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Iturns out the manager was able to withstand a loss to lower-league opposition. Survive a decisive continental showpiece against one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood losing at home against West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, the tactical inflexibility, undermining the team's best homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, labeling his team the poorest in Manchester United history. But there was a single opponent with whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to tango. If you challenge the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, like many a top-flight defender during Blackburn Rovers' championship 1994-95 season, the coach took on Jason Wilcox and appears to have failed. The most casual observer can see the paradoxical situation: a coach who frequently berated at his players for failing in one-on-one duels crumbling in the face of the intense pressure and formidable presence of a England's top division's most feared sporting directors.

And frankly, this entire bruising episode appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been tempting, based on his nine months of experience at Southampton, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a drudge in the United exoskeleton: an individual whose appointment was due as much to his friendship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada as any verifiable talent. How mistaken everyone was. By masterfully outmanoeuvring United’s feted manager, just as he bested the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, Jason Wilcox has proved himself to be among the sport’s true generals: a tactical intellect that United’s competitors are now justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Conflict Regarding System & Philosophy

To illustrate, it was the director 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 attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his favored 3-4-3. Naturally, these entreaties faced pushback. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when issued by a man of a man the impeccable soccer background he possesses, holder of international appearances and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he might agree to explain his thought processes publicly. Perhaps at some point questions may arise regarding why the coach is departing with a full payout, with no penalty clause activated. The director speaks rarely 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, most likely we would perceive is a series of ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not the same as being prepared to receive.

The Ultimate Power In Command

Naturally, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we are obscuring the true genius behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the directives of his ultimate superior the billionaire owner, who in private has emphasized his desire for a four-man defense. According to reports, the owner has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for United to embrace data science and metrics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting soon after his minority ownership, he announced that the team's approach of play “shall be determined by this group”.

After all, Sir Jim is a specialist in these intricate footballing stuff, leveraging his previous experience in petrochemicals and yachting. Above all he is immensely wealthy, and it is known, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, simply superior. Who else would you trust to oversee a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the construction of a modern arena that looks a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

The New Soccer Order: Executives Over Coaches

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels football. Historically, teams mistakenly delegated big footballing decisions to low-level employees such as coaches, scouts – players themselves. Perhaps it was once feasible for a young, visionary coach with ideas and energy to go into an organization and see their vision through to completion. Yet how many businesses have these guys established? What number of mass redundancies have they managed? Better by far to invest genuine authority where it belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the guys with impressive professional resumes. Better by far to decide the tactics by the directors and hire someone who can tailor their methods to suit. If managers were formerly chefs, they are now more like delivery personnel: not creating the product, yet ultimately answerable should it be delivered cold or fails of the box.

In the meantime, their job is increasingly not about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the front-facing representative on the front desk, the visible figurehead for a club they can do little to change. A coach at Chelsea takes a squad of very young players into the Champions League and wins two medium-sized trophies, and essentially gets sacked for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy finds his standing damaged while the people who hired him live to blunder indefinitely.

A Modern Corporate Football: Responsibility Only for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this is simply corporate governance in action: the elevation of a gilded overclass who are infallible, whose choices are always untouchable, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without justification. Hire the 3-4-3 coach and then dismiss them for playing excessively that system. Bring in the process guy and later bin them for requiring too long. And most importantly show gratitude; for your modest increases in ticket costs, for your new summer signings, for the fact that the adults – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.