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Turns out Ruben Amorim could survive defeat by Grimsby. He weathered an important European final versus a particularly poor Tottenham teams in living memory. He withstood losing at home against West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, his rigid approach, squandering the team's best homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, calling his team the poorest the club has ever seen. But there was a single opponent against whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to tango. You come at Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, like many a top-flight right-back during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning 1994-95 season, Amorim took on the executive and appears to have missed. Even the most casual observer can see the paradoxical situation: a manager who frequently berated his squad for losing individual battles crumbling when confronted by the intense pressure and animal charisma of a England's top division's most feared sporting directors.

In truth, this entire painful saga appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. It may have been tempting, given his brief stint in a similar role with the Saints, to regard Jason Wilcox as little more than a drudge within the club's structure: an individual whose appointment was due largely to his close relationship with his former boss Omar Berrada rather than any demonstrable skill. How mistaken everyone was. By masterfully outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless Dan Ashworth before him, he has proved himself to be among football's strategic masterminds: a strategic mind that United’s mid-table rivals are now rightly wary.

A Tactical Clash Regarding Formation & Ideology

For example, it was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the hierarchy that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his beloved 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these pleas faced pushback. But perhaps such directives carry more weight when delivered by a man with the impeccable football pedigree he possesses, a veteran of international appearances and a role in a title-winning side decades past.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to outline his thought processes to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point questions may arise regarding why the coach is walking away with full compensation, with no compensation reduction clause in place. The director seldom speaks publicly, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals of this sport – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate on a plane beyond our own prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, most likely all we would hear is a series of high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Wanting is not the same as being prepared to receive.

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. Jason Wilcox is, after all, simply carrying out the commands of his ultimate superior the billionaire owner, who in private has emphasized his desire for a four-man defense. It is reported, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for United to adopt analytics and analytics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit early in his minority ownership, he announced that the team's approach to football “will be decided by this group”.

After all, Sir Jim is an expert in these intricate football matters, drawing from his background in industry and yachting. Most importantly he is immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the rich are superior: more insightful, more wise, more tactically astute, fundamentally superior. Who else would you trust to oversee a strategic plan of austerity, the building of a new stadium that looks similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of a new striker?

A Modern Soccer Order: Directors Above Managers

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels of the game. Historically, teams mistakenly delegated major sporting choices to subordinate staff like managers, scouts – players themselves. Maybe previously feasible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with a philosophy and drive to go into an organization and see their vision supported to fruition. Yet how many companies have these guys set up? How many mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to invest genuine authority where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with impressive LinkedIn profiles. It is wiser to decide the strategy in the boardroom and hire someone who can tailor their offering accordingly. If coaches were once chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not responsible for the food, but still finally accountable if it arrives poorly or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, their job is increasingly less about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the receptionist on the front desk, the visible figurehead for a club they have minimal power to change. Enzo Maresca leads a team of literal children into the Champions League and secures two medium-sized trophies, and essentially gets sacked for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined while those individuals who appointed him live to blunder another day.

The Modern Corporate Game: Responsibility Only for the Few

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this represents corporate governance in action: the rise of a gilded elite who are infallible, whose decisions remain untouchable, whose errors can always be resolved by sacking without explanation. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach and then fire them for using excessively 3-4-3. Bring in the project manager and later bin them for requiring too long. And most importantly be grateful; for your modest season ticket price rises, for the latest player acquisitions, for the fact that the adults – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.