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Turns out Ruben Amorim was able to withstand defeat by Grimsby. Survive an important European final against a particularly poor Tottenham teams in living memory. He could survive losing at home against domestic rivals, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, laying waste to some of the club’s most promising homegrown talent, a poor winning percentage, labeling his team the poorest the club has ever seen. Yet, there existed one adversary against whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to tango. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous top-flight right-back during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning campaign, the coach came at Jason Wilcox and appears to have failed. Even the most distracted of readers can see the paradoxical situation: a manager who frequently berated his squad for failing in individual battles succumbing when confronted by the white heat and formidable presence of a England's top division's most intimidating sporting directors.

In truth, this whole bruising episode appears to portray the director in a different perspective. It may have been tempting, given his nine months in a similar role at Southampton, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man whose appointment was due largely to his close relationship with his former boss a fellow executive as any verifiable talent. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outsmarting the club's celebrated head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless Dan Ashworth before him, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated as one of football's true generals: a strategic mind that the club's competitors will now be justifiably concerned.

The Strategic Conflict Over Formation & Philosophy

For example, this was the director who being involved in the hierarchy that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim in the first place, was instrumental in trying to persuade him to abandon his favored formation. Naturally, these pleas met a certain resistance. But perhaps such directives carry more weight when delivered from the mouth of a man the unimpeachable soccer background he possesses, a veteran of three England caps and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually he might agree to outline his thought processes publicly. Maybe one day he might be asked why Amorim is walking away with a full payout, without any penalty clause in place. The director speaks rarely publicly, and with very good reason. The true intellectuals of this sport – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate at a level exceeding our prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, probably all we would hear is a series of high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Desiring an explanation is not quite the same as being prepared to comprehend it.

The Ultimate Power Behind Command

But of course, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, in reality, simply carrying out the directives of his line manager Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who in private has made very clear his desire for a back four. It is reported, the owner has also suggested playing Bryan Mbeumo as a right wing-back. The owner is eager for United to adopt analytics and metrics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting soon after his minority ownership, he announced that the team's approach of play “will be decided in this room”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in this technical football matters, drawing from his background in industry and sailing. Above all he remains incredibly rich, and as we all know, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, fundamentally superior. Who else could one trust to oversee an enlightened programme of austerity, the construction of a new stadium that looks similar to an abstract design, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

The New Football Order: Executives Above Coaches

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels of the game. Historically, teams mistakenly delegated major sporting choices to low-level employees such as coaches, talent spotters – players themselves. Perhaps it was once feasible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with ideas and drive to join an organization and see their vision supported to fruition. Yet how many companies have such individuals established? What number of mass redundancies have they overseen? Far preferable to invest genuine authority where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the guys with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. Better by far to decide the tactics by the directors and hire a coach who will adapt their offering to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not responsible for the product, yet finally accountable should it be delivered cold or leaks out of the box.

In the meantime, their job is increasingly not about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the receptionist on the front desk, the visible figurehead of an organisation they can do little to influence. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players into Europe and wins domestic cups, and effectively gets sacked for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy finds his reputation ruined whereas those individuals who hired him live to blunder another day.

The Modern Corporate Game: Accountability for the Few

And perhaps in a small way this is simply corporate governance in action: the elevation of a gilded elite who can never be wrong, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose errors can invariably be resolved by sacking without justification. Hire the 3-4-3 coach and then fire them for playing too much that system. Hire the project manager and later bin them for taking too long. And most importantly show gratitude; for your modest increases in ticket costs, for the latest player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – however well qualified – are in charge.