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Itranspired Ruben Amorim could survive a loss to Grimsby. He weathered losing a crucial European final versus one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood home defeats against domestic rivals, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, squandering some of the club’s most promising academy products, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. But there was one adversary with whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to dance. You come at Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous Premiership defender during Blackburn Rovers' championship campaign, Amorim came at the executive and appears to have missed. Even the most distracted of readers will notice the irony here: a manager who often railed his squad for failing in one-on-one duels succumbing when confronted by the intense pressure and animal charisma of a the Premier League’s most intimidating football executives.

And frankly, this whole painful saga appears to portray the director in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been tempting, based on his brief stint in a similar role with the Saints, to regard Jason Wilcox as merely a drudge within the club's structure: a man whose appointment was due largely to his close relationship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada as any demonstrable skill. How wrong everyone was. By masterfully outsmarting United’s feted manager, just as he bested the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, he has demonstrated to be among football's strategic masterminds: a tactical intellect that the club's competitors will now be rightly wary.

The Strategic Conflict Over System & Ideology

To illustrate, this was the director , after being involved in the hierarchy that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his beloved formation. Naturally, these pleas were resisted. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when issued from the mouth with the unimpeachable soccer background he possesses, a veteran of three England caps and a contributor to a championship team decades past.

Perhaps in time he might agree to explain his reasoning to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked why Amorim is departing with a full payout, without any penalty clause activated. The director seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers in football – individuals such as him – simply operate at a level exceeding our mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, probably all we would hear is a series of ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not quite equivalent to being prepared to comprehend it.

The Ultimate Authority In the Throne

Naturally, in training our focus on Jason Wilcox we overlook the true genius behind the modern United throne. The director is, in reality, merely executing the commands of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has made very clear his preference for a back four. It is reported, the owner has also proposed deploying the forward in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for United to adopt data science and metrics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit early in his investment, he declared that United’s style to football “shall be determined by this group”.

After all, Sir Jim is a specialist in these intricate footballing stuff, leveraging his background in industry and yachting. Most importantly he remains incredibly rich, and as we all know, the wealthy are superior: more insightful, more wise, more tactically astute, simply superior. Whom else could one trust to oversee a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the construction of a modern arena that appears similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

The New Soccer Order: Directors Over Coaches

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels of the game. For decades, clubs foolishly delegated big footballing decisions to low-level employees such as coaches, talent spotters – even footballers. Perhaps it was once feasible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with a philosophy and drive to go into an organization and implement their plan supported to fruition. But how many companies have these guys set up? How many mass redundancies have they overseen? 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 strategy by the directors and appoint a coach who will adapt their methods to suit. If managers were formerly chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not really responsible for the food, yet finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, a coach's role is increasingly less about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the receptionist of the operation, the public face of an organisation they can do little to change. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players 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 appointed him live to blunder another day.

The Modern Corporate Football: Accountability Only for the Coaches

And possibly in a small way this represents neoliberalism at work: the rise of a privileged overclass who are infallible, whose decisions are always sacrosanct, whose mistakes can always be resolved by sacking without justification. Appoint the system coach and then dismiss him for playing too much 3-4-3. Bring in the process guy and later discard them for taking excessive time. And above all show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for the latest player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – however well qualified – are in charge.