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Turns out Ruben Amorim could survive a loss to lower-league opposition. Survive a decisive continental showpiece against one of the worst Spurs sides in living memory. He could survive losing at home to domestic rivals, finishing 15th, an unwavering system, laying waste to the team's best homegrown talent, the 32% win rate, calling his team the poorest in Manchester United history. But there was a single opponent against 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 defender in Blackburn’s championship 1994-95 season, the coach took on Jason Wilcox and appears to have failed. The most casual observer can see the paradoxical situation: a manager who often railed at his players for losing individual battles succumbing in the face of the white heat and animal charisma of a England's top division's most intimidating sporting directors.

And frankly, this whole painful saga appears to portray the director in a different perspective. It may have been easy, given his nine months in a similar role with the Saints, to regard Jason Wilcox as merely a functionary in the United exoskeleton: an individual who owed his position largely to his close relationship with ex-colleague Omar Berrada rather than any demonstrable skill. How wrong everyone was. In brilliantly outsmarting the club's celebrated manager, as he outmanoeuvred the unfortunate a previous executive earlier, Jason Wilcox has proved himself to be among football's strategic masterminds: a strategic mind that United’s mid-table rivals are now rightly wary.

A Strategic Conflict Regarding System and Philosophy

To illustrate, it was Jason Wilcox who having been part of the hierarchy that appointed the rigid 3-4-3 advocate Amorim originally, was instrumental in trying to persuade him to ditch his favored 3-4-3. Unsurprisingly, these entreaties faced pushback. But perhaps such directives hold greater authority when issued from the mouth of a man the unimpeachable soccer background he possesses, holder of three England caps and a contributor to a title-winning side decades past.

Maybe eventually Jason Wilcox may be persuaded to explain his thought processes to the rest of us. Perhaps at some point he might be asked regarding why the coach is departing with full compensation, with no penalty clause in place. But Jason Wilcox seldom speaks in public, for excellent reasons. The real thinkers in football – individuals such as him – function on a plane exceeding our prosaic understanding. Were he to speak, probably we would perceive is a series of high-frequency signals and four-dimensional whirring. Wanting is not quite equivalent to being prepared to receive.

An Supreme Authority Behind the Throne

Naturally, by focusing our attention on Jason Wilcox we are obscuring the true genius behind the modern United throne. Jason Wilcox is, after all, merely executing the commands of his ultimate line manager the billionaire owner, who privately has made very clear his preference for a back four. It is reported, the owner has also suggested deploying the forward in a wing-back role. Ratcliffe is keen for the club to embrace data science and analytics. Per reports, during a leadership summit soon after his investment, he declared that the team's approach to football “shall be determined by this group”.

Ultimately, Sir Jim is a specialist in these intricate footballing stuff, leveraging his background in petrochemicals and yachting. Above all he is incredibly rich, and it is known, the rich are the best of us: more perceptive, more wise, strategically brilliant, fundamentally superior. Who else would you trust to oversee an enlightened programme of cost-cutting, the construction of a new stadium that appears a lot like an abstract design, the acquisition of Benjamin Sesko?

The Modern Football Order: Executives Above Coaches

This represents a shift that is becoming prevalent at the elite levels football. For decades, clubs foolishly entrusted major sporting choices to subordinate staff like managers, talent spotters – even footballers. Perhaps it was once feasible for a young, innovative manager with ideas and drive to join a club and implement their plan through to completion. Yet how many businesses have such individuals established? How many large-scale layoffs have they managed? Far preferable to place the real power where it belongs: the leadership tier, the open-necked shirt brigade, the individuals with the jaw-dropping LinkedIn profiles. Better by far to decide the tactics in the boardroom and hire a coach who will adapt their methods accordingly. If managers were once chefs, they are now more like delivery personnel: not creating the food, but still finally accountable should it be delivered poorly or leaks out to meet standards.

Nowadays, their job is increasingly not about crafting the philosophy and more about selling it: the receptionist of the operation, the public face of an organisation they can do little to change. Enzo Maresca takes a squad of literal children into Europe and wins domestic cups, and essentially gets sacked for speaking out. Wilfried Nancy sees his standing damaged while those individuals who appointed him continue to make errors indefinitely.

A Neoliberal Football: Accountability for the Few

And perhaps on some microcosmic level this is simply neoliberalism at work: the rise of a privileged overclass who can never be wrong, whose choices remain untouchable, whose mistakes can always be resolved by sacking without justification. Hire the system coach and then dismiss him for playing too much 3-4-3. Bring in the process guy and then bin him for taking too long. And above all show gratitude; for the incremental season ticket price rises, for your new summer signings, for the reality that the grownups – regardless of their expertise – are in charge.