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Itbecame clear Ruben Amorim could survive losing against lower-league opposition. He weathered an important European final against one of the worst Tottenham teams for many years. He could survive home defeats against domestic rivals, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, laying waste to some of the club’s best homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, labeling the squad the worst the club has ever seen. But there was a single opponent with whom Ruben Amorim would not be allowed to engage. You come at Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, similar to numerous Premiership right-back in Blackburn’s championship campaign, the coach came at Jason Wilcox and appears to have missed. The most casual observer can see the irony here: a manager who often railed his squad for losing individual battles crumbling in the face of the intense pressure and formidable presence of one of the Premier League’s most feared sporting directors.

And frankly, this entire painful saga seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. It may have been easy, based on his nine months in a similar role with the Saints, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position as much to his friendship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada as any verifiable talent. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outsmarting United’s feted head coach, just as he bested the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, Jason Wilcox has proved himself to be among football's true generals: a tactical intellect that United’s competitors are now rightly wary.

A Tactical Clash Over System and Ideology

For example, this was Jason Wilcox who being involved in the leadership that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate the coach originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his favored formation. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties faced pushback. However, these judgements hold greater authority when issued from the mouth of a man the impeccable football pedigree he possesses, a veteran of international appearances and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he may be persuaded to outline his thought processes publicly. Perhaps at some point he might be asked regarding why the coach is walking away with full compensation, with no compensation reduction clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals of this sport – individuals such as him – function at a level exceeding our mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, probably all we would hear would be high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not quite the same as being ready to receive.

The Supreme Power In the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the real power behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, merely executing the directives of his ultimate superior the billionaire owner, who in private has made very clear his desire for a back four. According to reports, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for United to adopt analytics and metrics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit soon after his minority ownership, he announced that United’s style to football “shall be determined in this room”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in this technical football matters, leveraging his previous experience in petrochemicals and sailing. Most importantly he is immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, sagacious, more tactically astute, fundamentally better. Whom else could one trust to manage a strategic plan of austerity, the construction of a new stadium that appears a lot like an abstract design, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

A Modern Football Order: Executives Above Managers

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing in top-tier of the game. Historically, clubs foolishly entrusted major sporting choices to subordinate staff like managers, scouts – even footballers. Maybe previously possible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with a philosophy and drive to go into a club and see their vision supported to fruition. But how many businesses have such individuals set up? What number of mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to place genuine authority where it belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to determine the tactics in the boardroom and hire a coach who can tailor their methods to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they are now more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not responsible for the food, yet finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out of the box.

Nowadays, their job has become not about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the receptionist of the operation, the visible figurehead for a club they have minimal power to change. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of very young players into the Champions League and wins two medium-sized trophies, and essentially is dismissed for speaking out. A manager at Celtic sees his reputation ruined while those individuals who hired him live to blunder indefinitely.

The Neoliberal Game: Responsibility for the Coaches

And possibly on some microcosmic level this is simply neoliberalism in action: the rise of a privileged overclass who can never be wrong, whose choices are always untouchable, whose mistakes can invariably be resolved by sacking without explanation. Hire the 3-4-3 coach only to fire him for playing excessively 3-4-3. Bring in the project manager and then bin him for taking excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for your modest season ticket price rises, for your new summer signings, for the fact that the adults – however well qualified – are in charge.