena that appears similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

A New Football Order: Executives Over Coaches

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels of the game. Historically, clubs foolishly entrusted big footballing decisions to subordinate staff like managers, scouts – players themselves. Perhaps it was once possible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with a philosophy and drive to join a club and implement their plan supported to fruition. But how many companies have such individuals set up? How many mass redundancies have they managed? Far preferable to place genuine authority where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the guys with impressive LinkedIn profiles. It is wiser to determine the tactics in the boardroom and hire someone who can tailor their offering accordingly. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not really creating the product, yet finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or fails of the box.

In the meantime, their job is increasingly not about defining the vision and more about selling it: the receptionist of the operation, the public face for a club they have minimal power to influence. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of literal children into the Champions League and wins two medium-sized trophies, and effectively gets sacked for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined whereas those individuals who appointed him continue to make errors another day.

The Neoliberal Football: Accountability Only for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this represents neoliberalism in action: the rise of a privileged overclass who are infallible, whose decisions remain untouchable, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without justification. Appoint the system coach and then dismiss them for playing excessively 3-4-3. Bring in the process guy and later discard him for taking too long. And above all show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the fact that the adults – however well qualified – remain in control.