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Turns out the manager endured losing against lower-league opposition. Survive losing a crucial continental showpiece against one of the worst Spurs sides for many years. He withstood losing at home to domestic rivals, a lowly league position, the tactical inflexibility, laying waste to the team's best academy products, the 32% win rate, labeling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. But there was a single opponent against whom the Portuguese coach would not be allowed to tango. You come at Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, similar to numerous top-flight defender during Blackburn Rovers' championship campaign, the coach took on Jason Wilcox and appears to have failed. The most distracted of readers will notice the irony here: a manager who frequently berated his squad for losing individual battles succumbing in the face of the intense pressure and formidable presence of one of the Premier League’s most intimidating sporting directors.

In truth, this whole bruising episode appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. It may have been tempting, given his brief stint of experience at Southampton, to view him as merely a drudge in the United exoskeleton: an individual who owed his position as much to his close relationship with ex-colleague a fellow executive rather than any demonstrable skill. How wrong we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated head coach, just as he bested the hapless Dan Ashworth before him, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated as one of the sport’s true generals: a strategic mind that the club's competitors will now be rightly wary.

The Strategic Conflict Regarding Formation & Philosophy

For example, it was the director , after having been part of the leadership that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince him to abandon his favored 3-4-3. Naturally, these entreaties met a certain resistance. But perhaps such directives hold greater authority when issued from the mouth of a man the impeccable football pedigree he possesses, holder of three England caps and a contributor to a championship team from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually he might agree to explain his reasoning to the rest of us. Maybe one day questions may arise why Amorim is walking away with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause activated. The director seldom speaks publicly, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers of this sport – men like him – function on a plane exceeding our mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, probably all we would hear would be ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not the same as being prepared to comprehend it.

The Ultimate Authority In the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we are obscuring the real power behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, after all, merely executing the commands of his ultimate line manager the billionaire owner, who privately has made very clear his desire for a back four. According to reports, Ratcliffe has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for United to embrace analytics and metrics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit soon after his investment, he declared that United’s style to football “will be determined by this group”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is an expert in this technical football matters, leveraging his background in petrochemicals and yachting. Most importantly he is incredibly rich, and it is known, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, strategically brilliant, simply better. Whom else could one trust to oversee a strategic plan of austerity, the building of a new stadium that appears a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

The New Soccer Hierarchy: Directors Over Managers

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent in top-tier football. Historically, clubs foolishly delegated big footballing decisions to low-level employees such as coaches, scouts – players themselves. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, innovative manager with a philosophy and drive to join an organization and see their vision through to completion. But how many companies have such individuals set up? What number of large-scale layoffs have they overseen? Better by far to invest genuine authority where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with impressive professional resumes. It is wiser to determine the strategy by the directors and appoint someone who can tailor their offering to suit. If managers were once chefs, they are now more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not responsible for the food, but still finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, a coach's role is increasingly less about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the public face of an organisation they have minimal power to influence. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of literal children into Europe and wins two medium-sized trophies, and effectively is dismissed for speaking out. A manager at Celtic sees his reputation ruined while those individuals who appointed him continue to make errors another day.

The Neoliberal Football: Accountability Only for the Few

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this represents corporate governance at work: the elevation of a gilded elite who are infallible, whose decisions remain sacrosanct, whose errors can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Hire the 3-4-3 coach only to dismiss him for playing excessively 3-4-3. Bring in the process guy and then discard him for requiring excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; 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.