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Transpired Ruben Amorim was able to withstand losing against Grimsby. He weathered an important European final versus a particularly poor Tottenham teams in living memory. He withstood home defeats to domestic rivals, finishing 15th, the tactical inflexibility, undermining the team's most promising homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, labeling his team the worst in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed one adversary against whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to engage. You come at the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, like many a top-flight defender during Blackburn Rovers' championship campaign, the coach came at the executive and appears to have failed. Even the most distracted of readers can see the paradoxical situation: a coach who frequently berated his squad for losing individual battles crumbling when confronted by the intense pressure and animal charisma of one of the Premier League’s most intimidating sporting directors.

In truth, this whole painful saga appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been easy, given his brief stint of experience with the Saints, to view him as merely a drudge in the United exoskeleton: an individual whose appointment was due largely to his close relationship with ex-colleague a fellow executive as any verifiable talent. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outsmarting United’s feted head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, Jason Wilcox has proved himself to be among the sport’s true generals: a tactical intellect of which the club's mid-table rivals will now be justifiably concerned.

A Tactical Conflict Regarding Formation and Philosophy

For example, this was Jason Wilcox who being involved in the hierarchy that hired the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach in the first place, played a key role in trying to persuade Amorim to ditch his beloved 3-4-3. Naturally, these entreaties met a certain resistance. However, these judgements carry more weight when issued from the mouth of a man the unimpeachable soccer background of Jason Wilcox, holder of three England caps and a role in a championship team from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to outline his thought processes to the rest of us. Maybe one day questions may arise regarding why the coach is walking away with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause in place. But Jason Wilcox speaks rarely in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers in football – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate on a plane exceeding our prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, most likely all we would hear is a series of ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not equivalent to being prepared to comprehend it.

An Ultimate Power In Command

But of course, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the modern United throne. The director is, in reality, simply carrying out the commands of his ultimate line manager Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has emphasized his preference for a four-man defense. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for the club to embrace analytics and analytics. Per reports, during a leadership summit soon after his minority ownership, he declared that the team's approach of play “shall be decided by this group”.

After all, Sir Jim is a specialist in this technical football matters, drawing from his previous experience in industry and yachting. Most importantly he remains incredibly rich, and it is known, the wealthy are superior: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, fundamentally superior. Whom else could one trust to oversee a strategic plan of austerity, the building of a new stadium that appears similar to an abstract design, the signing of a new striker?

The Modern Soccer Hierarchy: Executives Above Coaches

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing in top-tier of the game. For decades, teams mistakenly delegated big footballing decisions to subordinate staff such as coaches, talent spotters – players themselves. Maybe previously feasible for a young, visionary coach with a philosophy and drive to go into a club and implement their plan supported to fruition. Yet how many businesses have such individuals set up? What number of large-scale layoffs have they managed? Far preferable to place the real power where it belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. Better by far to decide the tactics by the directors and appoint a coach who can tailor their methods to suit. If managers were once chefs, they are now more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not creating the food, yet ultimately answerable if it arrives poorly or fails of the box.

In the meantime, a coach's role is increasingly not about defining the vision and more about selling it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the visible figurehead of an organisation they have minimal power to change. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players into the Champions League and secures two medium-sized trophies, and essentially is dismissed for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his reputation ruined while the people who appointed him live to blunder indefinitely.

The Modern Corporate Football: Responsibility for the Coaches

And possibly in a small way this represents corporate governance at work: the rise of a privileged elite who can never be wrong, whose choices remain untouchable, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without justification. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach and then fire them for playing excessively that system. Hire the project manager and later discard them for taking excessive time. And above all show gratitude; for your modest season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the fact that the adults – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.