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Itranspired Ruben Amorim endured losing against Grimsby. He weathered an important European final versus one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood home defeats to domestic rivals, finishing 15th, the tactical inflexibility, squandering the team's most promising homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the worst the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed one adversary against whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to tango. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous Premiership right-back in Blackburn’s title-winning campaign, the coach took on Jason Wilcox and appears to have failed. Even the most casual observer can see the paradoxical situation: a manager who frequently berated at his players for failing in individual battles crumbling in the face of the intense pressure and formidable presence of a the Premier League’s most intimidating football executives.

In truth, this whole painful saga seems to paint the director in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been tempting, given his nine months in a similar role with the Saints, to view him as merely a functionary in the United exoskeleton: a man whose appointment was due largely to his close relationship with ex-colleague a fellow executive rather than any demonstrable skill. How wrong everyone was. In brilliantly outsmarting the club's celebrated manager, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, he has proved himself as one of the sport’s true generals: a strategic mind that the club's competitors will now be justifiably concerned.

A Tactical Clash Regarding Formation and Ideology

For example, it was the director , after having been part of the hierarchy that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach in the first place, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his beloved 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these pleas were resisted. But perhaps such directives hold greater authority when delivered from the mouth with the impeccable football pedigree he possesses, holder of international appearances and a contributor to a title-winning side decades past.

Perhaps in time he might agree to explain his reasoning publicly. Perhaps at some point he might be asked why Amorim is walking away with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause in place. The director seldom speaks in public, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers of this sport – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate at a level beyond our own prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, most likely all we would hear is a series of ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not quite equivalent to being ready to receive.

The Ultimate Authority In the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the true genius behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the directives of his superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has emphasized his preference for a back four. According to reports, the owner has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for the club to adopt data science and analytics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting soon after his minority ownership, he declared that United’s style to football “will be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is a specialist in this technical footballing stuff, leveraging his background in petrochemicals and yachting. Above all he remains immensely wealthy, and it is known, the wealthy are superior: more perceptive, sagacious, strategically brilliant, fundamentally better. Who else would you trust to manage an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the construction of a new stadium that appears a lot like an abstract design, the signing of a new striker?

The New Football Order: Executives Above Coaches

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent in top-tier football. For decades, clubs foolishly entrusted big footballing decisions to subordinate staff such as coaches, talent spotters – players themselves. Perhaps it was once feasible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with ideas and drive to join a club and implement their plan supported to fruition. But how many businesses have such individuals set up? What number of mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to place the real power where it belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the individuals with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the strategy in the boardroom and appoint a coach who will adapt their methods to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not really creating the product, yet ultimately answerable if it arrives poorly or leaks out of the box.

In the meantime, their job has become not about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the receptionist of the operation, the public face of an organisation they can do little to influence. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of literal children into the Champions League and wins two medium-sized trophies, and essentially is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his standing damaged while those individuals who appointed him live to blunder another day.

A Neoliberal Game: Accountability for the Few

And possibly in a small way this is simply neoliberalism in action: the rise of a privileged elite who are infallible, whose decisions remain untouchable, whose errors can invariably be resolved by sacking without justification. Hire the 3-4-3 coach only to dismiss him for using too much that system. Hire the project manager and then discard them for taking excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – however well qualified – are in charge.