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Itranspired he could survive losing against lower-league opposition. Survive a decisive continental showpiece versus a particularly poor Tottenham teams for many years. He withstood home defeats to domestic rivals, a lowly league position, an unwavering system, undermining the team's best homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, 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 engage. If you challenge Jason Wilcox, and you best not miss.

Regrettably, like many a Premiership right-back in Blackburn’s championship campaign, Amorim took on Jason Wilcox and appears to have missed. The most casual observer can see the paradoxical situation: a manager who frequently berated his squad for losing individual battles crumbling when confronted by the white heat and formidable presence of one of the Premier League’s most intimidating sporting directors.

And frankly, this whole painful saga appears to portray the director in a whole new light. It may have been easy, based on his brief stint in a similar role at Southampton, to view him as little more than a drudge in the United exoskeleton: an individual whose appointment was due as much to his close relationship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada rather than any verifiable talent. How wrong everyone was. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring United’s feted head coach, just as he bested the unfortunate Dan Ashworth earlier, he has demonstrated to be among the sport’s strategic masterminds: a tactical intellect of which United’s mid-table rivals are now justifiably concerned.

The Tactical Conflict Regarding System & Philosophy

To illustrate, this was the director , after having been part of the hierarchy that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim originally, was instrumental in attempting to convince him to ditch his favored formation. Naturally, these entreaties were resisted. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when delivered by a man of a man the impeccable football pedigree of Jason Wilcox, holder of international appearances and a contributor to a championship team decades past.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox might agree to outline his reasoning to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked regarding why the coach is walking away with a full payout, without any penalty clause in place. The director seldom speaks in public, and with very good reason. The real thinkers of this sport – men like Jason Wilcox – simply operate on a plane beyond our own prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, most likely we would perceive would be ultrasonic blips and complex calculations. Wanting is not quite equivalent to being prepared to comprehend it.

The Ultimate Authority Behind the Throne

Naturally, in training our focus on Jason Wilcox we overlook the real power behind the club's current leadership. The director is, in reality, simply carrying out the commands of his ultimate superior Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who privately has made very clear his desire for a four-man defense. It is reported, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for United to embrace analytics and metrics. Per reports, in an executive meeting soon after his investment, he announced that the team's approach of play “shall be determined in this room”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is an expert in these intricate football matters, leveraging his background in industry and sailing. Above all he is incredibly rich, and it is known, the rich are superior: more perceptive, sagacious, more tactically astute, simply better. Whom else could one trust to oversee an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the construction of a modern arena that appears a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of a new striker?

A New Football Order: Executives Over Coaches

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels of the game. Historically, clubs foolishly entrusted big footballing decisions to low-level employees like managers, scouts – players themselves. Maybe previously feasible for an up-and-coming, innovative manager with ideas and drive to join an organization and see their vision supported to fruition. But how many companies have these guys established? What number of large-scale layoffs have they overseen? Better by far to place the real power where it belongs: the executive class, the casually dressed executives, the guys with impressive LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to decide the tactics by the directors and hire a coach who can tailor their methods accordingly. If managers were once chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not really creating the product, yet finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or fails to meet standards.

Nowadays, a coach's role has become not about crafting the philosophy and more about marketing it: the front-facing representative of the operation, the visible figurehead of an organisation they have minimal power to influence. A coach at Chelsea takes a squad of very young players into the Champions League and wins domestic cups, and effectively is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his standing damaged while those individuals who hired him continue to make errors indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Game: Responsibility for the Coaches

And perhaps in a small way this is simply neoliberalism at work: the rise of a privileged elite who are infallible, whose choices are always untouchable, whose mistakes can always be resolved by sacking without explanation. Hire the system coach and then dismiss him for playing too much that system. Bring in the process guy and later discard him for requiring too long. And above all show gratitude; for your modest season ticket price rises, for the latest player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – regardless of their expertise – remain in control.