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Transpired he endured losing against Grimsby. He weathered losing a crucial European final versus a particularly poor Spurs sides for many years. He could survive home defeats against West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, his rigid approach, undermining some of the club’s best academy products, a poor winning percentage, labeling his team the poorest the club has ever seen. But there was one adversary with whom Ruben Amorim was not permitted to dance. You come at Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, like many a top-flight right-back in Blackburn’s title-winning campaign, the coach came at the executive and appears to have failed. The most casual observer will notice the irony here: a coach who often railed at his players for losing one-on-one duels succumbing when confronted by the white heat and formidable presence of one of England's top division's most feared sporting directors.

In truth, this entire bruising episode appears to portray Jason Wilcox in a whole new light. It may have been easy, given his nine months in a similar role with the Saints, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a drudge in the United exoskeleton: an individual who owed his position largely to his close relationship with ex-colleague a fellow executive as any verifiable talent. How wrong we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the hapless a previous executive before him, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated as one of the sport’s strategic masterminds: a strategic mind of which the club's competitors will now be justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Conflict Regarding System & Philosophy

For example, it was the director , after having been part of the leadership that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim in the first place, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to ditch his favored 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties were resisted. However, these judgements hold greater authority when issued by a man of a man the unimpeachable soccer background he possesses, a veteran of international appearances and a role in 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 why Amorim is departing with a full payout, without any compensation reduction clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers in football – individuals such as him – function on a plane beyond our own mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, most likely we would perceive is a series of high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Wanting is not equivalent to being ready to comprehend it.

An Supreme Power In the Throne

Naturally, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we are obscuring the true genius behind the modern United throne. The director is, after all, merely executing the directives of his ultimate superior the billionaire owner, who in private has made very clear his preference for a back four. It is reported, the owner has also proposed deploying the forward as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to embrace analytics and metrics. Per reports, during a leadership summit early in his minority ownership, he announced that the team's approach of play “shall be determined in this room”.

After all, Sir Jim is a specialist in this technical football matters, drawing from his background in petrochemicals and sailing. Most importantly he is incredibly rich, and it is known, the wealthy are the best of us: more perceptive, more wise, strategically brilliant, simply superior. Whom else would you trust to manage a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the building of a modern arena that appears similar to an abstract design, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

The New Football Order: Executives Above Coaches

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing in top-tier of the game. Historically, clubs foolishly delegated big footballing decisions to subordinate staff such as coaches, scouts – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, visionary coach with a philosophy and drive to join an organization and see their vision through to completion. But how many businesses have these guys established? How many large-scale layoffs have they managed? Far preferable to place the real power where it rightly belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with impressive professional resumes. It is wiser to decide the strategy by the directors and appoint a coach who will adapt their offering accordingly. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more akin to delivery personnel: not responsible for the product, but still finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or fails to meet standards.

In the meantime, a coach's role has become not about defining the vision and more about selling it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the public face of an organisation they have minimal power 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 speaking out. Wilfried Nancy finds his reputation ruined whereas the people who hired him continue to make errors another day.

A Neoliberal Game: Responsibility Only for the Few

And possibly in a small way this represents corporate governance in action: the elevation of a gilded overclass who can never be wrong, whose decisions are always sacrosanct, whose mistakes can invariably be resolved by sacking without explanation. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach only to dismiss them for playing too much 3-4-3. Bring in the process guy and later discard them for taking excessive time. And above all be grateful; for your modest increases in ticket costs, for the latest player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.