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Iturns out he was able to withstand defeat by Grimsby. Survive losing a crucial European final versus a particularly poor Spurs sides for many years. He could survive losing at home to West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, undermining the team's most promising academy products, a poor winning percentage, calling the squad the poorest in Manchester United history. Yet, there existed a single opponent against whom the Portuguese coach was not permitted to dance. You come at the sporting director, you had better succeed.

Unfortunately, similar to numerous top-flight defender in Blackburn’s championship campaign, the coach came at the executive and seems to have failed. Even the most casual observer will notice the paradoxical situation: a coach who often railed at his players for losing one-on-one duels succumbing when confronted by the intense pressure and animal charisma of a the Premier League’s most intimidating football executives.

And frankly, this entire painful saga appears to portray the director in a whole new light. It may have been easy, based on his nine months in a similar role at Southampton, to regard him as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: an individual who owed his position largely to his friendship with his former boss Omar Berrada rather than any demonstrable skill. How wrong we all were. By masterfully outsmarting United’s feted head coach, just as he bested the hapless Dan Ashworth earlier, Jason Wilcox has proved himself as one of football's strategic masterminds: a strategic mind that United’s competitors will now be justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Conflict Regarding Formation & Philosophy

To illustrate, it was Jason Wilcox , after being involved in the leadership that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince Amorim to abandon his beloved formation. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties were resisted. However, these judgements hold greater authority when issued by a man of a man the unimpeachable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, holder of international appearances and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Perhaps in time he might agree to outline his reasoning to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked regarding why the coach is departing with full compensation, without any compensation reduction clause in place. The director seldom speaks publicly, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers in football – men like him – simply operate at a level exceeding our prosaic understanding. If he ever did speak, most likely all we would hear is a series of high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Wanting is not quite equivalent to being ready to comprehend it.

The Ultimate Authority In Command

Naturally, by focusing our attention on the sporting director we overlook the real power behind the club's current leadership. Jason Wilcox is, after all, merely executing the directives of his line manager the billionaire owner, who in private has emphasized his desire for a back four. It is reported, Ratcliffe has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. The owner is eager for the club to embrace data science and metrics. According to ESPN, during a leadership summit soon after his minority ownership, he announced that United’s style of play “will be determined by this group”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is a specialist in this technical footballing stuff, leveraging his previous experience in industry and sailing. Most importantly he remains incredibly rich, and it is known, the rich are superior: more insightful, more wise, more tactically astute, simply better. Whom else could one trust to manage a strategic plan of cost-cutting, the building of a modern arena that appears a lot like someone’s leftover knitting, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

A Modern Football Hierarchy: Directors Above Managers

This represents a shift 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 – even footballers. Perhaps it was once possible for a young, visionary coach with a philosophy and energy to join a club and implement their plan supported to fruition. Yet how many businesses have these guys set up? What number of large-scale layoffs have they overseen? 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. Better by far to decide the tactics in the boardroom and appoint a coach who can tailor their methods to suit. If managers were formerly chefs, they are now more akin to delivery personnel: not responsible for the food, but still ultimately answerable if it arrives 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 visible figurehead of an organisation they can do little to influence. A coach at Chelsea leads a team of very young players into the Champions League and secures domestic cups, and essentially gets sacked for talking. Wilfried Nancy finds his reputation ruined whereas those individuals who appointed him continue to make errors indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Game: Responsibility for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this is simply neoliberalism in action: the elevation of a privileged elite who are infallible, whose decisions remain sacrosanct, whose mistakes can always be sacked away without explanation. Hire the 3-4-3 coach and then fire them for using too much 3-4-3. Hire the process guy and later bin him for taking excessive time. And most importantly show gratitude; for your modest increases in ticket costs, for the latest summer signings, for the reality that the adults – however well qualified – remain in control.