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Iturns out he could survive losing against Grimsby. Survive a decisive continental showpiece against one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood losing at home to domestic rivals, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, undermining some of the club’s most promising academy products, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the worst in Manchester United history. But there was a single opponent with whom the Portuguese coach would not be allowed to dance. You come at the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, like many a top-flight right-back during Blackburn Rovers' championship campaign, Amorim came at the executive and appears to have missed. The most casual observer can see the paradoxical situation: a coach who often railed his squad for failing in one-on-one duels crumbling in the face of the white heat and animal charisma of one of England's top division's most intimidating sporting directors.

And frankly, this whole painful saga seems to paint the director in a different perspective. Perhaps it might have been tempting, based on his brief stint of experience at Southampton, to regard Jason Wilcox as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: a man who owed his position as much to his close relationship with ex-colleague a fellow executive as any verifiable talent. How mistaken everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless Dan Ashworth before him, Jason Wilcox has proved himself as one of football's true generals: a tactical intellect of which United’s mid-table rivals will now be justifiably concerned.

The Strategic Conflict Over Formation & Philosophy

For example, this was the director , after 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 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties met a certain resistance. However, such directives hold greater authority when delivered by a man of a man the unimpeachable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, a veteran of three England caps and a role in a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox might agree to explain his reasoning publicly. Maybe one day he might be asked why Amorim is departing with a full payout, with no compensation reduction clause activated. The director seldom speaks publicly, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers in football – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate on a plane beyond our own mundane comprehension. Were he to speak, probably we would perceive is a series of high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Desiring an explanation is not equivalent to being prepared to comprehend it.

The Ultimate Power Behind the Throne

Naturally, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the true genius behind the club's current leadership. The director is, after all, simply carrying out the commands of his ultimate superior the billionaire owner, who in private has emphasized his desire for a back four. According to reports, Ratcliffe has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to adopt analytics and metrics. Per reports, during a leadership summit soon after his minority ownership, he announced that United’s style of play “will be determined in this room”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate footballing stuff, leveraging his previous experience in petrochemicals and sailing. Above all he is incredibly rich, and it is known, the rich are the best of us: more insightful, more wise, strategically brilliant, simply superior. Who else could one trust to oversee an enlightened programme of austerity, the building of a modern arena that looks similar to someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of a new striker?

A Modern Soccer Order: Directors Above Coaches

This is a trend that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels of the game. Historically, teams mistakenly delegated big footballing decisions to subordinate staff such as coaches, talent spotters – players themselves. Maybe previously possible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with ideas and drive to go into a club and implement their plan through to completion. But how many businesses have these guys established? How many mass redundancies have they managed? Far preferable to place the real power where it belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the guys with impressive LinkedIn profiles. It is wiser to decide the strategy in the boardroom and appoint a coach who can tailor their offering to suit. If managers were once chefs, they have become more akin to Deliveroo drivers: not really responsible for the food, but still finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out to meet standards.

In the meantime, their job has become not about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the public face for a club they have minimal power to change. A coach at Chelsea takes a squad of literal children into the Champions League and wins two medium-sized trophies, and effectively is dismissed for speaking out. A manager at Celtic finds his reputation ruined whereas those individuals who hired him live to blunder indefinitely.

The Neoliberal Football: Accountability for the Few

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this represents neoliberalism at work: the rise of a privileged overclass who can never be wrong, whose decisions are always sacrosanct, whose mistakes can always be sacked away without justification. Appoint the system coach and then fire him for using excessively that system. Hire the project manager and then bin him for requiring excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the reality that the adults – however well qualified – remain in control.