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Tbecame clear the manager endured a loss to lower-league opposition. Survive a decisive European final against a particularly poor Spurs sides in living memory. He withstood losing at home to West Ham and Wolves, a lowly league position, his rigid approach, undermining some of the club’s most promising homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, labeling his team the poorest in Manchester United history. But there was a single opponent against whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to engage. You come at Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, similar to numerous top-flight defender in Blackburn’s title-winning campaign, the coach took on Jason Wilcox and seems to have missed. The most casual observer can see the paradoxical situation: a coach who frequently berated his squad for failing in individual battles crumbling when confronted by the white heat and animal charisma of one of England's top division's most intimidating football executives.

In truth, this whole bruising episode seems to paint Jason Wilcox in a different perspective. It may have been easy, given his nine months of experience with the Saints, to view him as merely a drudge within the club's structure: a man who owed his position as much to his close relationship with ex-colleague a fellow executive rather than any verifiable talent. How mistaken we all were. By masterfully outsmarting United’s feted head coach, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate Dan Ashworth before him, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated to be among the sport’s true generals: a tactical intellect that the club's competitors will now be justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Clash Regarding System and Ideology

For example, this was Jason Wilcox , after having been part of the leadership that hired the 3-4-3 fundamentalist the coach originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to ditch his beloved formation. Naturally, these pleas met a certain resistance. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when delivered from the mouth with 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.

Perhaps in time Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to explain his thought processes publicly. Maybe one day questions may arise why Amorim is departing with a full payout, with no compensation reduction clause activated. But Jason Wilcox speaks rarely in public, for excellent reasons. The true intellectuals of this sport – men like Jason Wilcox – simply operate on a plane exceeding our prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, most likely all we would hear would be ultrasonic blips and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not equivalent to being prepared to receive.

An Ultimate Authority In the Throne

But of course, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, after all, simply carrying out the commands of his ultimate line manager the billionaire owner, who privately has made very clear his desire for a four-man defense. According to reports, Ratcliffe has also suggested deploying the forward as a right wing-back. Ratcliffe is keen for United to adopt data science and analytics. Per reports, in an executive meeting early in his minority ownership, he declared that United’s style of play “shall be decided by this group”.

Ultimately, Ratcliffe is an expert in these intricate football matters, drawing from his background in petrochemicals and yachting. Most importantly he remains immensely wealthy, and as we all know, the wealthy are superior: more perceptive, more wise, strategically brilliant, fundamentally superior. Whom else could one trust to oversee an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the building of a new stadium that appears a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

The New Football Hierarchy: Executives Over Coaches

This is a trend we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels of the game. Historically, teams mistakenly entrusted big footballing decisions to subordinate staff like managers, talent spotters – players themselves. Perhaps it was once feasible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with ideas and drive to go into an organization and see their vision supported to fruition. But how many companies have such individuals established? How many large-scale layoffs have they managed? Better by far to place genuine authority where it belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the guys with the jaw-dropping professional resumes. Better by far to decide the tactics in the boardroom and appoint a coach who will adapt their methods to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they are now more like delivery personnel: not really creating the product, but still finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or fails to meet standards.

Nowadays, a coach's role is increasingly less about defining the vision and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the public face for a club they have minimal power to change. Enzo Maresca leads a team of very young players into Europe and wins two medium-sized trophies, and effectively is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his reputation ruined whereas those individuals who appointed him live to blunder indefinitely.

A Modern Corporate Football: Responsibility Only for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this represents neoliberalism at work: the rise of a gilded elite who can never be wrong, whose choices remain untouchable, whose errors can always be sacked away without justification. Appoint the 3-4-3 coach and then dismiss him for playing too much that system. Bring in the process guy and later bin him for requiring too long. And above all show gratitude; for your modest season ticket price rises, for your new player acquisitions, for the fact that the grownups – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.