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Itranspired he was able to withstand losing against Grimsby. Survive losing a crucial continental showpiece versus a particularly poor Tottenham teams for many years. He could survive losing at home against West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, undermining the team's most promising homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, calling his team the worst in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed a single opponent against whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to engage. You come at Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Unfortunately, like many a Premiership defender during Blackburn Rovers' championship 1994-95 season, the coach came at the executive and seems to have failed. Even the most casual observer will notice the paradoxical situation: a manager who often railed his squad for losing one-on-one duels succumbing in the face of the intense pressure and formidable presence of a England's top division's most feared football executives.

And frankly, this entire painful saga seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been easy, given his brief stint in a similar role at Southampton, to regard him as little more than a drudge within the club's structure: a man who owed his position as much to his friendship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada rather than any demonstrable skill. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outsmarting United’s feted manager, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, Jason Wilcox has proved himself to be among the sport’s strategic masterminds: a strategic mind that United’s mid-table rivals will now be justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Clash Regarding Formation & Ideology

For example, it was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the leadership that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to ditch his favored formation. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties were resisted. But perhaps such directives hold greater authority when delivered from the mouth with the unimpeachable soccer background he possesses, a veteran of international appearances and a role in a title-winning side decades past.

Maybe eventually he may be persuaded to explain his reasoning to the rest of us. Maybe one day he might be asked regarding why the coach is departing 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 of this sport – men like him – function on a plane exceeding our prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, most likely we would perceive would be ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Wanting is not the same as being ready to comprehend it.

An Ultimate Power Behind the Throne

But of course, 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 in private has emphasized his preference for a back four. It is reported, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to adopt analytics and metrics. Per reports, in an executive meeting early in his investment, he declared that United’s style of play “shall be determined by this group”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, drawing from his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Most importantly he is incredibly rich, and as we all know, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, simply superior. Who else would you trust to manage a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a new stadium that looks a lot like an abstract design, the signing of a new striker?

The Modern Football Hierarchy: Directors Above Managers

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels of the game. For decades, clubs foolishly delegated major sporting choices to subordinate staff like managers, talent spotters – even footballers. Maybe previously possible for a young, innovative manager with a philosophy and energy to go into a club and see their vision through to completion. But how many companies have such individuals set up? How many large-scale layoffs have they overseen? Far preferable to place the real power where it rightly belongs: the leadership tier, the casually dressed executives, the guys with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the tactics in the boardroom and hire a coach who will adapt their methods to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they are now more like delivery personnel: not really creating the product, but still ultimately answerable if it arrives cold or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, a coach's role is increasingly less about defining the vision and more about selling it: the receptionist on the front desk, the visible figurehead for a club they can do little to change. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of very young players into Europe and secures two medium-sized trophies, and essentially gets sacked for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy finds his standing damaged while those individuals who appointed him live to blunder another day.

A Neoliberal Game: Accountability for the Few

And possibly on some microcosmic level this represents corporate governance at work: the elevation of a privileged elite who can never be wrong, whose choices are always untouchable, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Appoint the system coach and then fire him for using excessively 3-4-3. Hire the process guy and later discard him for taking too long. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for your new summer signings, for the reality that the grownups – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.