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Iturns out the manager could survive defeat by Grimsby. Survive a decisive continental showpiece against a particularly poor Spurs sides for many years. He withstood losing at home to West Ham and Wolves, finishing 15th, the tactical inflexibility, undermining the team's best academy products, the 32% win rate, labeling the squad the worst the club has ever seen. But there was a single opponent with whom the Portuguese coach would not be allowed to engage. You come at Jason Wilcox, you had better succeed.

Regrettably, like many a Premiership defender in Blackburn’s championship campaign, Amorim took on Jason Wilcox and seems to have failed. Even the most distracted of readers will notice the paradoxical situation: a manager who frequently berated at his players for failing in one-on-one duels succumbing in the face of the white heat and animal charisma of one of England's top division's most feared football executives.

And frankly, this whole bruising episode seems to paint the director in a whole new light. Perhaps it might have been tempting, based on his nine months in a similar role with the Saints, to view Jason Wilcox as merely a drudge within the club's structure: a man who owed his position largely to his close relationship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada rather than any verifiable talent. How mistaken we all were. In brilliantly outmanoeuvring the club's celebrated head coach, just as he bested the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, Jason Wilcox has demonstrated as one of the sport’s strategic masterminds: a strategic mind of which United’s mid-table rivals will now be justifiably concerned.

A Strategic Clash Over System and Philosophy

To illustrate, it was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the hierarchy that appointed the 3-4-3 fundamentalist Amorim originally, was instrumental in trying to persuade him to abandon his favored formation. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties met a certain resistance. But perhaps these judgements carry more weight when issued from the mouth with the impeccable soccer background of Jason Wilcox, a veteran of three England caps and a contributor to a title-winning side from 31 years ago.

Maybe eventually he may be persuaded to outline his reasoning publicly. Perhaps at some point questions may arise why Amorim is departing with full compensation, without any compensation reduction clause activated. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks in public, for excellent reasons. The true intellectuals in football – individuals such as Jason Wilcox – simply operate on a plane beyond our own mundane comprehension. If he ever did speak, probably all we would hear is a series of high-frequency signals and complex calculations. Wanting is not quite the same as being prepared to comprehend it.

The Ultimate Power Behind Command

Naturally, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we overlook the true genius behind the modern United throne. The director is, in reality, merely executing the directives of his ultimate line manager the billionaire owner, who in private has made very clear his preference for a four-man defense. According to reports, Ratcliffe has also proposed playing Bryan Mbeumo in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to embrace analytics and metrics. According to ESPN, in an executive meeting early in his investment, he declared that United’s style to football “shall be determined by this group”.

After all, Ratcliffe is a specialist in these intricate football matters, drawing from his previous experience in industry and sailing. Most importantly he remains incredibly rich, and it is known, the wealthy are the best of us: more insightful, more wise, more tactically astute, simply better. Who else could one trust to oversee an enlightened programme of austerity, the building of a new stadium that looks a lot like an abstract design, the signing of Benjamin Sesko?

A Modern Soccer Order: Executives Over Managers

This represents a shift we are increasingly seeing at the elite levels of the game. Historically, teams mistakenly delegated big footballing decisions to subordinate staff such as coaches, scouts – players themselves. Perhaps it was once possible for an up-and-coming, visionary coach with a philosophy and drive to join an organization and implement their plan through to completion. Yet how many businesses have such individuals established? What number of mass redundancies have they managed? Far preferable to invest genuine authority where it belongs: the executive class, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with impressive professional resumes. Better by far to determine the tactics in the boardroom and hire a coach who can tailor their offering to suit. If coaches were formerly chefs, they have become more like delivery personnel: not really responsible for the food, but still finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out to meet standards.

Nowadays, a coach's role is increasingly less about defining the vision and more about selling it: the receptionist on the front desk, the visible figurehead for a club they can do little to change. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of literal children into Europe and wins two medium-sized trophies, and essentially is dismissed for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy finds his standing damaged whereas those individuals who appointed him live to blunder another day.

A Neoliberal Game: Responsibility for the Few

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this is simply neoliberalism in action: the rise of a gilded overclass who are infallible, whose choices remain sacrosanct, whose mistakes can invariably be sacked away without explanation. Appoint the system coach and then dismiss him for playing too much that system. Bring in the project manager and later discard him for taking too long. And most importantly be grateful; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for the latest player acquisitions, for the reality that the grownups – however well qualified – remain in control.