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Transpired the manager could survive losing against lower-league opposition. He weathered a decisive European final against one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood home defeats against domestic rivals, finishing 15th, his rigid approach, laying waste to the team's most promising homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, calling his team the worst the club has ever seen. But there was a single opponent against whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to tango. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, like many a Premiership right-back during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning campaign, Amorim came at the executive and appears to have failed. Even the most distracted of readers will notice the irony here: a coach who frequently berated his squad for losing one-on-one duels crumbling when confronted by the white heat and animal charisma of one of the Premier League’s most intimidating football executives.

And frankly, this entire bruising episode seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. Perhaps it might 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: a man whose appointment was due as much to his friendship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada rather than any verifiable talent. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring United’s feted head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, Jason Wilcox has proved himself as one of the sport’s strategic masterminds: a tactical intellect of which United’s mid-table rivals will now be rightly wary.

A Strategic Conflict Regarding Formation & Philosophy

For example, it was Jason Wilcox , after having been part of 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 ditch his favored formation. Naturally, these entreaties were resisted. However, these judgements hold greater authority when delivered from the mouth with the impeccable soccer background he possesses, a veteran of three England caps and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually he may be persuaded to explain his thought processes to the rest of us. Maybe one day he might be asked regarding why the coach is departing with full compensation, without any penalty clause activated. But Jason Wilcox speaks rarely publicly, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals in football – individuals such as him – function at a level exceeding our prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, most likely we would perceive is a series of high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not quite the same as being prepared to receive.

The Supreme Authority Behind the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, merely executing the commands of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has emphasized his desire for a four-man defense. According to reports, Ratcliffe has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for United to embrace analytics and analytics. Per reports, during a leadership summit early in his minority ownership, he declared that United’s style to football “will be determined by this group”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, leveraging his background in industry and sailing. Above all he remains incredibly rich, and it is known, the rich are superior: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, simply better. Who else could one trust to manage an enlightened programme of austerity, the construction of a modern arena that appears a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

A Modern Soccer Order: Directors Above Managers

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing in top-tier of the game. Historically, clubs foolishly entrusted major sporting choices to subordinate staff such as coaches, talent spotters – even footballers. Perhaps it was once feasible for a young, visionary coach with ideas and energy to join a club and implement their plan through to completion. But how many companies have such individuals established? How many large-scale layoffs have they overseen? Far preferable to place genuine authority where it belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the guys with impressive professional resumes. It is wiser to determine the tactics by the directors and appoint someone who can tailor their methods accordingly. If managers were once chefs, they are now more akin to delivery personnel: not really responsible for the product, yet ultimately answerable if it arrives cold or leaks out to meet standards.

Nowadays, their job has become not about defining the vision 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. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of literal children into the Champions League and secures two medium-sized trophies, and effectively gets sacked for talking. A manager at Celtic sees his reputation ruined whereas the people who appointed him live to blunder another day.

A Modern Corporate Game: Accountability Only for the Few

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this represents neoliberalism in action: the elevation of a gilded overclass who can never be wrong, whose decisions remain untouchable, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without justification. Hire the system coach only to fire them for playing excessively 3-4-3. Bring in the project manager and later discard him for requiring too long. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.